Kewanee History from the Star Courier archives

15 years agoFriday, Sept. 28, 2007

• With completion of the Parkside Apartments (formerly the Hotel Kewanee) renovation a week ago, Kate Barton, executive director of the Henry County Housing Development Group announced Wednesday that a model apartment in the new senior living facility is now available for showing. The one bedroom apartment on the fourth floor has been furnished by Vic VanUnnik and the staff at Furniture Country.

• The Student Government Association at Black Hawk College East Campus treated students to banana splits served from a 12-foot canoe in the Student Center Thursday in honor of BHE’s 40th anniversary. The ice cream, bananas and toppings were donated by the Tiki Hut at the Andris Waunee Farm which operates the food service on the campus south of Kewanee.

25 years agoSaturday, Sept. 27, 1997

• On Wednesday, 31 members of the Kewanee FFA Chapter, four FFA Alumni and chapter advisor and ag instructor Jim Manthe attended the Farm Progress Show which was held this year in Seneca, Ill. FFA members saw the latest technology available in agriculture today.

• The Cambridge Vikings delivered career win No. 100 for head football coach Larry Stahl Friday night, blasting the Westmer Warriors 39-14. The No. 8-ranked Vikings are now 4-1 in the LTC. (A Hall of Fame football coach, Stahl retired in 2006 after 27 years at Cambridge where he compiled a 169-104 record. In his last game, the Vikings lost to Stockton by one point, 13-12 in the Viking Bowl in the second round of the state championship playoffs. — D.C.)

50 years agoThursday, Sept. 28, 1972

• Kewanee League of Women Voters and Henry County Clerk Eben Johnson are cooperating to provide Kewanee area residents with voter registration service here on Tuesday, Oct. 1. Registration tables will be set up in the lobby of Peoples National Bank and in front of the Kroger store in Midland Plaza. On Nov. 7 there will be elections for county, state and national offices. (On Nov. 7, Richard Nixon won four more years in the White House, Dan Walker and Neil Hartigan narrowly defeated Richard Ogilvie and Jim Nowlan for governor and lieutenant governor, and a record number of voters, 73.56 percent, turned out in Henry County even though county elections were unopposed with Dr. Glenn Case re-elected coroner, Bill O’Conner state’s attorney, and Dean Leander as circuit clerk. — D.C.)

• A luncheon bingo and an appearance by star of stage, screen and television, Lyle Talbot, highlighted the monthly meeting of the Newcomers Club of Princeton held recently in the Crown Lanes Lounge. (Who is Lyle Talbot and how did he come to be in Princeton? The article doesn’t say, although a lengthy list of bingo winners and the names of new members was included, We found that Talbot, whose career spanned over 50 years in Hollywood, was best known for his 10-year role as Ozzie Nelson’s friend and neighbor, Joe Randolph, in the ABC sitcom, “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.”

75 years agoSaturday, Sept. 27, 1947

• The second annual survey of how Kewanee consumers spend their money is ready for release by the Illinois Research and Survey of Springfield. The survey found that 57.8 percent of all families in Kewanee buy their groceries from independent stores. It also found that 97.4 percent of all families buy coffee with 48.1 percent of them preferring Hills Bros. to other brands. The number of family men smoking cigarettes is 4,206 with 41.9 percent preferring Lucky Strikes. (The 1946 city directory listed 48 grocery stores in Kewanee. All but three of them — A&P, Kroger, and National Tea — were independent neighborhood stores run by families like Carpenter, Despain, L’Ecluse, Samara, Tessman and others. …Also, why didn’t they count the numbers of women who smoke? — D.C)

• A new foundation is being put in for one of the Old Settler’s monuments in the Bishop Hill state park. In digging, a snuff holder was found, also some papers in a box, but moisture had gotten in the box so the papers are being sent in to the state to be read.

100 years agoThursday, Sept. 28, 1922

• Another big barbecue is being announced for Chautauqua Park, Saturday, Oct. 7, from 9 a.m. until midnight. Dancing will be enjoyed afternoon and evening, music to be performed by a high class string band. Barbecued mutton, pork, veal and chicken in all styles, will be served, also pie, cake and ice cream. An invitation is extended to the public. A fine time is assured all who attend.

• Police Officer Harold Comp reports witnessing what he calls a “dust spout,” in the neighborhood of the police station Tuesday afternoon. A whirlwind was evidently in progress, a quantity of dust being carried to a considerable height, where it was whirled about for some time by the rotary motion of the wind. Officer Comp says it was a real water-spout, all but the water.

This article originally appeared on Star Courier: Kewanee History from the Star Courier archives