125 YEARS AGO
February 22, 1888
The first robin red-breast noticed this season put in an appearance last Sunday. Its joyous notes were a most welcome sound.
Are you old or young? It does not matter. You are invited to the young people’s social at the Congregational church parlors Thursday evening.
The good people of Cortland are considering building a town hall.
Last week Leroy Hale’s wife obtained a divorce from him on the grounds of, among other things, a much larger familiarity with his servant girl than was necessary.
Mrs. Jane L. Cook wrote to the attorney general asking if she was eligible to run for the office of town collector. He replies that, being a woman and therefore not a voter, she is not. In consequence, Mrs. Cook withdraws her name as a candidate and some horrid man can now step forward and secure that little office.
Mrs. W.H. Mathews of Genoa has announced she will be a candidate for town collector. We presume Mrs. Mathews, like Mrs. Cook, though in every way competent and worthy, will be obliged to withdraw from the contest.
The saloon business in Princeton has been so dull this winter the saloon keepers petitioned the city for a rebate on their licenses. They didn’t get it.
100 YEARS AGO
February 19, 1913
Acquisition of additional land which will perhaps double the size of Elmwood cemetery was agreed upon at the annual meeting of the Elmwood Cemetery Company.
Father O’Rourke narrowly escaped suffocation in the fire that did $5,000 damage to St. James Catholic church in Belvidere last Thursday. Father O’Rourke made an effort to save the valuable articles in the church and remained in the building until forced to crawl out on his hands and knees.
New, novel and dainty – “Oreo” biscuit, sold by the pound at Ludwig, Nelson & Irish. The thing for special teas and luncheons.
What is described as a tornado struck the country in the vicinity of Wasco Friday and much damage was done.
D.B. Ryhert has a new Regal automobile at his garage. It is a 30-horsepower touring car. Anyone desiring a demonstration please call the garage.
Smallpox has broken out near Elgin and hundreds of gallons of milk from some of the finest dairies in northern Illinois are being dumped onto the ground and fed to pigs daily. The spread of the disease has been rapid, and there are said to be at least 50 cases between Aurora and the Wisconsin line.
75 YEARS AGO
February 23, 1938
Petitions objecting to any change in the routing of Highway 23 through Sycamore are in circulation. This remonstrance seeks to have the city and state leave the route as it is and not run it down West Elm and DeKalb Avenue.
Sandwich, Somonauk and Sycamore residents are banding together to assure the blacktopping of a direct route to connect the three communities. The board of supervisors will be asked to consider blacktopping a through, direct route from the two southern communities to Sycamore and to blacktop the Annie Glidden Road built last summer.
Mild weather has aided the construction of St. John’s English Lutheran Church at Ottawa and Main streets in Sycamore. The new edifice is nearing completion, and as the noble outlines have assumed shape, passersby have been struck with the beauty and simplicity of the design.
Permission has been given by the Sycamore City Council to the Salem Lutheran Church to install a singing tour to replace the bell that has been cracked and in disuse the last two years.
Joe Brooks, Chicago ex-convict, is in the DeKalb County jail following a cross-country chase in which he was driving a car stolen in DeKalb and was run into a snow bank in Glen Ellyn by the Wheaton police. His prompt apprehension was the result of the police radio system, which functioned perfectly.
John A. Suta, sentenced in 1934 to a term of one to 10 years on a charge of having held up the Claude Farmer tavern in Hinckley, has filed a petition for parole from the Pontiac reformatory where he is incarcerated. He was involved in an attempted jail break from the DeKalb County jail, but the attempt failed. He is said to have a good record at Pontiac.
50 YEARS AGO
February 20, 1963
William E. Burke of Chicago, who was arrested in Chicago on charges growing out of an alleged burglary in Melrose Park, was brought to the DeKalb County jail, where he was charged with being one of the two men alleged to have burglarized the dress shop in Hinckley on Jan. 29.
DeKalb County Cooperative Extension Service is sponsoring a Town and Country Art Show of approximately 250 works of art by local amateur artists.
Northern Illinois University will probably have a new stadium in 1964 or 1965 as result of a unique election conducted on campus Wednesday. Students voted 2 to 1 in favor of paying increased semester fees to help finance the structure.
Perhaps it was the hint of spring due to higher temperatures, but something lit a fuse under Sycamore youngsters. Several complaints were filed with police last week, mostly charging noise but at least one case of prank vandalism.
– Sycamore True Republican
25 YEARS AGO
February 24, 1988
Downtown revitalization plans were unveiled to the downtown DeKalb community last week. Main tenets are hiring a full-time manager, putting in place a full-time maintenance program and funding these things by membership dues and a special service taxing district. ...Concerns were raised about proposed by-laws, lack of parking, poor merchandising and about how the simple use of coordinated awnings could improve the downtown’s looks.
– The MidWeek
