130 Years Ago
July 22, 1893
The German Apostolic Church, in the course of erection the past five months, was opened to the members Sunday. It is the largest building of the kind in the city and stands on the site of the old one on Paducah Avenue, between Fourth and Fifth streets. The building will be heated with steam, lighted with electricity and has city water. John Steidinger, the principal preacher in charge here, delivered the sermon Sunday.
Arthur Hicks left Wednesday to take up his future residence at Wing, where he will operate his tile factory which he recently purchased of Mr. Riggs.
Cropsey — Byron Brown has fitted up a shop one door west of his old place and will in the future barber there.
Strawn — Jake Lockner is the first in the community to have a self-feeder threshing machine.
120 Years Ago
July 24, 1903
The Forrest merchants are making grand preparations for a big day in that city August 8. They have raised a large sum of money which they propose to expend for amusements. They will entertain the visitors in grand style. They have secured the Pontiac Zouaves for two exhibition drills; Prof. Tomilson will give a balloon ascension and parachute drop in his splendid new balloon; The Chicago Unions and the Fowler, Ind. ball teams will play an exhibition game and in addition to this there will be all kinds of street games for cash prizes, entry free. The Chenoa Band will furnish the music.
A ball team has been organized in Fairbury this week which ought to be a winner. The team will play their first game with Chenoa next Wednesday afternoon on the Chenoa grounds and a return game will be played on the Fairbury grounds the week following. The management promise the patrons of the game in this city good clean ball, free from kicking, quarreling and useless talk and a team which will live up to these rules and play ball will be well patronized. The public don't give a snap to see a bunch of players get out in the middle of the diamond and chew the rag half of an afternoon and they won't go to see those kind of games.
The Fairbury Band gave the first of a series of band concerts Wednesday evening. The band will give five more concerts between now and the fair. Two of the concerts will be given at the post office corner, two at the corner of Fourth and Locust Streets and one at the corner of Fifth and Locust Streets. The concert Wednesday was well attended and the band gave the audience a fine concert. Some new instruments have been added to the band and it improves the music greatly.
110 Years Ago
July 25, 1913
Out of the 240 who took the state bar examination at Springfield recently, only about 60 percent passed. Out of this 60 percent two were from Fairbury – Cyril Burns and Alex Powell.
The gentlemen who have been holding forth at "Mosquito-nit" camp, broke camp Monday, after a most enjoyable three weeks in the timber seven miles north of town. The camp was named "Mosquito-nit" because there was not a mosquito to molest them during their whole time in camp.
A little motorcycle accident occurred at the fair grounds last Friday afternoon. John Purdum, Emerson Mitchell and B. Smith were out on the track "tuning up" their machines. Purdum was in the lead, with Smith next. At the east turn Purdum slowed down. Smith didn't and his front wheel hit Purdum's hind wheel and Smith was thrown quite a distance and his wheel damaged. Mitchell was behind Smith and could not see him for the dust. He hit Smith's motorcycle and was thrown to the ground and his motorcycle damaged. The boys were hitting up a pretty good clip when the accident happened. Purdum didn't know anything had happened until he came around the next time.
100 Years Ago
July 20, 1923
Three carloads of road oil arrived here the first of the week and it is being spread on the roads in Indian Grove Township.
A car from Indiana bumped into one of the ornamental lighting posts in front of Nussbaum Bros.' store on Wednesday morning and broke it down. He wanted to pay for the light at the time, but there was no one around to take his money so he left without paying. However, someone did take the number of the car and he will be given a chance to pay for a new pole. And this just recalls to minds that there are several broken light poles in town that haven't been paid for.
An automobile accident occurred last night about 9:15 o'clock, two and a half miles west of town on the detour road to Chenoa, in which several young people were injured, the car wrecked and a small wooden bridge torn to pieces. The automobile, a large Hudson touring car, is almost a complete wreck. The wrecking of the bridge was so complete that traffic could not get over it last night.
90 Years Ago
July 28, 1933
Mr. and Mr. Howard Barnes were given a cordial reception Wednesday evening by some fifty of the Barnes' neighbors, who first serenaded them and then went in to get acquainted with the new Mrs. Barnes. The evening was spent at games and the luncheon the guests brought with them was served.
This vicinity, which was in the throes of a heat wave the latter part of last week that took all the "pep" out of man and beast alike and sent the thermometer readings up around the hundred mark, had its spirits revived Sunday by showers during the afternoon and evening, which were followed by a drop in temperature of around 30 degrees. While this vicinity was getting a gentle rain there was almost a cloudburst over at Chatsworth. For a half hour or more the water came down in torrents, flooding basements and causing ditches to become raging torrents. The rain was accompanied by a heavy wind that blew the corn down badly and did considerable property damage. It is believed that the corn will straighten up all right.
Gordon Loughran was one year old Tuesday and while he didn't know just what it was all about when so many folks came to see him that evening out at his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. John Bierman's, in Colfax, where Gordon lives, he was glad to see them. He watched the children play and submitted graciously to the older folks making a fuss over him.
80 Years Ago
July 23, 1943
Bloice Bess of Chatsworth, a bomber in the North African sector, has been in the thick of the fight over there. He was in more than thirty bomber fights in Tunisia and his bomber came back safely with 130 bullet holes in it. He was given a brief rest following the North Africa conquest but had participated in five bombing raids in Sicily when he wrote back home recently.
Twenty-six walnut trees that grew in the wooded pasture of the Henry Sutter farm south of Fairbury, have been cut down and are ready for delivery to the United States government. Government men were here last week selecting and marking the trees that conformed to their specifications which called for a diameter of 12 inches or more. The cutting of these trees is a reminder of World War I when many Fairbury walnut trees were cut for the same use to be used in the manufacture of gunstocks. One of the old landmarks, always referred to as the walnut grove, was almost completely cleared. Those trees were grown from walnuts planted by an early settler, Thomas Jones, an uncle of A. G. Phelps.
A test blackout will be held here next Friday night, July 30, with M. E. Tarpy, commander of the local area, in charge and assisted by all members of the local defense unit. The first warning to civilian defense workers is to originate at Springfield at nine o'clock in the evening. Sirens will sound to indicate the actual start of the blackout at 9:30 and the all-clear signal will be sounded a half hour later.
70 Years Ago
July 23, 1953
Don Merrill has been hired by A. B. McCollum to manage the Lorraine and Princess theatres at Hoopeston. Mr. and Mrs. Merrill plan to move to Hoopeston as soon as possible. Mr. Merrill begins work on Sunday. He operated the projector at the Central theatre for six years, and has been maintaining telephone lines at Strawn and Cropsey for the last year.
The Good Conduct medal for exemplary behavior, efficiency and fidelity was awarded in Korea recently to Cpl. Elmer Stork, son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Stork, of Forrest. Cpl. Stork, who arrived in Korea last October, is a medical technician with the 7th Infantry Division's 7th Medical Battalion, and has also been awarded the United Nations and Korean service ribbons. He entered the army in December, 1951, and received basic training at Camp Pickett, Virginia.
The Future Farmers of America Fair, to be held at the Fairgrounds here Thursday, July 30, offers a real opportunity for the public to see the outstanding work that is being carried out by the future farmers in Livingston, McLean and part of Woodford Counties. A total of 24 schools will be represented at the fair, which offers $2,000 in premiums. Entries received include 130 in the beef cattle department, 103 in Dairy and dual purpose, 244 sheep, 404 swine, 58 in poultry and five rabbits.
60 Years Ago
July 25, 1963
Nineteen-year-old Dorothy Kohlmann, Miss Livingston County 1963, did not walk off with the Miss Illinois title Saturday night at East Aurora, but she noted that she had fun trying. There were 40 Illinois beauties competing for the crown. Miss Decatur was the lucky one. Miss Livingston County will be a sophomore at ISNU in September, majoring in elementary education. She is a 1962 Fairbury-Cropsey graduate.
Arrests and convictions for violation of the mail obscenity laws soared to new, record-setting heights during fiscal 1963, and were up 100 percent over fiscal 1960. In Fairbury, John Reis, acting postmaster, said a number of complaints were filed by local patrons, relative to mail they received.
The month of August will see work on Fairbury's impending dial telephone system move into high gear. The dial building is completed, and equipment for the new system is arriving daily. The equipment installation crews are expected in the very near future to erect the frames, switches and wiring schemes. Work will also begin on burying rural lines throughout the 77-square-mile area which the exchange will service. Presently, much of this territory has farmer-owned lines. Telephone numbers will be assigned in October, and rural phone installation will begin in November, even though the final changeover will not occur until early next year.
50 Years Ago
July 26, 1973
In the days of $3 soybeans and $1.25 corn, county editors used to write of "$1 Million Rains" when precipitation soaked croplands at crucial times during the growing season. In the light of today's $10 beans and $4 corn, it was surely a “$4 to $6 Million Rain" which fell from Friday through Monday, with some amounts of more than 6 inches being recorded in the area. Following the last measurable rainfall of about an inch on July 4, 16 days had gone by without moisture.
July 14, Keith Hoffman, 3, rural Fairbury, received a belated birthday congratulatory letter from the president's daughter, Mrs. Julie Nixon Eisenhower. Keith's mother, Mrs. Paul Hoffman, read recently in a daily newspaper that Julie would be observing her 25th birthday on July 5, the same day that Keith would observe his third anniversary. She helped Keith prepare and send a birthday card to Julie, who in turn sent one back to Keith. Besides receiving greetings from a very famous person, members of Keith's family hosted four birthday parties in his honor.
A couple on their honeymoon in California, Steve Ziegenhorn of Fairbury and his bride, Le Ann Warren of Arrowsmith, attended two "Let's Make A Deal" TV shows. Steve called his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Ziegenhorn, earlier this week and said that they were not selected as contestants, but noticed on the TV monitor that they were being shown on national TV. Steve said the MC tossed a bagel into the audience and he was filmed catching the roll.
40 Years Ago
July 21, 1983
A pair of "family feuds" add extra spice as the Indian Creek Golf Club championships move to the second round this weekend. In the upper bracket, identical twin brothers Pat and Mike Reis each posted what may have been upset wins in the opening round. Pat Reis ousted defending champion Jerry Freadhoff two-and-one. Mike Reis took care of Al Tavener three-and-two. Now the Reis twins square off to see which one can move on to quarterfinal play. And in the bottom bracket, last year's runnerup, Jerry Stephens, will tee off against his son, Scott. Jerry defeated Tom Hetherington and Scott beat Freeman Vaughan in their openers.
The smell of steak dinner is wafting through the obstetrics ward at Fairbury Hospital. Traditionally, steak dinners are the first meals served there to mothers of newborn babies, so when the stork visited Fairbury Hospital five times in 24 hours from Friday to Saturday evening, the chefs in the kitchen, not to mention the nurses in OB, really started hopping! The ten proud parents are Jan and John Reis Jr. of Pontiac, a boy, John B. Reis IV; Connie and Mike White of Fairbury, a girl, Kristina Ann; Carolyn and David Branz of Cornell, a boy, David William; Jane and William Black of Pontiac, a girl, Elaine Michelle; and Joyce and Charles Ward of Fairbury, a girl, Renee Dawn.
Superior Chapter Award and a BOAC Bronze Emblem Plaque (3rd division rating) were the awards received by the F-C FFA chapter at the 55th annual State FFA Convention. The Building Our American Communities Award (BOAC) was the park revitalization project completed earlier this last spring.
30 Years Ago
July 22, 1993
Prairie Central will lose a combined 96 years of experience in education at the end of the 1993-94 school year with the planned retirement of three administrators. Dr. Calvin Jackson informed the Blade Tuesday morning of the Board of Education's acceptance of his resignation, as well as those of Joe Delaney Sr. and Tony Menke. Jackson has 33 years experience in the education field, including nine years as superintendent at the former Fairbury-Cropsey District and what will be nine years at Prairie Central when the resignation takes effect. Delaney, who serves as principal of both Meadowbrook Elementary in Forrest and Chatsworth Elementary, has 34 years of experience in the field of education. Menke, principal at Westview Elementary in Fairbury since 1971, has 29 years experience in the education field.
Cropsey — Last Saturday, storms produced hail and power outages. Country roads in the Cropsey area were covered with water and debris and there were some tornado sightings. The area had two to four inches of rain. Hail damaged the corn, leaving stripes and holes in the soybean leaves. Lightning started about 6:15 p.m., followed by hail the size of marbles. The storm last about two hours.
Illinois State Trooper Mark W. Teske of rural Fairbury recently received the "Veterans of Foreign Wars Appreciation Award" by the Chenoa VFW Post 8350. The award has been given annually for 21 years to a trooper recommended for the award by the District 6 Commander. In making the recommendation, District 6 Commander George R. Cushing said that "Trooper Teske has maintained a professional and courteous manner towards his fellow employees, other law enforcement agencies and towards the public throughout his 23 years of service." Teske and his wife, Pamela, have four children: Scott, Beale Air Base, California; Brett, rural Pontiac; Kara McDermott, rural Lexington; and Robin, at home.
20 Years Ago
July 23, 2003
Six children from the Boys & Girls Club of Prairie Central attended a youth leadership conference held from June 26 to June 28 at Millikin University in Decatur. Kristin DeFries, Shari Steidinger, Molly Robinson, Norman Mayer, Garrett Monson and Danny Schahrer were chosen to attend the conference based on their positive attitudes and commitment to serve their community and club.
Deirdre Gillette, granddaughter of Loren and Betty Gillette and the great-granddaughter of Dorothy Ashman, all of Chatsworth, competed in the North American Irish Dancing Championships July 4-7 at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tenn. Deirdre, 10, competed against dancers from all over the world for a top 10 spot which is the requirement for attending the world championships in the girls 10 and under age group. She placed sixth overall, thus she and her family will attend the World Championships in Belfast, Ireland in April, 2004. Deirdre is the daughter of Richard and Denise Gillette of Elmhurst.
Tess Fehr, of Fairbury, is a new junior member of the American Angus Association, as reported by John Crouch, executive vice president of the national organization, that is headquartered in St. Joseph, Mo. Junior members of the association are eligible to register cattle in the American Angus Association, participate in programs conducted by the National Junior Angus Association and take part in association-sponsored shows and other national and regional events.
10 Years Ago
July 24, 2013
The GFWC IL Fairbury Women's Club recently presented Janice Meiss with a special gift for her 45 years of service to the club. She was presented a garden stone representing one of the club's projects, “Prevent Child Abuse Illinois.” Meiss joined the Fairbury Junior Women's Club in 1968, as a young newlywed. Over the years, she has served as president, vice president and treasurer. She has worked on many club projects and truly lives by the club motto, living each day trying to accomplish something, not merely to exist.
Mayme Hearne, formerly of Fairbury, now of Meadows Mennonite Home, celebrated her 100th birthday on July 17 with her family. She was born July 17, 1913 at West Station, Texas. She married John Hearne on Jan. 22, 1933. He died on May 22, 1974. Mrs. Hearne is the mother of Gwen (Wilmer) Stork of Fairbury; Susie (the late Richard) Stork, Chatsworth; and Katy Hertzig of Fairbury. She also has 10 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren and 22 great-great-grandchildren.
(Looking back from Kari Kamrath is sponsored by Duffy-Pils Memorial Homes with locations in Fairbury, Chenoa and Colfax)
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