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1925 – 100 Years Ago
Members of the DeKalb fire department had a busy time yesterday afternoon, when a call for help at the Charles Willrett farm, south of town was received, following very quickly with an alarm from the Daae home on South Fourth Street. Due to the thoughtlessness of the people telephoning from the country, the boys did not have the correct location, until inquiry had been made, “Spark Plug” made the country trip, while the other two trucks answered the alarm at the Daae home. When the chemical truck arrived in the country the trouble was over while the roof at the Daae home was damaged by the fire. The department officials urge that when calls for help are sent in from the country that extra efforts be put forth to give the location of the farm.
Mayor J. J. Kingsley today acted as desk sergeant at the police station for a short time. Chief James Scott was at home for lunch but a few moments when the ambulance call following an accident near Afton Center was received and Officer Ben Peck made the trip. Until the chief returned from home, the mayor was answering the telephone and gave other matters his attention, even to playing a game of cards with Edward Johnson.
People of DeKalb still have a heart for the unfortunate fellows of the country, if the donations of cash, coffee, sugar and other food at the police station. In response to the plea made in The Chronicle yesterday, is a criterion. For some time, the police department officials have been trying to devise ways and means of giving these travelers who sleep on the cement floor at night, with a newspaper for a covering, or a pillow, something to eat before they are escorted to the city limits the next morning.
Nineteen patients are now at the DeKalb County Tuberculosis Sanitorium on the Sycamore Road, and there are four or five on the waiting list, according to reports today, and the list is the first time in the history of the institution, that it has been taxed to its capacity during the winter months. Oftentimes during the warm weather there are 19 or 20 patients at the place, because some of them can be cared for in tents.
1950– 75 Years Ago
Although the principal activity of a fire department is to fight fires, there are a number of occasions when the department is called for extracurricular tasks. Last evening about 10:30 o’clock the department was called to flush gasoline from the street on the Lincoln Highway between Fifth and Sixth Streets. A leak in the gas tank of an auto was responsible for considerable gasoline on the roadway. This morning about 10:45 o’clock a run was made to 541 North Seventh Street where Fire Chief Stanley Tastad ad Fireman Francis Cliffe was called upon to affect a rescue of a pet cat which was in a tree.
Hollywood – Ski-nosed Bob Hope today displaced his pal, Bing Crosby, as the nation’s number one movie box office attraction. Hope took over the box office throne that the crooner held for five consecutive years.
Although motorist have been warned against the practice of parking their vehicles on property of the North Western Railroad, the practice is continued and yesterday autos blocked the path of the switch train near Third street. About 1:15 o’clock Wednesday afternoon the DeKalb police were notified that cars were blocking the switch track and that the train was unable to pass. The police ticketed the cars for illegal parking and a tow truck was summoned to move two of the vehicles from the tracks so that the switch train could continue with its business.
With the Christmas buying rush completed, activity in the DeKalb business district is gradually returning to normal at this time. While there were a number downtown yesterday and today it was far from the hustle and bustle of the fore part of the month when the shoppers crowded the business area each day. Many of the stores are in the process of dismantling their Christmas decorations and are now preparing for the annual inventory. Exchanging presents is also a popular activity this week.
With the streets icy at this time, motorists are having their troubles and adding to their difficulties are youngsters on their sleds. Chief of Police John Remsey warns youngsters to be very careful while sliding and not to dash into streets as cars are unable to stop or swerve on the icy streets. A number of complaints concerning youngsters using sleds on the streets have been received and catastrophes have been narrowly averted on a number of occasions. Parents are requested to caution their children about the dangers of using their sleds on the roadways.
1975 – 50 Years Ago
Buying and selling of gold in the United States began in lavish ceremonies before dawn today for the first time since 1933, but speculators were uncertain an American gold rush would develop, and gold prices dropped on European markets. Movie stars and congressmen were among the first to buy gold, banned since the Great Depression because of hoarding.
For those of you with atomic clocks, the new year will be a second late. Scientists in charge of precision atomic clocks around the world have agreed to stop their time pieces for one second to let the earth catch up to the world’s time scale. The “leap second” is required because earth’s rotation is slowing slightly. This means the atomic clocks which tick off hours, minutes and seconds of the same length would get ahead of the earth after a while. Twelve noon would come earlier and earlier in the day.
Area construction workers have found a way to “recycle” dirt. When projects involved getting rid of truckloads of dirt, the Hopkins Park area became a planned dumping site, and soon, a ski slope was built. The slope is now ready, if the weatherman would cooperate and provide snow.
2000 - 25 Years Ago
Water jugs are disappearing as loaves of bread are snatched off the shelves. Many people are pouring in the doors to purchase propane, while a few leave the bank, having closed their accounts. And New Year’s Day, and the arrival of the millennium, is just hours away. For some, turning over another new year is no big deal. But others are stocking up every way they can to prepare themselves for any problem Y2K might bring.
Humane Manufacturing LLC is under investigation by the Illinois Attorney General’s Office and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency for allegedly violating state air pollution regulations. Humane, based in Baraboo, Wis., leases a plant in Genoa to mold matting from tire retreading materials. Some nearby residents claim the odor resulting from the manufacturing process is intolerable.
People throughout the area will be celebrating the arrival of the new millennium in a variety of ways. Is there some special place where people will be ushering in 2000? The Chronicle is looking to run several pictures of area people celebrating the millennium as it arrives.
Compiled by Sue Breese