130 Years Ago
September 22, 1894
The general store of J. B. Van Petten and the drug store of Dr. Howard at Cropsey, were broken into by burglars last Thursday evening. The thieves got about $200 worth of plunder from Van Petten and $150 from Dr. Howard. The horse and buggy which they had stolen from Rev. Foreman, was found at the Fendrick corner, two miles south of Fairbury, the next day.
The laying of the corner-stone of the new county house at the county farm southwest of Pontiac, occurred Tuesday.
The Boy Brigade was reorganized last Monday with the following officers elected: Capt. Henry Remington; 1st Lieut., Frank Compton; 2nd lieut., Pearl Hawk; orderly sergeant and treasurer, Frank Karnes.
Charley Hollenback rides an "Ide Special" in an exasperatingly expert manner.
120 Years Ago
September 23, 1904
Among those who are attending the World's Fair at St. Louis this week are the following from this locality: Mrs. J. J. Pence and son Hugh and daughter, Mrs. C. A. Purdum, Mrs. Owen Veatch, Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Fitzer, Thomas Hogan, Jacob Ulfers, William, Emma and Louise Householder, Elvin, Mary and Tressa Gegges, Mr. and Mrs. C. C. Holenback, Mrs. D. Brewer, Mrs. Mattie Allen and daughter Ruby, Mrs. J. P. Mitten, Miss May Bennett, Miss Sarah Bennett, Miss May Cumpston.
The prohibition meeting held in the Central Opera House Tuesday evening was attended by a large crowd of people. Considerable disappointment was manifested on account of the absence of Robert H. Patton, the prohibition candidate for governor, who was to have made the address. Mr. Patton explained his absence by saying that he consulted a September railway guide but owing to a change in time at Decatur, he missed the train there. He says he will try and arrange for a meeting here at a later date. Rev. O. L. Smith, of Flanagan, candidate for representative, addressed the meeting and made a very good speech from a prohibition standpoint.
Married at the residence of Rev. Dr. E. O. Hart, Presbyterian pastor, at Pontiac, Friday, Sept. 16th, Miss Bertha Nussbaum to Mr. James A. Turnipseed, both of this city. The happy couple came at once to Fairbury and went to keeping house in the Mrs. Sheppard property on Oak Street which had been prepared for them. Mr. and Mrs. Turnipseed are well known and excellent young people of this city. The bride is a daughter of John Nussbaum and an estimable young lady. The groom is the operator at the board of trade and an excellent young business man.
110 Years Ago
September 25, 1914
H. W. Pence, cashier of Walton Bros. Co., and Aaron Hirstein, bookkeeper at the same establishment, thought for a minute that a German dirigible had wandered off its course and was dropping a few bombs in their midst. The facts of the case were that some painters let a bucket of paint fall on the skylight just above them causing the thick, heavy glass to come tumbling down around them.
An auto driven by N. T. Graves hit a buggy containing Fred Quantock and Miss Melvin of near Wing, Sunday evening, near Bach's lumber yard. Qauntock's buggy was turned over, but neither he nor Miss Melvin were hurt much. Mr. Quantock held onto the team.
Will Courtney, of near Strawn, has purchased the residence property of Frank Thiss on East Hickory Street and will move to Fairbury some time this fall. Dr. Fincham, who now occupies the property, will move into the E. Keller property on north Fourth Street.
100 Years Ago
September 19, 1924
William Kilpatrick, of this city, and Robert Stewart, of Weston, returned on Wednesday from a week's visit in Decatur and Bethany. From Shelby County they brought back some immense sunflowers, a sample of a crop that is grown there in great quantities. They saw many acres of sunflowers, the disks measuring twelve inches in diameter. The growers average $100 an acre on the crop.
Defense Day was observed here last Friday afternoon, although there was no great amount of enthusiasm manifested. At 2 o'clock the schools were dismissed and the school children participated in the parade which formed at 2:15, led by John Joda Post fife and drum corps. The parade was led up and down the length of the business district and disbanded at Central Theatre, where the program was carried out. Judge C. F. H. Carrithers was the principal speaker and presented the ideals and purposes of Defense Day in a most forceful manner, well calculated to drive home a realization of the necessity of national defense.
P. H. McGreal, of Chatsworth, and B. S. Steidinger, of Fairbury, have made a transaction in which they exchanged farms, Steidinger getting McGreal's 200-acre farm in Fayette Township, one mile west of Strawn, and McGreal getting the Steidinger quarter section joining his home farm on the west. Mr. McGreal thereby gets all his land together, five 80's in all, which will enable him to farm it himself. Both farms are good and well improved. The deal was negotiated by the owners themselves and involved the payment of the difference in valuation by Mr. Steidinger to Mr. McGreal.
90 Years Ago
September 21, 1934
The Fairbury Fair is back, making its appearance this week for the first time since 1930, and the people from over this part of Illinois are enjoying it to the fullest extent, and hoping that it will again take its place as an annual event here. Everything so far has worked out to make this year's fair a success. It is true that the weather man gave the sponsors of the fair, John Joda post, a scare on the morning of the opening day, but since those first few hours has been most kind. The racing has been of the best, and the free acts and the music are also of a high caliber.
The city council held a brief session at 6 o'clock Wednesday evening. After transacting that part of the city's business which was considered really necessary at that time, the councilmen decided to adjourn to meet again next Wednesday evening at 7 o'clock. Following the adjournment everyone went to the fair.
The sun shone Sunday and the English picnickers held their postponed picnic at Marsh Park with over 100 present, twenty-six of whom were English born. W. A. Judd, of Cropsey, was the oldest person present and Ronald Plackett, of Loda, was attending his first English picnic. After dinner there was a fine program, Mayor G. H. Franzen giving the welcoming address.
80 Years Ago
September 22, 1944
Mrs. Sam Steffen, residing two and a half miles northeast of Fairbury, had an experience with a four-year-old Ayrshire bull which they own, one day last week, that could have resulted seriously. As it was Mrs. Steffen had a very narrow escape. The bull, which was usually kept in the barn, had been let out in the barn lot. There was a calf there and Mrs. Steffen, hearing a noise, went out to the barn lot. The bull, for some reason, had become enraged and spying Mrs. Steffen, made for her. The bull cleared the fence without touching the top board and was close onto Mrs. Steffen as she ran into the barn. She could not get the barn door closed securely so climbed up the hay mow ladder. Mr. Steffen and John Koehl used their cars to herd the bull back into the barn. The bull was sold the next day and shipped to Chicago.
A couple of trucks that appeared to be about a half block long, rolled into town Tuesday morning, each one loaded with a 15,000-gallon size tank. The tanks were for Si Moser who will use them as storage for his fuel oil.
C. B. Day was dismissed from the hospital yesterday and is now at his home. The burns are healing nicely but it will be some time before he will be able to carry on his work in his plumbing shop.
70 Years Ago
September 30, 1954
Herbert Lehmann has bought the Cropsey Independent Oil Co. bulk plant and delivery service from John Blum, of Cropsey, who is retiring after operating the concern for the last 28 years. Mr. and Mrs. Lehmann and family are planning to move to Cropsey when housing is available, although Mr. Lehmann expects to include Fairbury in his territory. Paul Mietzner, of Forrest, will take over the Indian Grove and Belle Prairie Township territory of the Livingston Service Company, which Mr. Lehmann served for ten years.
The new addition to the St. John's Lutheran Church marks a new milestone in the history of the beautiful church which rises above the fertile farmland to dominate the landscape of the area east of Anchor. The original church was built in 1870 and was followed by the main church building which still stands. The original church has been used as a parish hall since 1909. However, the congregation grew so large that the building was no longer able to accommodate the needs of the church. Plans were then formulated for an addition to the main church building, and the ground was broken on October 14, 1953.
Joe Mehrkens, aged about ten, is a lucky boy. A week ago, Wednesday, he was driving a Z tractor at his home, when turning the tractor, it turned completely over with Joe underneath. He said he knew he couldn't get out with the wheels spinning, so he reached up, shut off the motor and crawled out. He has been in the Fairbury Hospital since with a badly injured arm. Joe is the son of Mr. and Mrs. John Mehrkens, Jr. He is in the fifth grade at Cropsey School.
60 Years Ago
September 24, 1964
What was stated to be a record price for farmland in the Fairbury area was paid Saturday afternoon when the 80 acres in the John A. Sutter estate, southwest of Fairbury, was sold at public auction for $790 per acre. Sole structure on the property is an old corn crib. Winning bidder was Lowell Winterland, who thus acquired what Col. J. C. Ebach, the auctioneer, said was "one of the best pieces of ground anywhere in this area...or any other area, anywhere!" It only took two minutes for the bids to flow from the $550 opening to what was to prove the final one, but just to be sure, Ebach took another 20 minutes to be sure that no one wanted to offer $800, or $795, or perhaps $792.50, or even $791!
Funeral rites for N. J. Claudon, 81, dean of Fairbury area auto dealers, were held yesterday afternoon at 2 from the Cook Funeral home, with Rev. Gordon Reif of the First Presbyterian Church officiating. His death occurred at 7:15 p.m., Sunday, September 20, 1964, at Fairbury Hospital, where he had been a patient for two months. Claudon's career embraced more than half-a-decade in the automotive business, and began as a livery stable operator. He had a lifelong interest in horses, and once sold a palomino to movie star Buck Jones. His barn was located on the lot now occupied by Harve's I.G.A. store.
Monday, October 5, is the planned operational date for Westview School cafeteria, Supt. Les Miller reported to the board of Community Unit District 3 when they met Monday night. The only major items that remain in completing construction of the 14-classroom building, was hanging the auditorium curtain and installing lights and flooring in the same room. This will enable the building to be well-squared around for the projected Nov. 8 dedication.
50 Years Ago
September 26, 1974
Hundreds of Fairbury-area farmers and land-owners on Monday morning woke to find they'd been dealt another body blow by the weather; the third such jolt of the 1974 growing season. This time it was a killing frost, a frost which some farmers said wasn't a severe enough term: "It was a freeze!" some of them insisted. In any event, it was the earliest such frost ever recorded by the weather bureau and it nipped the hopes for harvesting the thousands of acres of late-planted corn and soybeans that had resulted form the rain-plagued spring.
At the National Barrow Show in Austin, Minn., the Reserve Champion Barrow was a Spot, owned by Gene Weber, Thawville. This breed has never won Grand Champion honors and the last time that it finished runner-up as Reserve Champion Barrow was in 1957 when Willard Merryman, Marshalltown, Iowa, showed a 215-pound Spot hog. Weber, who teaches Vo-Ag at Chatsworth, is one of the swine superintendents at the Fairbury Fair.
Russell Huette, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lyle Huette, Fairbury, is a member of the 114-piece Illinois State University marching band. Russell plays trombone in the band, whose members are selected by audition and rehearse nearly five hours each week for the upcoming football games. Other Livingston County students in the band include: Kathleen Doran, Dwight; and Anne Lame, Richard Reno and Sally Sparks, all of Pontiac. Other area band members include sisters Carol and Kathleen Hoerner of Chenoa.
40 Years Ago
September 20, 1984
The Grand Championship Trophy from the Dwight Harvest Days band show is back in Fairbury-Cropsey High school. The FCHS Marching Tartars got their 1984 season off to a glorious beginning Sunday afternoon, winning the trophy and nearly every individual class top prize in both parade and field show competition. They netted two first places each for drum line, horn line and color guard, in both parade and field show competition, plus a first for drum majors in parade competition. Then they swept Grand Champion Band Overall from bands in the four enrollment categories.
Marine Cpl. Mark P. Bolliger, son of John G. and Alma J. Bolliger of Forrest, has been awarded the Navy Achievement Medal. He received the decoration for superior performance of duty while serving with 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, Calif. The medal is an official recognition of an individual's outstanding accomplishments and is presented during formal ceremonies.
Queen candidates for the 1984 FCHS homecoming are Joni McCulloh, Leslie Abbey, Julie Ruhlander, Julie Farley, Janet Hoffman and Tess Broquard. King candidates are Eric Schieler, Bill Allonge, Randy Stephens, Reid McDowell, Lloyd Stork and Dan Eisenmann. Winners will be announced at a pep assembly Friday afternoon preceding the Homecoming parade. Class attendants at FCHS include: freshmen, Paula Hoffman and Ritchie Doran, Sophomores Terri Oman and Keith Schieler and juniors Carol Ward and Ty Cottrell.
30 Years Ago
September 21, 1994
He has driven the equivalent of 19 times around the earth. Now, after 18 years of faithful rural mail deliveries, Thomas Glennon says, "I'm going to take time to relax and read my mail like other people." As regular as sunrise, Tom Glennon has, for 5,616 days, backed out of his driveway to begin his 86-mile trip, dropping or picking up mail on his route through the three townships of Chatsworth, Germanville and Charlotte. On his last day, Sept. 7, 1994, he was presented with a framed citation from the U.S. Mail District Supervisor, J. R. Olden. It stated: "In grateful appreciation for dedicated service during an honorable career of 18 years service to the Government of the U.S.A."
Prairie Central's Homecoming Court for the 1994-95 school year are Brian Ladeairous, Nathan Waibel, Jason Bolding, Tony Zook, Eli Rigsby, Tanya Kurtenbach, Tara Davis, April Ward, Kelli Adams and Shari Freadoff. The junior homecoming court will be graced by freshmen Nathan Addis and Erica Rieger, sophomores Mykel Sinnott and Sara Sudduth and juniors Jon Posey and Jenny Haab.
Bob and Mary Ann Wenger stopped cutting soybeans long enough to share a lunch, as they sat in the shade of their straight truck. Bob says the low rainfall has resulted in a worse harvest than expected. Mary Ann says she has found something good about the dry harvest. "We aren't getting stuck in the low spots!" The Wengers have farmed 45 years as of Oct. 1, which is when they say they will celebrate that many years together.
20 Years Ago
September 22, 2004
It took 11 innings for Prairie Central to outlast Paxton-Buckley-Loda for the regional baseball title Monday at Forrest, but the Hawks pulled out a 5-4 win to advance to the PC Sectional at 1 p.m. Saturday against St. Joe-Ogden at Forrest. The Hawks take their 11-4 record into the Sectional Championship Saturday. The winner of this game will advance to the State Finals in East Peoria Oct. 1 and 2.
Randy and Courtney Bahler of Fairbury are parents of their third child, a baby boy born at 3:15 p.m. on Sept. 2, 2004 at BroMenn Regional Medical Center, Normal. Clayton Randall, who was middle-named after his father, weighed 8 pounds, 14 ounces and was 20 inches long at birth. He has two older sisters, Mallory, 3½, and Trystan, 22 months. Maternal grandparents are Robert and Karen Walter of Fairbury. Paternal grandparents are Harvey and Elizabeth Bahler of Fairbury. Maternal great-grandparents are Bernice Walter of Fairbury and Clyde Hoffman of Gibson City.
Prairie Lands Foundation has announced the acquisition of two parcels of property that will ultimately lead to the development of a path from Prairie Lands Park-Fugate Woods to the Alma Lewis James Walking Trail. Upon completion of the path, Fugate Woods will be linked to North Park in the City of Fairbury.
10 Years Ago
September 24, 2014
An excited Kylie Carrol,l with her big sister Kendra, accepted tickets to Disney World from Fairbury Fair Board President Leroy Rodriguez. Five-year-old Kylie attended the Fairbury Fair with her mom, Anna (Smith) Carroll of Cary, Ill., and grandparents Delmar and Cathy Smith of Gridley, formerly of Fairbury. Kylie's name was drawn as part of a promotion from gate admissions. Even though they couldn't leave immediately like Kylie wanted, all (including her grandparents) are looking forward to the future trip!
Phil and Tina Byrne of Fairbury will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary with a trip to Secrets Maroma Beach, Riviera, Cancun, Mexico, in December. Byrne and Tina King were united in marriage on Sept. 23, 1989 at the United Methodist Church in Pontiac. The couple has three children, Molly, Fairbury; Kaitlin, a student at Parkland College, Champaign; and Logan, a student at Prairie Central High School. He is currently employed at K&S Ford in Fairbury and she is employed at Bahler Transportation Services, Fairbury.
The annual Westview Flower Show, sponsored by the Fairbury Garden Club, was held on Friday, Sept. 12. This annual event has been a Garden Club project for many years. Connie Kostelc was chairman of the show and served as one of the judges. Other judges were Paula Trainor-Rosenbaum, Lorraine Sellmyer, Dawn Baker and Andrea Lee. Winners of the outdoor gardens were: Best of Show, Austin Hansen; 1st place, Audree Bright; 2nd place, Carla Kilgus; 3rd place, Tyler Hansen. Winners of the indoor gardens were: Best of show, Tyler Hartman (Wildflowers); 1st place, Evan Hartman (Rainbow); 2nd place, Carla Kilgus (Barnyard Favorites); 3rd place, Austin Hansen (Teacher's Desk).
(Kari Kamrath's 'Looking Back' is sponsored each week on Fairbury News by Duffy-Pils Memorial Homes with locations in Fairbury, Chenoa and Colfax)
