Looking Back
130 Years Ago
July 30, 1892
Hugh Pence and Harry Amsbary started Monday morning for a trip to Chicago on their bicycles. They went via Pontiac, Streator and Ottawa and expected to reach their destination Wednesday.
Today Thomas Karnes, the urbane and good looking deputy postmaster, will sever his connection as a sub-agent of Uncle Sam.
George H. Franzen was defeated in the Democratic county convention on Tuesday at Pontiac. His defeat was accomplished by those whom he had a right to expect would give him their unstinted support. He was sent into a winter garden to gather spring flowers. While he was defeated for the nomination, yet his defeat was a victory over those who sought his political death. He forced the Pontiac delegation to abandon Axt and go solidly to Thompson in order to accomplish their ends – that of keeping a candidate from the south part of the county off the ticket.
120 Years Ago
August 1, 1902
A telegram received in this city Sunday morning announcing the death of Lorenzo B. Dominy caused a shock to the community and saddened many hearts. While it was known that Mr. Dominy's health was very poor, hopes were entertained by the people of this city and vicinity that the water at Excelsior Springs would prove beneficial and that he might be restored to his usual vigor and again assume the prominent position in the community which he filled for so many years.
We feel that it is due to the public to announce that the bank of L. B. Dominy & Co., will continue as heretofore without change, as arranged and planned by Mr. Dominy in his lifetime. We trust that the friends and patrons of the bank will extend to it in the future the same confidence and support that it has enjoyed in the past.
Lightning struck and caused the destruction of a large barn belonging to Oscar Jackson, southeast of Chenoa, Sunday afternoon. The contents, including a driving horse, a calf, fifty tons of hay, a hay loader and feed, were also burned. The total loss is $3,500, fully covered by insurance.
110 Years Ago
August 2, 1912
"Sue" Walker, general manager of M. M. Jacobs ice wagon No. 1, met with a peculiar accident Monday. He was putting a block of ice in the Bon Ton ice box in which there were several bottles of ginger ale, when one of the bottles was exploded by the jar. "Sue" was leaning over the ice box at the time and a fragment of the bottle struck him in the forehead, cutting a very bad gash. It took several stitches to bring the cut together. It was fortunate that it did not strike him in the eyes as it would have blinded him.
The price of coal at the mines in this city has been advanced ten cents a ton the past week. Following are the prices: Lump, $2.60; first nut, $2.20; mine run, $1.85; 2nd nut, $1.60.
Conrad Munz is the first farmer in this locality to thresh. He threshed a seven acre piece Wednesday afternoon and from this received 557 bushels, a fraction less than 80 bushels per acre. It is an extraordinary large yield and Mr. Munz attributes it in part to the seed which was called Great American Oats. This seed was selected from 200 varieties from all over the world.
The Bon Ton was "all lit up" last night with a new system of gas lights. There is certainly some class to them and the one out in front shows the way to the good things within.
The road commissioners of Forrest township have purchased a complete road outfit for building good roads. The first and only one of the kind in Livingston County.
100 Years Ago
July 28, 1922
John Mayes Kelso, alias John Kent, was released from the county jail on Tuesday under bond in the sum of $1,000. Kelso was arrested by Chicago police recently on a charge of having stolen an automobile from the streets in Fairbury.
Charles E. Ward, who for several years conducted the Central Opera House picture show in this city, has embarked in the newspaper game, having purchased the Odell Weekly News of Isaac Hudson, who for the past seven years has published the same, but who is now moving to Massachusetts. Mr. Ward sold his business here in March, 1920, and later moved to Odell, where he purchased the Lyric theatre. He will continue to operate the picture show.
A rotation of corn, soy beans and wheat with sweet clover is being tried on the Hiram Sibley estate in order to increase the amount of nitrogen and humus in the soil. Louis Rust has been employed to conduct experiments with this rotation and to otherwise look after the fertility of the soil. He is also in charge of a pig club which promises to create much interest in swine production in the neighborhood.
90 Years Ago
July 29, 1932
The work of threshing the oats has been progressing rapidly during the past week. A light shower of rain during the early morning Wednesday caused most of the threshing crews to abandon the work for about a half day in this vicinity, and that has been the only interruption in the work.
Jake Peter this week purchased of the Fairbury Auto company a new Chevrolet truck with an 18-foot semi-trailer. This outfit is known as a ten-wheeler, the rear wheels of the truck and the trailer being dual wheels. It is also fitted with vacuum brakes. This is first-class equipment with great capacity, and Jake has found its purchase necessary to take care of the increase in his trucking business. He and "Spud" Schlipf will go to St. Louis this morning to get it.
Last Friday a load of sheaf oats overturned when the wagon reach broke and threw the driver, 11-year-old John Mehrkins, off and a quantity of the bundles piled on him. In the landing the large bone in his right leg was broken in two places a few inches above the ankle which will mean several weeks of John's vacation will be spent in bed with a weight suspended from the injured member.
80 Years Ago
July 31, 1942
About a dozen or 15 Indian Creek golfers went over to Onarga to play the Sugar Creek golfers of that place Sunday afternoon. It didn't rain in Fairbury Sunday afternoon, but it rained enough in Onarga for both places. The rain came down in torrents just before time for the tournament to start and flooded the golf course. The Fairbury players will go back to Onarga this coming Sunday and hope that the weather man will not interfere again.
The drive for the collection of old phonograph records which is being made here under the sponsorship of John Joda Post, American Legion, received a substantial boost Monday afternoon when Mrs. Theodore Orth brought in 122 and turned them over to Officer Cooper at the city hall. This large collection of records came from the Orth household alone and will go a long way when ground up and made into new records for the soldiers.
E. P. Compton, president of the local Sportsmen's club, stated yesterday that 400 young pheasants that had been raised at the Pontiac prison would be released Sunday in various parts of the county.
70 Years Ago
July 31, 1952
The work of clearing away the debris of the burned-out Central Theatre was begun the latter part of last week by Neil Knapp of Bloomington. The building will first be cleaned out inside of all partially burned material, and then the walls will come down. No estimate on the amount of time that will be required to level the burned-out shell was made.
Golfers along No. 3 hole have often noticed two ponies grazing on the Munz land. These ponies, one a sorrel and the other spotted, are friendly as kittens and during Virgil Munz's Sunday afternoon beach parties, make themselves quite familiar with the guests, trying to get handouts.
Four Livingston County men left Pontiac Tuesday morning at 5:40 for induction into the armed service. Lyle S. Wessels, Fairbury, was leader of the group. Others in the group were Francis G. Sutter, Chatsworth; James H. Luttrell, Forrest, and Floyd Wahls, Piper City.
A new attraction at the Fairbury fair this year will be the horse and mule pulling contest to be held here for the first time. Whips, profanity and excessive noise are prohibited in urging the animals to greater effort. Much excitement is expected as the horses and mules strain for the $400 in premiums offered in the contest.
60 Years Ago
August 2, 1962
The siren on City Hall was blown at 11 p.m. Tuesday to summon the police to help C. C. Thompson get into the home of Mrs. Jesse Crumbaker, an arthritis patient, who had fallen in her home and had called for assistance to get back into bed. City policeman Maurice Johnson assisted Mr. Thompson in gaining admittance to the Crumbaker house, and they found that Mrs. Crumbaker hadn't suffered any ill effects from her fall. The siren is sometimes used to summon the night policeman.
The Fairbury Fair board has given approval for construction of a new beer stand to be located at the same location as the old one. Measuring 18 x 40 feet, the new enclosed building will have windows that open to form an awning. A concrete floor will also be part of the construction. Ivan Stoller will build the beer stand.
Barbecued chicken prepared by a couple from Remington, Ind., was served to more than 400 at a special meeting of the Farmers Grain Company, July 13. Stockholders were assured that the company is in sound financial condition, following the sale of the warehouse to Bill Edwards, and financing by the National Bank of Fairbury and the Fairbury Federal Savings and Loan Association. John Gerber was one of the speakers in this part of the program, which preceded the delicious dinner.
50 Years Ago
August 3, 1972
Ned Whitesell, one of the many outstanding coaches who have helped bring athletic fame to Fairbury, was in town Tuesday for a visit. Whitesell, who recently moved to Bloomington from Monmouth where he had been living since his retirement from a brilliant career at Danville, recalled that "Fairbury was the nicest town we lived in." He added that he "had a grand bunch of fellows" who played under him in his Fairbury days. Whitesell also expressed pride in the coaching achievements of another former Fairbury mentor, "Moose" Roe, who got his start playing high school ball under Whitesell at Danville.
Ron Debatin, the 27 year-old Greenville farmer and husband of the former Rebecca Paternoster of Fairbury, was released Saturday from the Burn Center at St. Louis' Barnes Hospital where he had been a patient for nearly two months. Debatin, who operates a large dairy farm in partnership with his father and brother, was critically burned over 70 percent of his body when a malfunctioning tractor motor exploded in flames as he cultivated a cornfield on June 8. A passing neighbor saw the explosion and came to his aid, rushing him to the Greenville hospital from where he was immediately transferred to Barnes.
Wednesday's annual August Dollar-Day promotion, sponsored by the Fairbury Association of Commerce's Retail committee, drew exceptionally large crowds despite overcast skies and a few drizzles of rain. All close-in parking was full, and spaces were at a premium as traffic was heavy while both stores and sidewalks were full of people.
40 Years Ago
July 29, 1982
Mr. and Mrs. John Bellot are assuming ownership of the Bricker Drug Store in Fairbury, effective Sept. 1. This was revealed Tuesday night when Bellot submitted his resignation to the board of directors at Fairbury Hospital, where he has been head of the pharmacy since April, 1973. Bellot is a native of Fairbury and a 1958 graduate of Fairbury-Cropsey High school. He earned his degree at the St. Louis University College of Pharmacy in 1968. Bellot and his wife, the former Ella Bricker, are the parents of three sons. Mrs. Bellot's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Dale Bricker, have operated the store for the past 24 years since buying the former Steffan Drug firm in 1958.
It is not true that Fairbury-Cropsey Marching Tartar director Bruce Hammitt tries to pick out the hottest week of the summer for his annual band camp. But that doesn't mean he won't occasionally hit the nail right on the head. The heat and humidity Monday wore down everybody as the band and auxiliary units spent a long day outdoors learning their new show. The Marching Tartars, reigning four-time state marching band champions for their class, will kick off their 1982 season on Friday, Sept. 17, at the first home football game of the fall.
It's that time of the year again when tiny tots tackle the terrors of the deep, unexplored waters at Fairbury swimming pool. Diane Bunting and Kristy Zehr are directing a class of about 10 mothers and their children under the age of two in the annual mother-tot swimming class. Diane says that the main objectives of the class are to acquaint the babies with the swimming pool experience and to teach their mothers how to work with the children and help them to be more comfortable in the water.
30 Years Ago
July 30, 1992
Nearly 100 buyers and onlookers attended the day-long auction Wednesday at the Crossroads/Kwik Stop located on the corner of Routes 47 and 24 in Forrest, where everything from a wet bar to salt and pepper shakers to light fixtures sold to the highest bidder. Owner Jerry Austman stood among buyers inside the Kwik Stop store, watching the sale with interest. He said the family corporation decided to close the 65-year old family business for a variety of reasons.
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Teske of rural Fairbury celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary with a family dinner. Mark Teske and Pamela Wallace were married July 22, 1967 at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Pontiac. Charles and Ruth Ann Mackinson were their attendants. They are the parents of Kara, a registered nurse from Lexington; Scott, a sergeant stationed at Beale AFB, Calif.; Brett, a carpenter with VP Bonst, living in Pontiac; and Robin, a junior at Prairie Central High School. They also have two grandchildren. Mark is an Illinois State Trooper.
Angie Ark, Piper City, is currently participating in the 4-H/LABO Exchange program. LABO is a language training organization which sponsors exchanges with 4-H members in the United States to help the Japanese youth learn English. Angie, daughter of John and Kathy Ark, will be participating in the exchange from July 15-August 13. She will be living with the Itami family in Tokyo, Japan. Last year, the Ark family hosted the Itami's daughter Satsuki as part of the same exchange program.
20 Years Ago
July 31, 2002
In the regular Fairbury City Council meeting, Lieutenant Robert McCarty and Captain Ken White of the Livingston County Sheriff's Department invited Fairbury to join their Tactical Response Unit. The unit has 10 members, from Joliet and from the Livingston County Sheriff's Departments and asked for officers from Fairbury to take six training sessions to qualify. The officers said they would like to have Fairbury participating. McCarty said the unit responds to hostage situations, suspects barricaded in a building, emergency situations of the jail or courthouse, serving a high risk warrant, etc.
The annual achievement night for the Fairbury Prairie Farmers 4-H club was held July 7 at North Park in Fairbury. On achievement night, club members bring their projects in for the club leaders to look over. Leaders give advice on what the members should change on their projects before the 4-H Fair. A potluck supper for members and their families was held before the meeting, and after the meeting, club members had a swim party at Stafford Pool.
Muriel Gilman of Fairbury will celebrate her 90th birthday on Sunday, Aug. 4. She married Gaylord Stephens on April 13, 1935. She later married Dr. William Gilman, Sept. 28, 1985. Mrs. Gilman's children are Linda Weber and Gary Stephens, both of Fairbury. She also has four grandchildren and one great-grandchild. She is retired from the retail clothing business; and also is a retired professional artist, her work having been commissioned for portraits and landscapes. She also illustrated a children's book.
10 Years Ago
August 1, 2012
Many events are planned for Friday, Aug. 31 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Fairview Haven Retirement Community in Fairbury. Events begin at 1 p.m. and include a petting zoo, farmers' market, face-painting, kiddie tractor pull, old-time photo booth, games, inflatable bounce houses, miniature horse rides, Fairview Haven Historical display and more. At 3 p.m. a sweet corn boil will take place with pork burgers, corn dogs and lemon shake-ups. N ice cream social will be held at 6:30 p.m. featuring Harve's homemade ice cream. Musical entertainment will be provided by Brush Arbor and Deer Fly.
At its regular meeting July 24, the Prairie Central CUSD #8 Board of Education held a public hearing concerning the intent of the District to out-source nursing services, and also held a public hearing concerning the intent of the district to use life-safety monies for the installation of an elevator at Chenoa Elementary School. The board was also presented checks totaling $1,857 from the Tarbolton Lodge #351 in Fairbury for purchase of iPads for special needs students. Representing the Masonic Lodge and Fairbury VFW were Sonny Friant, Doyle Hurd, Tom Stevens, Cody Cross, Paul Augsburger and Charles Cisco.
The 47th annual Holland Reunion (Harry, Frank and Ralph) was held on Sunday, July 8 at Marsh Park in Fairbury, with 102 in attendance. Families came from the states of Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Virginia, and the Illinois towns of Batavia, Catlin, El Paso, Fairbury, Fisher, Funks Grove, Granville, Gridley, Philo, Pontiac, Rockford, Urbana, Watseka and Weston. The youngest attendee was Bailey Jo Block, born May 29, 2012, daughter of Brody and Tarah Block and granddaughter of Penny Bressner Clem. The oldest attendee was Jerry Holland.
This article originally appeared on Pontiac Daily Leader: Looking Back at Fairbury history through pages from The Blade
