130 Years Ago
November 10, 1894
S. D. Duell has commenced excavating for the erection of a large and fine livery barn on the lots west of the west end restaurant.
As the returns from Tuesday's election become complete the whole affair seems like a roaring farce. The Democrats are literally nowhere. The late returns show that the Republicans have elected 250 members of Congress, the Democrats 97 and the Populists 9. Illinois went Republican by about 140,000.
H. J. Ramsey, the druggist, has placed on sale a lot of violins and accordions.
Married at the residence of the bride's parents on Tuesday at 11 a.m., Miss Ethel Barrows and Frank Wharton. The ceremony was performed by Rev. W. L. Riley.
120 Years Ago
November 11, 1904
Harvey Carter returned last Friday from Los Angeles, Calif., where he has been for several months. He says that all the Fairbury boys there are doing well. Roe Bartlett has a fine job and weighs over 200 pounds. Will Laubenheimer is a thoro Californian and keeps busy all the time. Ed Von Tobel has a good position as manager of a lumber yard. Charles Strasser also has a good position and Jake Beckley is working at the barber business. The orange crop is almost ready to pick and several of the boys will be kept busy at that all winter.
Walter McCormick is as pleasant and obliging a lightning slinger as has landed in the chair since W. W. Compton left it. He formerly lived in Chenoa, but says he would rather work in Fairbury nights than in Chenoa days. Mack is all right and knows a good town when he lands in it.
A farmer bought his wife a revolver recently and insisted that she should practice shooting so that she might defend herself in case intruders came to his home when he was absent. After the bullet had been dug out of his leg and the family horse hauled away dead he decided she could defend herself just as well with the broom and sold the revolver.
110 Years Ago
November 13, 1914
The grocery business conducted for the past eleven years by Emil Keller has been sold to H. K. Meyer of this city, possession being given Monday, November 16.
Virgil Darnall was severely injured and William Farr badly shaken up on Saturday evening when the big roadster that Farr was driving hit another machine, and rebounding, hit a heavy cement post and tree. The other machine contained Harry Porter, Reuben Fuller, Orin Bristow, with Archie Wilson driving.
M. M. Jacobs has purchased the A. E. Chambers property situated in the southwest part of the city. The price paid was $3,500 and Mr. Jacobs will take possession on December 1.
Miss Bertha Eppstein, manager of the Fairbury Telephone Company is taking a vacation this week and is visiting in Morris.
100 Years Ago
November 14, 1924
The farmers of this locality are in the midst of corn shucking. While some had started sooner than others, the greater majority started in earnest this week. There is much difference in the yields reported in this section of the country. Some report the corn light and chaffy and is making only around 35 or 40 bushels per acre. Other reports are going as high as 55 and 60 bushels per acre.
The Livingston County Circuit Court has been a pretty busy place for several Fairbury residents this week. On July 26 these same residents were arrested in a dry raid here by Sheriff Shuggart and his deputies. Right up to the time of going to trial they maintained that they were not guilty, but after everything was all set for their hearing they changed their minds.
The Sunday school convention of district No. 1 of McLean County, composed of the Sunday schools of Weston, Chenoa, Meadows and Gridley, in session November 9, passed a resolution labeling public dances as demoralizing and as having a tendency to draw away from church services and "will ultimately tend to lower the moral standard of the state and nation." The resolution is in the form of a request that the manager of Dreamland Park close his dance pavilion on Sunday.
90 Years Ago
November 9, 1934
Some three weeks or so ago while in the Bon Ton, Charles Koshman, proprietor of the Fairbury Garment Company, and City Marshal Granville Bodley, who is also a Democratic precinct committeeman of the second precinct, got into a good natured argument regarding the election. Mr. Koshman had an idea that the Republican candidates of the county would win; Mr. Bodley didn't think they had a chance. The result of this good natured banter, as per contract duly executed, was that the city marshal promptly at noon Wednesday took Mr. Koshman for a ride. The ride was four blocks in length, starting at Mr. Koshman's place of business at the east end of main street, and ending at the west end of our business thoroughfare. A wheelbarrow was the mode of conveyance. A number of automobiles followed in the wake of the wheelbarrow, and all in all it was a rather impressive parade.
Raymond Wenger killed a gray eagle at his home six miles northwest of Fairbury Wednesday of this week. The bird measured six feet ten inches from wing tip to wing tip. The bird was flying about the premises and came to rest in a tree near the house. Mr. Wenger got out his blunderbuss and ere long Mr. Eagle came to his last rest on the ground.
In keeping with its custom for a number of years past, the Rotary Club will again this year be Santa Claus to the children of this city. This was the unanimous decision of the club when the matter was introduced by President W. Logan Kring at the meeting of the club Tuesday evening. Following a discussion of the matter, President Kring appointed a committee consisting of H. W. Pence, E. N. Nelson and Carlos Thompson to supervise the work of obtaining funds and presents, the purchasing of toys and the presentation of the gifts to the children.
80 Years Ago
November 10, 1944
One of the highlights at the annual Armistice Day dinner to be held tomorrow evening at seven o'clock at the Fairbury Township High School gymnasium, will be the ceremony of burning the mortgage that has stood against the property of the Fairbury Fair Association. Appropriate along with this ceremony is the fact that the John Joda post members are having as their guests at the dinner all those people who donated their services at the fair this fall and helped make the fair a success.
The rear of the G. L. Mowry building at Fourth and Locust is being remodeled and redecorated and when completed will be occupied by Miss Verna Isham with a beauty shop. Miss Isham, who is a sister of Mrs. Harry Gibler, has been employed the past four years at a beauty parlor in Hammond, Indiana.
During the past week a shipment of official F.F.A. garments arrived from the Universal Uniform Company in Van Wert, Ohio. Four boys purchased corduroy jackets, eight bought shirts and a number chose to buy ties. At this time each member of the Fairbury chapter owns some official garment, either a jacket, shirt, tie or T-shirt. These garments are blue and gold, the colors of the organization.
70 Years Ago
November 18, 1954
Voters of the Forrest-Strawn-Wing unit school district will go to the polls Saturday, Dec. 4 to vote again on two building proposals which failed to pass in the Nov. 6 election. The propositions are: (1) to buy a tract of land in the northwest corner of block one in the Krack addition to the Village of Forrest for the purpose of building thereon a new elementary school, and (2) to issue bonds in the amount of $560,000 for the purpose of purchasing the site, building the new elementary school and remodeling, repairing and building an addition to the present school building.
Three Bears, of the Chicago football variety, were in Fairbury, Monday for some pheasant shooting with John J. Wink. Among the players were Ed Sprinkle, veteran right end for the Bears, who has been termed the roughest player in professional football. The other players were Don Kindt, halfback, and Chic Jagade, fullback. The group got their limit and left about 3 p.m.
Progress on the construction of the theatre here is progressing rapidly, with ceiling tile now in place and work beginning on wall paneling. Work on bricking up portions of the front has been finished, and the wooden framework for the marquee is in place. No definite opening date has been set, but Mr. Shoemaker has stated he hopes to have the building finished in time for a showing by the first of the year.
60 Years Ago
November 12, 1964
A Fairburian this week sent Mayor Roy Taylor a $20 bill to repay the cost of a streetlight which the sender had shot out as a youth. Taylor declined to reveal the boy's name, but said he recalled a period when there was a number of such incidents which would about match the high-school time of the sender. The mayor stated that since Central Park was now being relandscaped, he would have the $20 applied toward one of the trees. "This way," Taylor said, "as the tree grows, so will grow the character of this young man!"
It wasn't planned that way, but Vince's cafe at Fourth and Locust almost became Vince's Drive-In Thursday night when a car, involved in an accident at the corner, roared out of control and into the front of the restaurant, which is the second building from the corner. Police Chief Alton Russell said a southbound car driven by George Walter hit the left rear of a vehicle, eastbound and driven by Earl Alford. Alford's vehicle then veered sharply to the left and into the front of the restaurant, shattering two large windows and crushing the unused show window shelf.
Livingston County, traditionally the pheasant-hunting capital of Illinois, will again play host to the annual influx of hunters, starting Saturday noon, but with the outlook for individual success doubtful. Hunting quarry and hunting places will be at an extreme premium this year. Veteran sportsmen have generally agreed in their observation that the bird crop this year is far below usual figures, and there is no known answer why.
50 Years Ago
November 14, 1974
A century of Fairbury history went up in smoke Sunday night as the "Old Opera House," originally known as Eddy's Hall, later as the Loyola Theater, next as the Sew A Stitch and most recently as the Midwest Upholstery and Custom Furniture, burned to the ground despite efforts of firemen from five towns. Oddly enough, the "New Opera House" burned in 1952. Lost in the blaze, on the northwest corner of Fifth and Locust, was the historic Eddy's Hall, also known as the Old Opera House, and the next building to the west, which on two stories housed the Fairbury Manufacturing Company, a dress factory employing about 40 women. Hundreds of rain-soaked spectators filled Sunken Park to watch firemen successfully keep the blaze from getting into additional adjoining buildings.
Vandals caused an estimated $16,500 damage to eight aircraft, including two helicopters belonging to Norman Rittenhouse of Fairbury, at the Pontiac Airport sometime Sunday afternoon or evening. Damage estimate on one of Rittenhouse's helicopters was $6,000, and the second $500. According to officials the vandals set fire to the inside of one helicopter, but then put it out with the fire extinguisher in the aircraft.
On Sunday evening, Kenny and Kate Metz were honored with a party at the home of Debbie and Bob Wharton. There were 30 guests present. The evening was spent playing games and a mock wedding was enjoyed by all. The event was to note their 21st anniversary, which is Nov. 4th. The party was given by their children, Debbie and Bob Wharton, Sherrie Metz and Jeanie Metz.
40 Years Ago
November 8, 1984
There will be a new consolidated high school in southeast Livingston County next fall. Voters in the current Fairbury-Cropsey, Forrest-Strawn-Wing and Chatsworth units supported consolidation 2 to 1 Tuesday. The final tally was 2,490 "yes" and 1,358 "no" for a 64.7 percent plurality. Final Livingston County figures showed the consolidation proposal gaining support from 65.1 percent of those casting ballots with the actual numbers reading 2,429 "yes" votes and 1,300 "no" ballots. The combined votes in McLean County passed the issue narrowly, 59-58. In Ford County consolidation received the support of both voters casting ballots in the tiny section of school district land there.
Site preparation will begin Monday on a new medical office complex at Fairbury Hospital. Stoller & Maurer Construction Co., of Fairbury, signed contracts Monday morning for the $395,000 structure which will go up at the northwest corner of the hospital's property bordered by Fifth and Chestnut streets. As part of the project, the coach house in the center of the block, which for the past 12 years has served as the garage for the SELCAS ambulances, and which is all that remains of the former Jay Claudon residence that the hospital bought several years ago, will be demolished.
Walton's Department Store in Fairbury this week is holding its 116th anniversary sale. The firm has been on the corner of Third and Locust Streets for almost all of those years and in that time has survived two fires which leveled the site. The sale is marked with their traditional gift days, starting Wednesday with their famous "Cup Cake Day" when hundreds of the delicacies are offered free, with some of them containing coupons for cash ranging from $25 to $1. Today some registrant will receive a Litton microwave oven. Friday's door prize is "Heart's Desire," any item in the store with a value up to $116, while on Saturday two winners will each receive gift certificates for $116.
30 Years Ago
November 9, 1994
Mary Streitmatter of Forrest was recently awarded a 14-gallon pin for the amount of blood she has donated over the past 40 years. "It never bothers me (to give)," she says. "It's something I can do." The 66-year-old who has been called into hospitals in Illinois and Texas during emergency need for her O-negative type, began giving blood in the 1950's, and the past 10 years, has given every two months.
Both coach Merry Diller and coach Joe Sieving are grinning broadly today as their 7th and 8th grade girls' basketball teams, respectively, took undefeated conference records with their wins Monday night at Paxton-Buckly-Loda. The girls' teams have four games remaining in their regular season before regional tournament play gets under way.
Fairbury native Rosie Mowery is the recipient of the Fairbury VFW Community Service Award, presented to her recently by VFW Commander Terry Vance. Mowery has a lifetime membership in the Fairbury Hospital Auxiliary and presently serves a fifth term as president of that organization. She is also a lifetime member of the American Legion Auxiliary and is current president of the local unit #54, serving as leadership chairman of the 17th district. On receiving her Community Service Award from the VFW, she says, "It is very humbling to receive a surprise such as this."
20 Years Ago
November 10, 2004
The Anchor State Bank was robbed at gun point at 5:42 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 5, shortly before closing. The masked suspect was a male, 5'4" to 5'7" tall, weighing approximately 100 to 125 pounds, and was wearing a navy blue sweatshirt. An undisclosed amount of cash was taken. The robber then fled on foot. There were no customers in the bank at the time of the robbery. Three bank employees were working at the time, but no one was injured. Following the robbery, the bank locked its doors.
Jim and Diane Koehl opened Natures Designs in Fairbury last week, a new name at a familiar location. The business formerly housed Nylander's Flowers & Gifts for many years and most recently was Country Cottage. Diane Koehl brings a true love for flowers and lots of experience into the new venture, that in addition to her husband, includes their son Justin and daughter Ashley. The business will feature fresh floral, green plants, custom made grave blankets and fresh Christmas trees in season. Also available at the business will be several metal sculptures designed and made by Jim Koehl from old farm machinery and recycled parts.
Zelma Davis of Fairbury, and her twin sister, Velma Grant of Bloomington were honored on their birthday with a surprise party at Lancaster's in Bloomington on Oct. 29. The celebration, which included the use of a limousine for the evening, was given by the children of the honored guests and Zelma Davis' grandson, Otis Smith. Those attending, besides family members, from the Fairbury area were Helen Wink along with Donald and Martha Smith.
10 Years Ago
November 12, 2014
Last week the Prairie Central FFA was named National Champions in both the Ag Mechanics and Dairy Products contests. The Poultry and Dairy Cattle Evaluation teams were 3rd overall. The Envirothon team received a silver emblem. All this took place in Louisville, Ky. at the National FFA Convention. The Ag Mechanics team was led by Tyler Edelman who was high individual overall. Clayton Teubel placed 6th overall, Seth Miller and Camden Yoder received gold emblems. Each team member received a $1,000 scholarship. The Dairy Products team was led by Trenton Edelman who was high individual overall. Caitlyn Ifft placed 3rd overall, Laine Honegger placed 6th overall and Harmony Slagel placed 21st overall. Each team member received a $1,000 scholarship.
Fairbury's Central Park could become Veteran's Memorial Park under a proposal presented by a city council member Wednesday night. Alderman Bruce Weber told fellow council members that the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post would like to see the name changed. After some suggestions from members of the public attending the meeting, the Fairbury City Council will gather feedback from city residents before making a final decision.
The Prairie Central cross country team ended their season on Nov. 1 at the Lisle Sectional. The varsity girls finished 6th out of 18, just missing the last qualifying spot (5th place). Finishers for the girls were Linnea Johnson (85th) in 24:18, Daphne Matson (82nd) in 24:06, Abbie Bazzell (72nd) in 23:35, Emma Fogarty (60th) in 23:10, Janessa Knapp (35th) in 22:08, Megan Ifft (28th) in 21:42 and Caitlyn Ifft (16th) in 21:12. The varsity boys finished 8th out of 21 total teams. Finishers included Jeremiah Dunahee (134th) in 21:03, Jacob Kilcullen (118th) in 20:19, Carter Evans (96th) in 19:29, Dolan Barnes (85th) in 19:19, Nathan Somers (53rd) in 18:40, Kyler Knapp (24th) in 17:50 and Avery Walter (5th) in 16:59. Walter's finishing place was good enough to advance him, individually, to the state meet at Peoria.
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