Looking Back through the pages of The Blade
130 Years Ago
July 9, 1892
The saloon known as the Exchange, run by Straley Jackson, closed Wednesday under peculiar circumstances. It seems that for some reason the license was made out to Joe Straley, bartender for the owners of the place. Wednesday Jackson fired Straley and when he left he took the license with him and turned it over to City Clerk Hanna, who immediately closed the saloon.
There was quite a crowd in town the Fourth to attend the races. C. C. McDonald conveyed the band to the fair grounds on a threshing machine drawn by a traction engine. Not an accident occurred.
This city is now represented in the National League of ball players, the famous Chicago club having this week signed George Decker, of the Joliet club. He has been assigned to second base.
120 Years Ago
July 11, 1902
All members of the Prohibition Alliance, No. 60 of Fairbury are hereby notified that the next public meeting of the society will by Monday evening at 8 o'clock. An able lady elocutionist will render a temperance program. Come prepared to pay your dues at the time. —George Bradfield, Sec.
The celebration in Fairbury July 4th was one of the best ever held in the city. About 5,000 people visited the city and during the street shows the streets were jammed and packed with people for two blocks. The shows given on the streets were excellent and the spectators were loud in their praise of the actors. The music was also a feature and the fire works in the evening were first-class in every respect.
Forrest — Some of the extremely young men of Fairbury who have been coming to see some of the very young ladies of this place received a very cold reception last Sunday from the parents of the young ladies. Boys wait a little longer till the little wings grow stronger.
110 Years Ago
July 12, 1912
Joseph Householder this week purchased of C. J. Claudon a beautiful new five passenger Hudson self-starting touring car. This is a dark maroon bodied car and is the prettiest car ever seen in Fairbury. This is Mr. Householder's first car, but he handles it like an old timer.
Thursday morning the engine crew of the south bound local out of Forrest saw the body of a man laying along the Wabash railroad track about four miles south of Forrest. They found the remains in a badly decomposed state and it was evident the man had been dead three or four days. An examination did not reveal anything in the man's pockets to identify him by and there were apparently no marks or bruises on the body. Perhaps some poor mother or wife will wait and watch the remainder of her life for the return of a son or husband who has gone away to look for work.
The Cheerful Givers, aided by the Belle Prairie band, will give an ice cream social and band concert at the Howarth school house on the lawn Tuesday evening. Everybody is invited. Come and help out the good work the ladies are engaged in. Ice cream and cake 10 cents.
100 Years Ago
July 7, 1922
This vicinity was visited by a wind-storm last Saturday afternoon about 3 o'clock that blew down the sheet-iron smokestack at the waterworks, tore the top over the merry-go-round of the Pearson shows located just west of the water tower, to pieces, blew down trees and did other damage. The storm came up suddenly from the west and was accompanied by a heavy rain. When the stack fell, J. A. Franger, whose garage is located just across the street from the waterworks, was trying to close the garage door and he received a big share of the soot from the smokestack, it literally turning him black for the time being. The stack fell so close to Mr. Franger that he would have turned white had it not been for the fact that the soot covered the white up.
Mrs. Charles Smith arranged a very lovely surprise on Monday evening for her daughter, Miss Maybelle, who on her arrival from Chicago found fourteen of her girl friends waiting to take dinner with her. Miss Maybelle returned to her position in Chicago Wednesday morning.
Levi DeMoss stirred the dying embers in his pipe with a fire cracker that he didn't know was loaded and the explosion which followed stirred the contents better than he had expected and carried his beloved pipe off on a series of nose dives and tail spins.
90 Years Ago
July 8, 1932
On July Fourth on the old homestead of the late Richard Moore, four and a half miles southwest of Fairbury, was celebrated the centennial anniversary of the arrival of the Moore family. The celebration was in the form of a picnic, with numerous descendants of the Moore family present. With the old Moore home as a background, a group picture was taken. At noon a long table, decorated with baskets of red, white and blue flowers and laden with all the things that go to make up a good picnic dinner, was made ready. In the center of the table was a large cake upon which were 100 candles.
During a windstorm at about 1:30 o'clock Tuesday morning a tree was blown down on the tenant house on the Harlow King farm, south of town, damaging it quite badly. The house was occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Herman Abts at the time, they escaping uninjured. When the tree fell on the house it not only caved in the roof, but also pushed the chimney in, the damage making the house untenable until it is repaired.
The cattle barn on the farm of W. A. Goembel, of this city, located about a half mile west of Strawn, burned on Sunday morning about one o'clock. The farm is tenanted by Mr. Goembel's son, Paul. The barn, which was 40x60 feet, contained about ten tons of straw. The loss to Mr. Goembel is around a thousand dollars with $300 insurance.
80 Years Ago
July 10, 1942
Large crowds were in attendance at the Selby & McKinley rodeo at the fair grounds last Saturday and Sunday, there being an estimated attendance of between four and five thousand at the three performances. On the afternoon of July 4th the crowd was so large that the grandstand and bleacher seats were not enough to accommodate them, and the sale of tickets had to be stopped. The rodeo is an exceptionally fine attraction and the people were well pleased.
Next Wednesday morning 39 more selectees will leave this county to be inducted into the army. Of this number four are from Fairbury. They will leave Pontiac at 10:22 o'clock for Peoria, the induction center, on a bus. Livingston county now has 967 men in the armed forces. Those from Fairbury are Harold Henry Ward (leader), Ernest William Skrobonak, James Edward Lindsay and Charles William Brown.
Kring Brothers, Edward and Logan, who have operated a greenhouse here for almost a half century, are going to continue to operate, but it will be on a scale not so large, and following the end of this season, Edward Kring will retire and Logan Kring will continue the business, specializing in flowers, bouquets, etc. for any and all occasions.
70 Years Ago
July 10, 1952
There is still no information available concerning the future plans of a theatre in Fairbury. The Blade, via telephone contacted A. J. Nelson, of the McCullom theatre circuit home office in Hoopeston and learned that A. B. McCullom, owner of the theatre chain, had still not been notified of the fire. Mr. McCullom had left for his home in California just before the fire, traveling by private auto. His staff has thus far been unable to contact him along his route.
Mrs. Kenny Jenkins was treated at the Fairbury Hospital Friday morning following an injury to her left foot incurred by the blade of a power weed mower. Several stitches were required to close the wound in her foot. The accident occurred as the machine was standing still while Mrs. Jenkins was working in front of it.
The dead letter office is one of the liveliest departments of the post office. It handles in excess of eighteen million letters, undeliverable because of lack of return address or illegible handwriting, a year. Annual sales are held for unclaimed parcels.
60 Years Ago
July 12, 1962
An act of vandalism at the Catholic Cemetery northeast of Fairbury was reported to the Blade Tuesday by R. A. McAllister, supervisor. A six-foot marble grave marker was toppled and broken into three pieces. The supervisor noted that the monument has been in the cemetery since 1875. McAllister, who has been associated with the cemetery since 1922, told the Blade that no serious vandalism of this sort has occurred in the past three or four years.
Judy Kennedy and Marianne Barnes have spent the past month with a group of I.S.N.U. alumni and faculty members touring Europe. The group visited nine countries and they are expected home Sunday. Judy and Marianne recently graduated from I.S.N.U. and have accepted teaching positions for this fall. Judy will be teaching the acoustically handicapped in a Decatur school. Marianne will be teaching exceptional children in LaGrange.
The 16th annual Bachtold reunion was held July 4th in Marsh Park, Fairbury, with 95 members and one guest present, from Fairbury, Forrest, Chatsworth, Piper City, Strawn, Lexington, Pontiac, Watseka, Kouts, Ind. and Edgar, Wis. In the past year there were seven marriages and 16 births. The oldest member present was Charles Tyler, Forrest, and the youngest was Teresa Lynn, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Bachtold, Jr., Fairbury.
50 Years Ago
July 13, 1972
Four local couples and their 11 children, the Dick Arnolds, the Duane Bazzells and the Bob Ricketts, all of Fairbury, and the John Schrofs of Forrest, have returned from a Rocky Mountain camping tour with their trailers. The caravan included visits with two former local families, the Dave Parmeles in Ft. Collins, Colo., and the Dr. Don Ervins in Denver.
Robert Brucker, son of Mr. and Mrs. Bernell Brucker, of Cropsey, has been promoted to corporate tax accountant at State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company's home office in Bloomington. Brucker received a B.S. degree from Illinois State University, a Masters degree from University of Illinois and completed further studies at San Diego State University. He joined State Farm in April, 1969, as an accounting trainee at the firm's Salem, Ore. office. Brucker lives in Bloomington.
Forrest — The annual family picnic for St. James Catholic Church was held on Sunday evening, July 2, at Forrest Park. Approximately 75 attended. The games and entertainment for the evening was called off on account of the rain. The circus sponsored by the Forrest Lions Club on July 6 was very good and very well attended. Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Rieger celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on June 29, when 15 family members dined at Jumers in Peoria.
40 Years Ago
July 8, 1982
It was a case of "good news and bad news" this week for area farmers. Corn fields were well above the traditional "knee high by the Fourth of July" and high levels for both temperature and humidity the first half of the week and a half-inch of rain early Wednesday brought the plants into the pollination stage in reportedly ideal condition. Improving harvest prospects were reflected in market prices. There was a seven-cent drop from $2.36 last week, to $2.29 this week. "That's way too cheap" commented Manager Keith Coleman.
Fairbury-Cropsey High School golfer Dan Honegger will be competing next Monday and Tuesday in the state finals of the Insurance Youth Golf Classic. The state tournament will be staged at The Rail Golf Course in Springfield. Honegger was one of six golfers to advance to the Springfield event from a McLean County tourney staged at Bloomington's Highland Park course.
Dr. Herb Wiser was recently named chief resident for the upcoming academic year at St. Francis Hospital Medical Center in Peoria. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Herb Wiser of Fairbury and a 1972 graduate of Fairbury-Cropsey High school. He attended the University of Illinois and graduated in 1976. Wiser received his medical degree from the University of Illinois in 1980.
30 Years Ago
July 9, 1992
The name of Jim Roberts returns to The Blade this week in the role of Publisher Emeritus, according to E. Douglas Cifers, publisher of the newspaper's parent firm, Leader Publishing Company. Roberts is resuming his weekly column, Just Whittlin' with The Blade, and will also fill a consulting role with the news staff. His tenure began when he and his wife, Lois, purchased The Blade and The Forrest News in March of 1953. Neighboring papers were added through the years until the group numbered 11 until they were sold in August, 1990 to Mainstreet Publications. LPC then purchased them in September, 1991.
Right on schedule at noon Monday, the Prairie Central High School band rolled out of Fairbury in a five-unit caravan, headed for Travers City, Mich. There, they will be among 31 bands competing for honors in the National Cherry Festival. Hawk band director Rick Moore leads a party of 116 people, including 23 adult chaperones and 92 students. Also on board is a Blade camera, hung around the neck of Judy Knauer, The Blade editor who is one of the chaperones.
Bob Schroen's prediction turned into fact as the Chatsworth Sportsmen Club attracted 101 archers at the June shoot held at Turtle Pond, five miles south of Chatsworth. It was the first time that the club hit the century mark in attendance since beginning outdoor shoots in 1989. In the first year, the club considered anything over 30 archers to be a good crowd. Since that time there has been a steady increase.
20 Years Ago
July 10, 2002
Jadyn Sue Ann is the name chosen for the first child for Clint and Crissy Stephens of Fairbury. She was born at 2:41 p.m. on July 1, 2002 at OSF Saint James Hospital, Pontiac. The new arrival weighed 7 pounds, and was 19½ inches long at birth. She was middle-named after her mother and both grandmothers. Maternal grandparents are Harold and Karen Jackson of Fairbury. Paternal grandparents are Gary Stephens, and Roger and Jill Braun, Fairbury.
Chenoa — Dale and Sheryle Atkins of Chenoa were this year's Mr. and Mrs. 4th of July and reigned over the Chenoa 4th of July celebration festivities. Also riding in the parade were Dakota Hartley, Miss Firecracker, and Austin Rhoda, Mr. Firecracker.
Chatsworth — The Chatsworth Heritage Society awarded Eileen Weller the Noble Pearson Award for the year 2002, during the Heritage Days held in June. Mrs. Weller has been very active in the community. She was a teacher in the Chatsworth and Prairie Central School districts for 38 years, and still substitutes when needed. She is a member of the Legion Auxiliary, Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Church, and is always ready with a helping hand. This award is given each year to someone in Chatsworth for their contributions to the community.
10 Years Ago
July 11, 2012
Clement “Bud” and Dorothy Rosenburger of Chenoa will be celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary with a family get-together. Rosenburger married Dorothy Hanes on July 12, 1947 at the Methodist Church in Chenoa. Mary and Jim Degenhart were their attendants. The couple has two children, Clayton Rosenburger, Chenoa and the late Sharon Walter. They have five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. The couple has retired, he as a farmer and she as a housewife.
Seniors Lindsey Krippel and Maci Oelschlager were Prairie Central softball's special award winners at the conclusion of the 2012 season. Krippel received the Hitter of the Year award after hitting .436 with 25 runs batted in and 28 runs scored. Krippel led the team in almost all offensive categories, including batting average, on base percentage, hits, runs, RBIs, doubles, triples, walks and hit by pitches. Oelschlager received the Pitcher of the Year award after a tremendous season in the pitcher's circle. She finished the season with 11 wins and a 1.91 ERA. She gave up only 36 earned runs in 132 innings pitched and led the team in all pitching categories including wins, innings pitched, strikeouts, ERA and WHIP. She also received the team's Most Valuable Player award which was voted on by her teammates.
Approximately 50 people attended the Irwin family reunion at the Methodist fellowship hall. Melanie and Chuck Dugdale of Washington D.C. were hosts. All attending enjoyed eating and visiting. In the afternoon, the group went out to the Irwin farm where the men and boys played a baseball game. Later a hayrack ride, pulled by Harold's red tractor, was enjoyed by everyone. The Irwins came from Indiana, Ohio, North Carolina, Washington D.C. And the Illinois towns of Morton, Minier, Mackinaw, Oregon, Mt. Prospect, Normal, Champaign, Peoria and Piper City.
Kari Kamrath
This article originally appeared on Pontiac Daily Leader: Looking Back through the pages of The Blade
