Looking Back
130 Years Ago
December 17, 1892
Andrew Brown has opened a shooting gallery in the basement under Herzberg's clothing store.
The Democratic patrons of the Weston post office will hold an election on Saturday, December 24, to determine who is their choice for postmaster at that place.
Wing — The new parsonage progresses slowly owing to bad weather and lack of workmen. Santa Claus will come down the chimney in the Presbyterian Church December 26. The M. E. Church will hold Christmas festivities at the church Christmas Eve.
H. S. Champlin recently purchased the business conducted by A. E. Swap at Weston, and will conduct a general merchandise business at that place.
120 Years Ago
December 19, 1902
Edward Hetherington, who is one of the miners operating the Walton mines, was caught under a heavy fall of rock Monday, while at work, and injured. His injuries were not serious but enough to lay him up for several days.
Cropsey — H. L. McCullough and Chas. Shade have sold one of their corn shellers to Henry and George Putnam. This will make the Putnam boys a complete outfit for shelling corn.
There is no city in the state of Illinois that is anywhere near the size of Fairbury, in which as varied an assortment of goods in all lines can be found. The merchants are up to date in everything from groceries to agricultural implements. The warm weather of November made business a little slack, but the cold weather of this week has filled the stores with buyers. It takes cold weather to get the people in the notion of buying, and when it comes they discover old thin places in their clothes.
110 years Ago
December 20, 1912
The workmen are putting the new town clock in the tower and the gentleman in charge says it will be telling the people the hour today. The four faces were put on Tuesday and they can be seen for a long distance. The bell weighs 800 pounds and is made of the finest quality of bell metal and can be heard for a long distance. It will strike the hours and half hours. The clock and tower complete will cost about $3,000 and is the gift of Messers. Issac Walton and J. W. Walton, Sr., to the city.
A man was caught stealing corn at Earl Hanna's last Thursday evening at 9 o'clock, but he made his escape before an officer could be secured to arrest him. The thief's capture was made by electricity. Mr. Hanna recently installed a storage battery lighting system and an alarm was arranged to ring a bell in the house when the barn door was opened. The alarm was sounded about 9:00 o'clock and Mr. Hanna got his shot gun, and with the hired man, went to the barn and turned on the lights. They saw the man inside and recognized him, but he made his escape.
Saunemin — Considerable excitement was caused in town Sunday evening when Roy Shepherd telephoned to town that he found a man lying in the ditch along the railroad near his place. A number of his neighbors immediately reached the place and found a young man about 33 years old lying on the ice with his head in the sewer tile that runs under the track at the road crossing just two miles south of town. After extricating the man it was found that he was not hurt in any way, but he talked like a crazy man. In his incoherent talk it was made out that he lived at Campus. His people were notified and they came in an auto and took him home.
100 Years Ago
December 15, 1922
There never was a time in the history of Fairbury when the merchants made a stronger bid for holiday trade than this year. A visit to the various stores reveals one of the most complete stocks of goods. Gifts from the smallest toy to a piano or automobile may be found, and each and every stock is so arranged that it is a pleasure to select a gift from them.
For the past year and over, the question of chief of police for Fairbury has been a thorn in the flesh of our citizens. At the last meeting of the city council the resignation of Mr. Kelso as chief of police was read, and the mayor can now appoint another man in his place if he so desires without causing any ill feeling. The name of Fred Baker has been presented. Mr. Baker has served the city in this capacity before and he made a good officer.
A cold wave struck this part of the country Monday night and by Tuesday morning the thermometer was down to zero. It has moderated since however, and yesterday morning several inches of snow fell. An unusual phenomenon in the way of lightning and thunder occurred at one time during the time the snow was falling.
90 Years Ago
December 16, 1932
A six-inch snow and zero weather were handed this community the first of the week. The snow came Sunday morning starting about seven o'clock, and continuing almost throughout the forenoon. With the fall of snow the mercury also fell, going down to two below Monday morning and down to zero Tuesday morning. Yesterday morning the temperature took another drop, registering about eight or ten below zero and this morning it was 15 below.
The title of Livingston County Farm Queen, chosen each year from a selected group of young ladies and awarded by the Country Life Insurance company, a Farm Bureau organization, was awarded to Miss Lucille Holloway, of Wing, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank T. Holloway, who reside on the Holloway homestead farm in Pleasant Ridge Township. There were 22 girls from various parts of the county entered in this year's beauty contest, seeking the coveted honor of being chosen Queen.
Although we have been having some old-fashioned winter weather this week, the ice on the creek is only about six inches thick, which is hardly thick enough to put up for next summer's use. However, Mr. Munz is all set and ready to go when it does reach the proper thickness. For the past two years no ice has been harvested here.
80 Years Ago
December 18, 1942
Attention is called to the fact that while the snow plows in cleaning off the roads do a fine job, in many instances they pile up the snow so high in front of the mail boxes in the rural sections that the mail man cannot get up to them. If your mail box is on a route where a snow plow is used, the mail man will be made happy if when you go out to get your mail, you take along a snow shovel and clear away the snow so he can get up to the box.
Once a year at least, the husbands of the members of the Happy Hour club are sure of an exceptionally fine and appetizing meal and that is at the annual dinner served by the club members with the husbands as guests. That dinner was served yesterday at noon at the Mr. and Mrs. William Elliott home at Cropsey, with twenty-one present. The husbands were the guests of the ladies the entire afternoon and enjoyed the grab bag exchange presided over by Santa Claus himself, followed by cards.
The stop-go traffic light at the intersection of Locust and Third streets, which has been a convenience for the public in general and old people in particular, will continue to operate. At the meeting of the city council Wednesday evening Mayor Klopfenstein said at the last meeting of the Fairbury Business club that body had voted to ask the city council to have the light turned off for the "duration." The council was unanimous in their opinion that the traffic light was a good thing and a motion to keep it in operation was carried without a dissenting vote.
70 Years Ago
December 18, 1952
Twelve Livingston county men left Pontiac last Thursday over the G. M. & O. railroad for induction into service. Included in the group were Robert Hurt and George Saathoff of Fairbury, Carlos Miller and Keith Coleman of Forrest and Henry Wynistorf of Saunemin.
Mrs. Albert Stow and granddaughter, Peggy Ann Bryant, were thrown from the Stow automobile Saturday and narrowly escaped serious injury. Mr. and Mrs Stow and Peggy Ann were enroute to Gilman when the accident occurred. Mrs. Stow, thinking she was rolling the car window down, grabbed the wrong handle forcing the car door open and she and Peggy Ann fell from the car onto the highway. Mr. Stow was driving the car. Both suffered from shock and Mrs. Stow was shaken up and bruised but received no broken bones. Peggy Ann was also bumped and bruised and several stitches were required to be taken as she suffered a head injury.
The Wednesday Evening Club held their Christmas party at the home of Mrs. Arthur Huston last Wednesday. Miss Irene Meeker read Christmas poems and stories followed by games in charge of Mrs. Frank Popejoy. A gift exchange was enjoyed and the hostesses served dainty refreshments from a table beautifully decorated with gold place mats, a small Christmas tree and a red candle centerpiece.
60 Years Ago
December 20, 1962
Paul Lang and sons, Fairbury's new automotive supply store, will hold its grand opening Friday and Saturday. Charles Addis is managing the Fairbury outlet for the firm, which has home offices in Kankakee. The concern is primarily a wholesale auto parts outlet, supplying service stations, garages and the implement trade. In addition to the Fairbury and Kankakee stores, the firm operates outlets at Gilman, Watseka and Momence.
Ideal mild weather prevailed during the early part of the week, only a week before Christmas. Indications of a White Christmas were not in the offing, although a slight drizzle started to fall Wednesday afternoon. Temperatures ranged from 10 below zero to 61 degrees during the last week.
Jean Gerber, math major from Fairbury, is one of three junior coeds at Milliken University to be named winner of an Ecumenical Work Camp scholarship. The 1960 Fairbury-Cropsey graduate has requested work in one of the Scandinavian countries or Switzerland, although she has not been appointed to any particular country as yet. This scholarship is sponsored by the World Council of Churches and students live in hostels with 12 to 15 students from all parts of the world. Similar to the Peace Corps, Jean will be helping with some construction project abroad. She leaves the United States the first of June and returns the first part of September.
50 Years Ago
December 21, 1972
Dr. James Langstaff, chief of staff of Fairbury Hospital, and Dr. Lucjan Moscicki, who have been associated in the general practice of medicine and surgery for the past 18 years, and partners since 1959 in The Langstaff Clinic in Fairbury, announced today that the firm would henceforth be known as the Langstaff-Moscicki Clinic. The Langstaff Clinic was founded by the late Dr. James Hartzell Langstaff Sr., and he was joined in practice after World War II by his sons, Jim and John, following their discharge from the U. S. Navy where both were doctors.
A $3,000 special bequest to the South East Livingston County Ambulance Service was announced Wednesday night by the Fairbury United Community Fund at its annual meeting in Old Susannah restaurant. The donation, to be credited against Fairbury's $20,000 quota in the current SELCAS fund campaign, came as the result of the just completed red feather drive going "over the top" by some $2,600.
A 1972 LTD Ford was stolen from the garage of the Burton Haabs, four miles south and three and one-half miles east of Forrest, sometime between 11 p.m. Monday and 6 a.m. Tuesday, according to a report filed with the Livingston County Sheriff's office in Pontiac. Haab told The Forrest News that they had parked the car in the garage and retired around 11 p.m. and at 6 a.m. Tuesday he was planning to go into Chatsworth when he discovered the garage door open and the car missing. The garage wasn't locked and the keys were left in the ignition.
40 Years Ago
December 16, 1982
Once more the replacement swimming pool for Fairbury is back to Square One, according to John W. "Bud" Gerber, president of the Prairie Lands Foundation, which is administering the $500,000 gift earmarked for the new construction. Original bids were opened two weeks ago, but were rejected for being $100,000 over budget. At that time, the project was put up for a second bidding. While there were some added offers, they were above the original ones, and while the original low bidders pared their first figures, they didn't come down enough, Gerber said. "We're going to have to go back to the drawing board and reduce our hopes," Gerber said.
The Illinois High School Association has released the 1983 Class A regional basketball assignments, linking Fairbury-Cropsey and neighboring Forrest-Strawn-Wing in the same field for the first time in many years. About the time this newspaper said it would never happen, the IHSA took Odell out of the Tartars' regional and inserted FSW. Octavia's Rockets will host the regional in late February. Other competing schools include Pontiac, Lexington, U-High, Gridley and Chenoa.
Mr. and Mrs. Mano Harms of the Helen Lewis Smith Pavilion, Fairbury, will observe their 70th wedding anniversary on Dec. 24. The former Anna Metz and Harms were married Dec. 24, 1912 at Charlotte by Rev. Herman Koepp. Attendants were Jesse and Harry Harms. Mano is a retired farmer who spent his entire life in the Pleasant Ridge area. They are the parents of 11 children. The have 38 grandchildren and 42 great-grandchildren. The couple will observe their anniversary in a mock wedding at the Pavilion on Dec. 22.
30 Years Ago
December 24, 1992
Joanna Kinate, daughter of Jon and Julie Kinate of Fairbury, has earned the honor of singing in the All-State Music Festival at Peoria Civic Center on Jan. 31 through Feb. 3. Kinate, 17, is a senior at Prairie Central High School. She has been studying voice since grade school and has taken private singing lessons for one year while at Geneseo High school and for three years with Roger Coventry of Chatsworth. She plans to attend Illinois Wesleyan, majoring in music education.
Patsy Whately and Bonnie Traub, both of Fairbury, were winners in their respective age categories at the Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis Saturday, Dec. 12 in Pontiac. Whately's time was 23:40, while Traub clocked in at 29:35. More than 150 runners and walkers participated in the event, which raised $9,000 for arthritis research and services to benefit people who are affected by arthritis.
One of Chatsworth's native sons, and a crack shot, proved once more that he can hit the target with great accuracy. Richard Pearson shot in the Illinois State International Pistol Championship on Nov. 7 at Waukegan and set a new record. He scored 541 points out of a possible 600, beating the old record by one point.
20 Years Ago
December 18, 2002
Milford (Milt) and Beryl Irwin will celebrate their 65th anniversary on Christmas Day with a family dinner. Irwin and Beryl Thomas were married on Dec. 25, 1937, at the home of the bride's parents west of Cropsey. Their attendants were the late Helen McGuire and Marshall Crumbaker. They are the parents of six children. There are 12 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. The Irwins first farmed south of Fairbury and then in 1941, moved to a farm south of Chatsworth. Mrs. Irwin is a retired hospital worker.
Friday the 13th proved to be unlucky for the Pontiac Indians as the Prairie Central boys varsity basketball team rolled over their conference rival 56-37. This put the Hawks at 2-0 in the Corn Belt and 8-0 overall. Prairie Central travels to Mahomet Friday to take on the Bulldogs, before hosting the Hawk Classic starting Dec. 26.
Lindsey Whately of Fairbury, a graduate of Prairie Central High School, was one of 23 student-athletes at Monmouth College to be named to the Academic All-Midwest Conference team for the fall 2002 sports season. A senior art and economics major, Whately participated in women's cross country while earning the post-season honor. She is the daughter of Art and Patsy Whately of Fairbury.
One of Chatsworth's native sons, and a crack shot, proved once more that he can hit the target with great accuracy. Richard Pearson shot in the Illinois State International Pistol Championship on Nov. 7 at Waukegan and set a new record. He scored 541 points out of a possible 600, beating the old record by one point.
10 Years Ago
December 19, 2012
Dominy Memorial Library has received several donations toward restoration to the exterior brickwork on the original part of the library. The restoration will include cleaning of the old brick, tuck pointing and repairs to the exterior. The J & B Custom Jewelry held a fundraiser for the project during the Fairbury Christmas parade and celebration recently. Janet and Bruce Hammitt donated 25 percent of the sales, $500, toward the plan. A total of $7,100 was raised at the October 27th Wine, Beer and Food Tasting. One hundred fifty-eight tickets were sold and 140 attended the annual event. Several vendors were present and items were auctioned. The John Rich family made a substantial donation in memory of Josie Rich Dunnet, and Marcia and Roger Scherr also donated to the restoration drive in memory of their son, Dane Scherr.
Rosella “Rosy” Mowery is celebrating her 90th birthday with a card shower and a family dinner. She was born Dec. 18, 1922 in Fairbury and married Russell Mowery on Jan. 23, 1943. Her children are June (Ron) Slagel of Fairbury; Lyle (Gladys) Mowery of St. Paul, Minn.; and the late Dale Mowery. Her daughter-in-law is Elaine Mowery. She had 13 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. Her husband, a granddaughter, Diane Mueller, and twin grandchildren, Emma and Andrew Slagel, are deceased. Rosy enjoyed volunteering and was selected as the first recipient of the Fairbury Citizen of the Year Award in 1986.
Jennifer Applegate and Dan Small, both of Strawn, were united in marriage on Sept. 1, 2012 at First Presbyterian Church in Fairbury. Rev. Spencer Homan officiated at the 4 p.m. ceremony. The bride is the daughter of the late Robert and Donna Applegate and a graduate of Melvin-Sibley High School. She is employed as deli manager at Dave's Supermarket in Fairbury. The bridegroom is the son of Joe and Pat Small of Strawn and graduated from Prairie Central High School. He is a corrections officer at Pontiac Prison.
This article originally appeared on Pontiac Daily Leader: Looking Back history column
