:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/XOCUFIQWMRAUPLXD6HPQT2V44I.jpg)
1925 – 100 YEARS AGO
DeKalb’s oldest building, the European Hotel at Fourth and Lincoln Highway, will be torn down and a new building erected. That is the information given out today by the owner of the property, A. G. Kennedy. That the building is to be removed and a new structure built is not complete news, as rumors have been in circulation for some time stating that a change would be made soon.
Grass fires, occurring in every section of the city, are becoming a real menace to this community. During the last 24 hours, the department had to answer four calls in order to stem the path of grass fires. In one case a chicken house was partially burned before the department chemical truck could extinguish the grass blaze.
Plans for the improvement of the Chicago & Northwestern railway on the Galena division of which this section is a past, are being made by the railroad officials, and during the year 35 miles of new track will be laid. Every 12 or 15 years the rails have to be replaced; it costs about $500 a mile for labor alone while it takes 157 tons of steel to replace a mile of track.
Another improvement in Sycamore is to be made along the business street within the near future, according to an announcement today. The front of the old Safford store, occupied by Tyrell & Wells is to be removed and a modern storefront installed. This will greatly improve the store and will be in keeping with the splendid new bank building that is being erected on the same side of the street adjacent to the Tyrell & Wells store at this time. The west wall of the store is being strengthened by the construction work of the bank, and bricks are almost flying at the bank.
The small railroad that will be installed along the Genoa Road for the use of the cement gang when actual construction of the road starts, has arrived in Sycamore and was unloaded yesterday. The railroad comes in sections and is easily and quickly installed. It is expected that within the next few days, the rails will be laid all the way from Sycamore to Genoa.
Announcement was made in Malta today that the present plans of the building committee are to start the work of razing the Methodist church within the next two weeks. It is expected that the work of construction on the new church will be well under way by the first of June.
1950 – 75 YEARS AGO
This morning 31 enumerators started the task of counting the population in DeKalb County and before their work is completed everyone in the county will have been contacted.
Elmer B. Tolsted, who was a graduate of the Sycamore High School in 1900 and is well remembered by members of that class is busily engaged in assembling an amazing and elaborate miniature railway system with all details at his home in Creston on the Lincoln Highway. A railway coach handsomely equipped and used for many years by past generations of North Western Railroad presidents serves temporarily as Mr. Tolsted’s home and workshop. It is his plan to erect a permanent building to house the railroad system and the many models of locomotives, bridges, roundhouses and trains where they may be on exhibition.
Since women spend by far the largest proportion of money in the United States, a survey of buying habits, buying trends and product popularity is now underway among DeKalb housewives. It is the fifth year this survey has been made.
Mrs. Lillian Boynton, of DeKalb, was an interesting speaker at the March meeting of the Sycamore Professional and Business Woman’s Club. Mrs. Boynton’s talk was pointed up with diagrams, charts and pictures. She brought to her interested audience many new ideas and stressed some of the old ones of good grooming. Her talk was timely, refreshing and well-received by the entire group of business and professional women present.
Doctors pronounced Gordie Howe of the Detroit Red Wings out of danger today after head injuries ended the National Hockey League star’s chances in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Howe, suffering a brain concussion from a hard check in the opening game of the playoff series against Toronto, was in serious condition.
A Kirkland resident bagged a hen pheasant this morning while en route to DeKalb. The resident of Kirkland was driving to DeKalb shortly before 9 o’clock this morning when her car struck the hen pheasant while she was traveling south on Annie Glidden Road near the Guy Lanan farm. She was in a bit of a hurry to attend the training session for census enumerators being held at the DeKalb city hall and parked her car in front of the city hall and went to the training session without checking the car. She did not notice that the dead bird had wedged between the bumper and grill but it certainly attracted the attention of a number of passersby who stopped to look over the hen pheasant.
1975 – 50 YEARS AGO
Burglars who broke into the greenhouse at Northern Illinois University this past weekend literally may be sick about their crime today. University officials said the culprits at the Montgomery Hall greenhouse were exposed to a dangerous gas known as Tedion Dithil. A container of the gas was being burned during the weekend to control plant disease and kill flies, spiders and other insects.
DeKalb’s spring cleanup will begin April 14 south of the Chicago and North Western railroad tracks. Crews will work on the south side from April 14-22. Workers then will shift to the northeast side (east of First Street and the Kishwaukee River and north of the tracks) from April 23-May 2.
On your mark, get set, hunt! A little cold weather and snow couldn’t keep away the throngs of egg-happy kids who mobbed Hopkins Park Sunday for the annual Easter egg hunt. The DeKalb VFW Post #2287 sponsored the race with 576 eggs and 240 prize eggs.
2000 – 25 YEARS AGO
Cheryl Johnson, who portrayed her great-great-aunt Annie Glidden, made an appearance at Saturday’s Census 2000 Rally at DeKalb High School. Johnson spoke to those in attendance about the importance of the census for DeKalb.
The Twinkie, a culinary icon that has been satisfying America’s sweet tooth since the Great Depression, was celebrated Saturday with a 20,000 Twinkie cake. The first Twinkie came out of a Chicago bakery on April 6, 1930.
Shabbona Health Care Center is recognizing staff members who have been employed there for 20 to 30 years. Statistics show employee turnover in a nursing home is usually high and the average length of stay is approximately one year. This often is a concern for family members looking for a nursing home for their loved ones.
Monsanto Co. has announced that it will provide 500 tons of conventional hybrid maize seed to the flood-ravaged nation of Mozambique in southern Africa. The estimated commercial value of the seed is more than $1 million and is intended to provide enough food, after harvest, to feed approximately 1 million people for a year. The gift is one of the largest donations to the African nation by an American company.
– Compiled by Sue Breese