From our archives: End of an era; Charles Walgreen dies

Note to readers – Sauk Valley Media reprints editorials and articles from the past as a regular Monday feature. The following items appeared in the Telegraph on Dec. 14 and 15, 1939.

Body of Charles Walgreen rests in Oakwood plot

Brief and simple rites mark funeral of famed Dixon citizen

Charles R. Walgreen, head and founder of one of America's greatest business enterprises, who died at his Chicago home last Monday night after an illness of many months, was laid to rest yesterday in Oakwood Cemetery after brief and simple funeral services at his Dixon home, Hazelwood.

The services were attended by several hundred close friends from Dixon, Chicago and elsewhere who joined the sorrowing family in the rites that marked the end of a very notable and beautiful life. Many of those who came were associates of Mr. Walgreen in his life's work.

All over the United States, the chain of nearly 500 stores of the far-flung Walgreen organization in all of the great cities of America closed their doors from 2 until 5 o'clock in honor of their chief.

Rev. Dr. Floyd L. Blewfield, pastor of the Methodist church in Dixon, read the services at Hazelwood and at Oakwood and inspired his audience with his eloquence and sincerity.

At Hazelwood, the services were marked by a brief eulogy delivered by a famous university head and one of Mr. Walgreen's closest personal friends, Dr. Robert Maynard Hutchins, president of Chicago University. – Dec. 14, 1939

A kind and good man

Charles R. Walgreen had been taken from this life. His close friends had gathered in thoughtful sorrow. The minister of his faith had read the Scriptures and said his prayer.

And then a young-looking man with bristly, short-cropped black hair and an inward rather than a seeing look in his dark eyes stood up before a hushed roomful of Charley Walgreen's friends yesterday afternoon at Hazelwood.

And this young fellow, "Bob" Hutchins to Charlie Walgreen – Dr. Robert Maynard Hutchins, president of Chicago University to 'most everyone else, said:

"Mr. Walgreen was my friend. He was the friend of everyone in this room."

And then he finished up his choked and difficult and beautiful eulogy to his friend by saying: "We shall never look upon his kind again." ...

Two thinks might be said of Mr. Walgreen (said Dr. Hutchins), and they were that he belittled his genius in building up his business empire and tried to give all credit to luck and providence and to his business associates, and he liked to pretend to his friends and even leaned over backward in his attempt to make one feel that he, himself, had really very little to do with it, and the other was that Mr. Walgreen really loved his friends.

Charley Walgreen … made his friends without any regard as to whether that friendship might benefit him later. Dr. Hutchins made a point that probably eclipsed anything he or anyone else could say, and that was that Mr. Walgreen never would forsake a friend.

A direct and honest man, Dr. Hutchins called him, but Hutchins cannot claim to be the only one who knew him thus. All those who had the privilege of knowing this man Walgreen were inspired and will always be inspired by the character of this friend who has gone away; this kind and sane and simple sage who was a patriot and a builder and an inspiration and such a splendid American.

Charles R. Walgreen grew up in Dixon, received his education here, and had the inspiration and the ambition to get his start and "take off" from Dixon. He loved Dixon well enough to come back and build his home here after he had won success. Now his final resting place is in Dixon and to this illustrious Dixonite all of us do homage.

Yesterday afternoon the mortal remains of our friend, Charley Walgreen, were taken to Oakwood Cemetery in Dixon and given to the eternal earth, draped in the American Stars and Stripes that he loved so well and so well merited, not only because of his war service in defense of his country but because of his so very real love of his fellow Americans.

May the Dixon of the future look upon his kind again. – Dec. 14, 1939

War in brief

By the Associated Press

Geneva – Russia expelled from League of Nations for invading Finland; League assembly condemns Russia as aggressor and recommends aid to Finns.

Montevideo – German and British warships fight first major naval battle of war; pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee takes refuge in port, badly damaged; 36 Germans killed; damage to three British cruisers undisclosed.

London – British destroyer Duchess sinks after collision; 120 men lost; Chamberlain accuses German of aiding Russian drive into Finland.

Berlin – Germans accuse British of using gas in naval battle; British officially deny charge; German-Russian friendship treaty ratified.

Moscow – Russian troops reported 65 miles within east central Finland.

Helsinki – Finns say Russians have been fought to standstill on Karelian isthmus. – Dec. 14, 1939

Christmas bargains

Advertisement – Ford Hopkins Drug Store, 123 First St., Phone 988

8-light Christmas tree light set, 25 cents

Christmas candy, 11 cents full pound

Double barrel pop guns; safe, harmless fun, 49 cents

Sturdy, all-metal Christmas tree stands, 57 cents

Tractor, plow and trailer set; has strong, wind-up motor, 98 cents

Cutex jewel case kit, $1.23 – Dec. 14, 1939

Mount Morris needs this road

There may be communities in Ogle County that have a larger population, but there certainly is no center of population in that county that contributes more to its surrounding territory or should demand more respect or attention than Mount Morris.

All right, Mount Morris wants a road connection with the White Pines State Park. Mount Morris is entitled to that road and should have it. And we have a notion that the state highway department will recognize the merits of Mount Morris' claim and arrange things so that this year's road program will include a paved highway from Mount Morris south to the White Pines State Park.

No community in Ogle County is more entitled to a north-and-south road connection than Mount Morris, not only because of its geographical location in the county but because of its tax-paying and social and financial importance to the county.

The state of Illinois has built a road to the White Pines State Park from Polo, from the wast, from Oregon from the east, and from Dixon from the south, all of which roads will bring travelers to that delightful haven. The far north in this state, to whose heritage White Pines Park should belong, must go 'round about to find the sport their taxes helped to build. We submit to the highway department that this is an unfair situation.

Furthermore, it is plain that the highway suggested here will be bound to offer a northbound outlet into Wisconsin which will relieve the extremely heavy Wisconsin-Illinois traffic from the Dixon-Rockford and Dixon-Freeport routes and offer an alternate route for all northern Illinois automobile travel. The Dixon Telegraph suggests and offers to the Illinois State Department of Highways this solution to local traffic problem that surely must be met and which will bring a very satisfactory answer to a statewide and an intra-state problem. – Dec. 15, 1939