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1924 – 100 Years Ago
When a person drives in Chicago it is a fact generally understood that all trucks and busses have the right of way. Not because the city laws and ordinances say they may proceed all other traffic, but because they are heavy enough to follow Teddy Roosevelt’s example of carrying a big stick. They sure are there with the big club when it comes to accidents, for an ordinary touring car smashed by a truck has no more chance of escaping a convalescent period in the garage, than congress has in holding a discussion less session.
Sycamore’s proposed cement street plan will soon be a reality in so far that three of the streets mentioned in the plans are about completed. These include Waterman Street on the south side which runs west a distance of about three blocks, West Ottawa Street, approximately the same, and West High Street, which is about completed, except for a small distance which will probably be finished today.
Painters will begin the latter part of this week or the first or next on the Hotel DeKalb. The place will be given a new coat of paint and a general cleaning up which should improve its exterior and give it a dressed-up appearance. It is understood the hotel will be painted a buff color similar to The Chronicle building. This will add materially to the appearance of the downtown section and make the well-known hostelry one of the best appearing building in the city.
In an effort to still the Anti-American agitation the Japanese have made the American colony at Tokio the gift of a valuable site of land and much material to be used for the erection of an American school. Three Japanese societies have donated cash and material to build the school to the value of approximately $50,000.
Nearly everybody who is glad to meet you is selling something.
Camp Grant’s Eagle and Flag monument may be torn down withing the near future according to statements made yesterday by military and civic organization heads. The monument, erected by G. D. Roper in 1917 when the cantonment was in process of construction, is showing signs of decay and is falling apart.
Oscar Johnson of Sycamore, driving the family Ford sedan down Lincoln Highway between First and Second streets early Monday evening staged a race that furnished plenty of amusement to everyone who saw it. The rear left tire of the Ford slipped off the wheel and started a race down the street ahead of the Ford Mr. Johnson was driving. For a few minutes Mr. Johnson did not realize what happened to his auto, as it bumped along the street on the tireless wheel. Had Mr. Johnson been traveling at a more rapid of speed the mishap might have not been so funny to those who witnessed it from the sidewalk.
1949– 75 Years Ago
Approximately 92 Soap Box Derby racers are expected to compete in the district races at Derby Downs in Phillips Park, Aurora, tomorrow afternoon. There will be 20 racers from DeKalb and three from Sycamore competing for the honor to go to the National Soap Box Derby at Akron, O., next month.
A number of children from Cortland have signed up to take swimming lessons at Sycamore Park. The bus will pick up the children and bring them home.
Hobo Jungle in the heart of Sycamore has a shattered old chimney, small trees and brush. The Lion’s Club is cutting down brush and cleaning out debris and may make it into a small park or playground.
Bet there hasn’t been a building erected in the county since the courthouse was built that has caused as much comment and rubbernecking as that Lustron steel house on DeKalb Avenue, Sycamore.
Electricians are working like mad wiring up the lights in the picnic area of Sycamore Community Park so that they can be used for these fine nights remaining this summer. Hope to have them ready soon.
A University of Michigan philosophy professor had to stop a class because of a disturbance in the last row. Upon investigation he found the student trying a difficult “loop-the-loop” with a yo-yo, the latest college fad. Once apparently buried with raccoon coats, goldfish swallowing, crew haircuts and midget golf, stores in Michigan report a huge sale of the spinner discs to Michigan students.
Back in 1898 DeKalb was all a go. The Post Office established daily carrier service. There were three foot-carriers to handle the task of distributing mail to about a thousand DeKalb residents. On August 1 another major step in mail service will be instituted in DeKalb. Again, the service increase will bring twice-a-day mail delivery to an additional 1,200 individuals and four full time carriers are expected to be added to the staff.
1974 – 50 Years Ago
The DeKalb Hospital Board delayed for one month a move to nullify a previous board agreement supporting the Kishwaukee Community Health Services Center. The May 8, 1972 agreement provided that “no later than six months following the date of the admission of the first patient to the new hospital, the DeKalb Public Hospital will cease to provide acute hospital care.” This agreement would have meant the end of DeKalb Public’s 52-year operation as an acute care hospital. However, the agreement never went into effect because the DeKalb City Council never signed the document. As a result, the expression of support for the Kishwaukee hospital never became legal or binding.
With the end of the cement strike, ready-mix cement trucks began hauling tons of cement to area construction sites. Two trucks brought loads of the long-awaited hard stuff to the NIU library, where construction was delayed by the 9 week -strike.
Public opinion expressed in the Chronicle Sidewalk interview indicated the city of DeKalb does need some type of airport facility. Earlier this week, the DeKalb County board approved the plans to build a 9.5-mile tollway bypass road. The planned route of the bypass road would be through, rather than around DeKalb’s present airport on Pleasant St.
1999 - 25 Years Ago
The DeKalb Park District’s $4.2 million indoor sports facility is near completion. The 62,000-square-foot building immediately will be home to a walking track and winter soccer and softball leagues. The high school will have the use of the building during the day for gym classes and athletics.
The annual Ellwood House Association Ice Cream Social will offer a variety of entertainment and traditional fun for adults and children. Ice cream, a large selection of homemade cakes, band music and old-time amusements make this an event to enjoy with family and friends.
Last night’s storms lit up the DeKalb County skies with severe lightening and dropped approximately 2.80 inches in a two-hour stretch. There were scattered power outages throughout the DeKalb County region, but no significant long-term losses.
The wreckage of John F. Kennedy Jr.’s plane was located off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard with Kennedy’s body still aboard, and the Navy readied a recovery mission.
Compiled by Sue Breese