Looking Back for November 2, 2022

DeKalb High School football field looking southeast toward Sycamore Road in October 1951.

1922 – 100 Years Ago

The Genoa fire department was called to the E. G. Stewart home Friday evening to extinguish a small blaze in the roof, thought to have been caused from a spark from the chimney.

Plans are being completed for the opening up of the Sycamore High School to the public for radio concerts which will be given weekly throughout the winter. The large outfit which was presented to the school by the alumni, is already receiving reports and concerts from many different stations and is causing much enthusiasm among the students and townspeople. According to word from the school this morning the concerts will probably start sometime next week. When the night concerts will be given will be announced a few days before, so that all may be able to attend.

Construction work on the new Broughton building in DeKalb adjoining the Knights of Columbus home is moving at a rapid rate at this time and today the bricks forming the sidewalls of the second story are being laid rapidly. Another month, provided the weather does not turn too cold, will be much of the masonry completed, and it will then be but a short time before the new building will be ready for occupancy.

According to reports on the police books today, there were a number of Halloween celebrators out last night, but as far as could be learned today there was very little damage done. Many calls were received at the police station from all parts of the city and in all cases, men were taken to the scene in fast automobiles, but no one was arrested. Probably the worst offense last night was the filling of the Fourth street entrance of the Methodist church full of rubbish, thus causing the janitor there considerable trouble.

With another carload of steel arriving here yesterday work is going to move by bounds and jumps at DeKalb’s new theater. The first car of the heavy stuff was unloaded last week, and the second car arrived here yesterday. As soon as the steel is placed, the masons and contractors will start work again and within a very short time the new building will begin to show form. Much of the interior work of the building preparatory to the steel placement has been completed, and it is expected that work will move rapidly now that the steel has been placed.

1947 – 75 Years Ago

Attention is called to the fact that motorists have been noted driving over unprotected hose at various fires and that this is a violation and those persons driving over a hose are liable to prosecution. A city ordinance states that no vehicle shall be driven over any unprotected hose of the fire department when laid down on any street or alley by order of the chief of the fire department or other proper officers, without the consent of the chief or officer or members in charge of such hose. Another bad practice of motorists is following the trucks to fires. In many instances autos follow one truck only to become an obstacle for other trucks which may be following.

Lieut. Ruth Ashelford, A. N., of Clare, is enjoying a few days visit at the home of her parents Mr. and Mrs. G. Ashelford. Ruth has been serving as an army nurse in the hospital at Fort Riley, Kansas, and has just recovered from several days’ illness, resulting from an injury to her hand.

Lester Lane and three sons, lifelong residents of Sycamore, have purchased the Sycamore Cab Company from Jack Munn and Lloyd Thaves. Mr. Lane reports that the business will be carried on with the same service as before with the same hours and same stand. The three sons are all veterans of World War II and Mr. Lane is a veteran of World War I.

A note to those housewives who raced madly from store to store yesterday in an effort to buy large quantities of sugar. There’s plenty of sugar on the shelves of DeKalb grocery shelves today and the price is identical with that which has prevailed for several weeks. All government price controls were lifted from sugar at midnight last night and housewives have been buying sugar in quantity for several days in an effort to lay in supplies before prices could be raised after controls were lifted. Some of the buying bordered on the hysterical side. One DeKalb grocer told now he quieted fears. To customers that he knew he laughed at their fears, to those he didn’t know he merely didn’t have 100 pound sacks of sugar in stock. Sugar salesmen have said that if it hadn’t been for the wave of panic buying the price probably would have declined today.

1972 – 50 Years Ago

Mahmoud Akrawbawi, 26, is looking for a wife – fast – to prevent U. S. immigration authorities from deporting him to his native Jordan. Akrawbawi, who has lived in DeKalb for three years, has taken some classes at Kishwaukee College and others in Chicago.

A DeKalb man is among five businessmen seeking approval of an application to operate a bank in DeKalb. R. William Terwilliger, DeKalb, along with Walter Carpenter of Morris, Floyd Abramson of Chicago, James L. Fox of Willmette and Fred Newman of Riverside, are seeking a charter for a bank. The proposed bank would be located across from Terwilliger’s store at 810 Lincoln Highway.

TheStudent Council in Malta has been very active this year. Last year it made plans for the sign in front of a Malta building. It has been completed and soon will be dedicated in memorial to Cynthia Ann Wright. Soon to be formally marked with a plaque to designate its unique place in DeKalb County’s history, the building has been owned for many years by Mr. and Mrs. C. Colman Schoonmaker. Schoonmaker was formerly the editor and publisher of the Genoa Republican, a weekly newspaper which was published in the building.

The building located along Genoa’s Main Street was recently accepted by the DeKalb County Historical Society as an historic site.

1997 - 25 Years Ago

There has been a rollover in the grand prize for the Big Game lotto drawing. Because there was no grand prize winner fromFriday night’s drawing, the guaranteed, single-winner grand prize for the next drawing, Nov. 7, automatically increases to $8 million.

Officials and concerned citizens gathered last night for the rural/urban planning conference to discuss the future of DeKalb County. The 200 people in attendance talked about managing growth, preserving farmland and encouraging economic development.

When Joe Karaswski moved from the western suburbs to Cortland four years ago, there was nothing to do for a hockey player like himself. Now he hopes there are a lot of other Joe Karaswskis out there. He announced his plan to build a mammoth indoor sport arena, including two ice hockey rinks, in DeKalb at last night’s Plan Commission meeting. If it gets built, the 94,000-square-foot arena could be DeKalb’s third indoor sports facility to be constructed within a year.

Compiled by Sue Breese