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1923 – 100 Years Ago
If DeKalb has the feeling that the high automobile license plates for 1923 have been coming this way, they are due for a correction, as a letter received by Elvin Carlson from Harry Olson an official in the automobile license department in the secretary of state’s office at Springfield states that on Tuesday at the time of writing, the sale of plates had reached over the 928,000 mark. If this rate is continued it will mean that the state of Illinois will have over 1,000,000 vehicles that have applied for 1923 licenses at the secretary of state’s office by the end of the year. DeKalb’s highest number yet recorded is 806,729.
Announcement comes today that the new library which was recently built in Malta will be dedicated Saturday night at 7:30 o’clock. Everything has been completed in the building and it will be opened for the first time to public inspection. The Malta band will be on hand and it is understood that several speeches will be given by prominent residents of the village. After dedication the people may inspect the building and books. Mrs. William Phelps is president of the board and along with Miss Beulah Harrington, librarian, worked hard to make the new library possible.
Yes, they have no bananas, but at the First National bank may be found about as good as imitation of an enlarged banana as has been seen for a long time. At the institution of great funds is a large Guinea bean, weighing, according to the card of information, 15 pounds. The large bean is from the farm of Allen Redmond. Those who are acquainted with the product state that it is one of the largest seen in these parts for some time.
DeKalb on Saturday lost a window trimmer, when he tried to “trim” his employer. The young man, who has not been a resident of DeKalb for a very long time, was caught in the act, so to speak, Saturday, when a detective purchased a long list of articles from him, giving the salesman in return about $30, in marked bills. The bills were later found in the pocket of the window trimmer. A visit to his home brought to light many articles of merchandise from the store in which he worked. As far as can be ascertained today, he or his wife cannot be located in this city. They were last seen about noon Saturday, employees in the store stating that he was required to leave at noon because of feeling faint.
1948 – 75 Years Ago
With tears and cheers, the Netherlands today bade farewell to an old queen and welcomed a new one. The tears were for Queen Wilhelmina, who signed just before noon papers abdicating the throne she had held for half a century and became, at her own wish, once more a princess. The cheers were for her 39-year-old daughter, Juliana, who became Queen of the Netherlands and ruler of the Dutch Empire at the exact moment her mother signed the instrument of abdication in a private ceremony in the Royal Palace before a small group.
Several hundred DeKalb County farmers visited the Preston Woods farm near Waterman Friday on the annual Farm Bureau-Farm Management visit to specially chosen co-operators. The Woods farm of 312 acres was chosen by the service to demonstrate what can be done on a place cut up by a large ditch and by township roads. Also, to see the Woods farm’s outstanding record of productivity. Woods operates a grain, feeder cattle farm and has lived on the place 28 years. He owns 192 acres and leases 120 acres.
The farm home owned by William Oberg and located about two miles south of DeKalb on the First Street Road was damaged by fire which broke out during the noon hour. Some remodeling work was underway on the home and a number of shingles were scattered about on the yard and the blaze is thought to have been started when a cigarette ignited some of the shingles in the yard.
Bales of straw are scattered along both side of the new blacktop road north of the Milan Town Hall. The straw is used as a binder on the sides, about 150 tons being required.
Greentown School, taught by Mrs. Gaylord Tate and the Wesson School taught by Mrs. Catherine Dunlap of DeKalb opened on Monday, the only two schools left in Victor of the five former rural schools of years ago. The Suydam School did not reopen this fall. The pupils from there have been transferred some to Somonauk, some to Leland and five are going to the Wesson School.
Charlotte Furland and Mr. and Mrs. LaVern Sebby of DeKalb, and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Furland attended the Railroad Fair in Chicago Wednesday.
1973 – 50 Years Ago
DeKalb’s Planning Commission approved an annexation and rezoning request for a shopping center on Annie Glidden Road last night and heard the initial presentation for another which would be located near Northland Plaza. The request from Riverside Trails Inc. for rezoning on a 55 acre portion of a 225-acre plot between W. Lincoln Highway and W. Taylor St. on the west side of Annie Glidden. On that land, the developers propose to construct 287,000 square foot enclosed shopping mall with two or three large department stores and numerous smaller shops. In addition, there would be a sports arena adjacent to the center with facilities for home hockey games for NIU.
Sycamore High School received a phone call about 10:10 a.m. today warning a bomb had been planted in the school. While students and school personnel were evacuated, Sycamore police and DeKalb County Sheriff’s Police searched the building. No bomb was found and students and teachers were allowed back inside the building at 11:30 a.m.
One of the biggest entertainment bargains of the year will begin a five-day run tomorrow when the DeKalb County Fair at Sandwich opens for the 86th year. The Sandwich Fair offers free entertainment on its 100 tree-shaded acres.
1998 - 25 Years Ago
Things may be getting quieter around the area soon, and that is good news. A tentative agreement is in hand between Union Pacific Railroad and the communities along the tracks which could bring an end to the excessively loud train whistling. Work remains to be done before Union Pacific agrees to designate “quiet zones” through Cortland, DeKalb, Maple Park, Rochelle and Elburn, but significant progress has been made.
Record Revolution, DeKalb’s oldest established music store, will celebrate its 25th anniversary this Thursday, Sept. 10. The business is locally owned and operated by DeKalb resident Mark Cerny. Cerny started the store at 904 W. Lincoln Hwy., the site of the former Turk’s grocery store and variety shop Glass Onion. Record Revolution relocated to the University City shopping center in 1978. The establishment has moved twice within the plaza and now occupies the end store with more than 1,800 feet of retail space. “Once people know what you have, they come back,” said Robert Wise, store manager and employee since 1976.
– Compiled by Sue Breese