:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/5X5QFVYJ2BF7BK6TX3A6AMTPCI.jpg)
1922 – 100 YEARS AGO
Painters today began decorating Jack Cook’s shack on Lincoln Highway near Fourth Street, and he is beginning to feel more relieved at the progress of his business. The place has been wired to conform to the fire laws and after the decorating is completed, installation of equipment will begin in earnest. Mr. Cook thus far, however, refuses to set any date for his opening, because “you never can tell what might happen before the work around a place of this kind is finished.”
Following the action of the city council at its last meeting when an appropriation of $300 was made for the erection of a shack at Annie’s Woods, Elof Swanson, who is operating the business, reports much work in keeping his little store stocked with what the tourists demand. The building was constructed last week, and although not completed, Mr. Swanson had supplies on hand for Saturday and Sunday. He states the tourists have welcomed the plan, many of them, previous visitors at the grounds, commented favorably on the new arrangement.
With their mothers as guests, the Kando Girls, under the direction of Mrs. Brigham Safford, had a picnic this afternoon at the home of Miss Lucy Boies. The girls with their mothers spent the afternoon in a social way on the lawn of the Boies home where a luncheon was also served.
The many friends of Carl Baie of Waterman will be glad to know that he is slowly improving after having gone through a four weeks’ serious illness over which his family and friends have been very anxious and solicitous.
Young Fisher, of DeKalb, who seems to have made a very good impression on the ring fans of the city, spends much of his time training, as tonight is a big night for his, at the Rex arena, near Elgin. Fisher has spent many hours running on the highway, night and morning, and although many people have seen him, did not know he was training for his match this evening. Should Fisher display anything in his bout tonight, it is probable he will be taken in charge by some of the fans of the city and trained for other bouts. If this comes about, DeKalb will soon become widely known in the sporting world.
Members of the police committee of the city council have been investigating a new ambulance for the city, and during the last week or two, the members of the committee have been looking over several wagons for this purpose. It seems to be the belief of some of the members of the committee that a combined ambulance and patrol wagon will be purchased similar to that used in Chicago and many other larger cities.
1947 – 75 YEARS AGO
Father and Mrs. David Reid and children are now located in St. Alban’s House. He will be in charge of St. Alban’s property in Sycamore and also priest-in-charge of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in DeKalb and will conduct his first service on Sunday. Plans are to remodel one of the buildings on the campus of St Alban’s into a dormitory and it will be turned over to the Northern Illinois State Teachers College. As there is an acute shortage of housing at the college at the present time. The dormitory will help solve the problem.
Ila Gustafson of Esmond, who has been seriously ill for several weeks returned to her duties at the DeKalb Ag office on Monday.
Hermosa Home, at Waterman, the institution for the care of chronically ill people, established some two years ago by Rev. Furnish, pastor of the First Methodist church of Aurora, has changed hands. The new owner is Dr. Edward Ross, of Batavia, who is also the owner of the Bellevue Place Sanitarium in that city. The Hermosa Home is in the hospital building formerly owned and operated by the late Dr. Paul Greeley and has been utilized by many DeKalb people in the period of its operation.
Chief of Police B. F. Peck called attention this morning to all motorists that they must respect the rights of blind persons carrying white canes. Yesterday a blind person, carrying a white cane, was nearly run down as he was attempting to cross an intersection when a motorist failed to show any consideration. Autoists when seeing a person with a white cane crossing an intersection should stop their cars to allow the blind person to proceed.
Cold weather, cold water and cold swimmers were all part of the scene yesterday when the Hopkins Park pool opened for the 1947 season. Although the water, which has been pumped from the well during the past two weeks, has had a chance to temper a bit, it was still cold for the 193 swimmers who were through the turnstile during the first day of operation. Honors for being the first one in the water went to Jean Rohlik, the first time in the history of the pool that a girl has had the jump on the boys.
1972 – 50 YEARS AGO
A house from the Wayne Taylor farm northwest of Esmond was moved recently by a Rockford firm to the Lindas lot on the west edge of Esmond. The Ken Lindas family will move into the house as soon as remodeling is finished.
State employees have the latest in labor-savings devices. A basket is loaded then lowered to the floor of the Illinois House of Representatives. The clerk’s staff is on the floor above the House and must process each bill after each step of the legislative process, so the basket’s used to save all that stair climbing.
The pageant performers, all Shabbona natives, proved they were of true pioneer stock last night as they performed the opening night “Me Shabbona” story outside on the grade school grounds under adverse conditions, rain and wind. Even though nearly half of the spectators abandoned their seats by midway through the 90-minute performance, the actors and stage crew completed all 13 episodes, many of them soaked to the skin from the intermittent rain showers.
1997 – 25 YEARS AGO
When Sycamore Mayor Jim Edwards suggested the city become the “Begonia Capital of the Midwest,” he was not kidding. A botanical garden is Edwards’ idea of how to increase the city’s revenue by drawing in visitors, without raising the retail and restaurant taxes. It came in the midst of developing a comprehensive plan for the city’s future and how to boost needed revenue.
While corporate farms threaten family-run operations nationally, the more than 200,000 pigs in DeKalb County are mostly on family farms.
Coyotes are making a comeback in northern Illinois, years after they became scarce in the state’s most densely populated region.
St. John’s Lutheran Church, Creston, will celebrate its 100th anniversary this weekend. The Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church was organized in Creston on May 2, 1897, under the leadership of the Rev. C. E. Tiller, who remained until 1898. Because the tradition of the Norwegian people in America has always been linked with the history of the church, the group remained faithful together in prayer and worship during the absence of a pastor.
– Compiled by Sue Breese