1922 – 100 YEARS AGO

We have had made, to our special order, a limited number of books, showing a map of the county, and individual page maps of the townships of the county. These maps show the location and size of every farm property in the county, with the name of the owner. When these are gone no more can be obtained. While our supply lasts they will be sold at one dollar.

A throng that completely filled the available space at the beautiful new St. Mary’s hospital was present this morning at 10:30 o’clock when His Reverence Bishop Peter J. Muldoon, head of the diocese of Rockford, pronounced the words blessing the hospital in the name of the Master and dedicating to the high purpose for which it is built.

Henry Lanan, who recently purchased the Chamberlain home in Sycamore on Exchange Street, is having the place extensively remodeled. Much work is being done on the interior and the outside is undergoing a coat of white pebble dash, which makes a vast improvement in the home. Upon the completion of the home, Mr. Lanan will have one of the finest residences of the city. Although work is still going on at the place, it already takes an aspect of the work that has been done and the alterations which have been given it.

The bus line is kept pretty busy in and around Malta where it is becoming very popular. Many people take the bus now when they want to go to DeKalb instead of using their own cars, in this cold weather. The bus is enclosed and kept very warm and comfortable for the comfort of the passengers. It is thought that the new line will be a successas so many of the people are taking advantage of it. Those living some little distance from the city find it very convenient to take the bus to the village whenever they find it necessary to go.

The new Malta library which was started some time ago is going up with astonishing rapidity, the workmen already working on the actual construction of the building. Thomas Kingsted who has charge of the contract has kept his men busy at the work and has made an excellent showing. It is thought that in the next month the building will be close to completion and Malta will have a building we may well feel proud of to show visitors.

1947 – 75 YEARS AGO

Charles F. Dayton, coach and member of the DeKalb Township High School faculty today completed a five-day short course in driver education and training given by the University of Illinois. The intensive short course, designed to better equip educators to meet the increasing problem of motor vehicle accidents was conducted in cooperation with several auto agencies throughout the state. It was pointed out that training was urgently needed because 16-year-old drivers have a traffic fatality driving record nine times worse than drivers of the 45 to 50 age bracket. Reports have proven that driver training in schools has reduced traffic accidents by one-half.

George Munch, well known farmer living northwest of Clare, was seriously injured several days ago, on his farm. He and his son, Jack, were opening a corn field, preparatory to starting husking operations. Jack was running the mounted picker on the tractor and Mr. Munch was riding on the wagon behind the machine. As the equipment moved along a fence, a low hanging tree limb brushed Mr. Munch off the wagon. He fell backward, landing on his neck and shoulder. He was rushed to a doctor’s office where an X-ray examination revealed that he had received a crushed vertebra.

Work on two street improvement projects is progressing rapidly at this time with the greater part of the grading activity on North Ninth and Eleventh streets in DeKalb having been completed at this time. Contracts for the blacktopping of these two streets from Oak to Pleasant were awarded the Stahl Construction Company of Somonauk with the work being started last week. It is hoped that the weather will remain favorable so that the curb and gutter work may be completed and the gravel base placed before the arrival of winter. This will allow the base to be packed down during the winter so that the blacktopping may be placed in the spring.

Silo filling in Ohio Grove is about completed in this vicinity. Some of the farmers are now combining beans.

Conservation Officer Harley Renwick met a truck from the State Department of Conservation in Sycamore this morning loaded with “bullheads” which were unloaded in the gravel pit north of Sycamore. Sycamore Chamber of the DeKalb County Sportsmen’s Club had placed a request some time ago. The fish are large in size as they were taken from the backwaters of the Mississippi near Savanna. It was estimated that around 500 were placed in the waters here and should provide some interesting sport for the fishermen around this area.

1972 – 50 YEARS AGO

The County Board last night granted a special use permit to the Boy Scouts, Calumet Council, for developing the 650 acres of land near Kirkland that they recently acquired.

Workmen from Hiatt Brothers in DeKalb have started working this week on hanging the suspension bridge across the Kishwaukee River in Hopkins Park. With the cooperation of Swedberg, Barber-Greene and Hiatt the park district saved $20,000 on the cost of construction of the bridge. The old bridge was constantly washing away in high water.

When the DeKalb County Special Education Association (DCSEA) was formed in 1967, basements in Sandwich, DeKalb and Sycamore were utilized for the training and education of the county’s trainable mentally handicapped. Within the next 10 days the DCSEA will own its own building, McAuley Hall, the former St. Mary’s Hospital in DeKalb. The DCSEA has been renting the Notre Dame facility on Gurler Road for the past two years.

1997 - 25 YEARS AGO

Children at St. Mary’s Catholic School might want to grab an umbrella if they ever smell hog manure. Typically, the wind will swing around to the southeast when a storm approaches DeKalb. As a warning of impending rain, the wind could transport aroma from a hog confinement facility being built about a mile southeast of the school to the nasal passages of the kids in the playground.

The Gurler House, 205 Pine St., was built in 1857 by Elzey Young and his wife Alida Ellwood. Clara Sperling, secretary to many NIU presidents, lived in the adjoining apartment in the mid-20th century. The DeKalb City Council met at the house last night to discuss its goals and the challenges the city faces, and work on a mission statement for the house.

A group of DeKalb residents opposed to a new subdivision succeeded in at least slowing the development down last night. Residents who live near the Huber Farm, located at the northwest cornerof Taylor Street and Glidden Avenue, packed the city council chambers to voice opposition to a 153-house development planned for the property.

The DeKalb County Board is expected to approve a plan tonight that paves the way for a new fire station just outside of Kirkland. The new station, including a helicopter pad, will be located on the north side of Route 72.

– Compiled by Sue Breese