Looking Back for April 10, 2024

North 4th Street looking southwest from the intersection of 4th and Locust streets, circa 1940.

1924 – 100 Years Ago

The Chronicle understands that Highway Commissioner Frank Puller is beginning to start work on the roads. We know of a good place for him to operate as quickly as possible. This is the First Street Road from the Ellwood farm to the Coltonville corners and then in both directions, toward Five Points and Electric Park. This road used to be a splendid one but has been allowed to run down until right now it is rough and boggy. Some crushed stone has been spilled on it over near Electric Park but not to good advantage. A little careful and sensible work by a force of graders and teams would do wonders. Much money is not needed on this road but some work is. It is a shame that the beautiful drive has been allowed to run down the way it has.

Three bandits early today held up and robbed a train on the Chicago & Southern Traction company of a sack of assorted mail which contained nothing valuable. The bandits held up the train crew and threw the sack into a Ford sedan found abandoned three hours later some distance from the robbery.

J. D. Morris, veteran Kirkland hotel man, has again taken over the Kirkland hotel, according to word from that place. Under the Morris management the hostelry was famed for its cuisine and accommodations and the public that has occasion to use it will be pleased to learn of the change there.

The Chronicle is in an odd pickle, in which it would like the help of its patrons. In some way a receipt book was taken or lost from the desk in the business office. This book contained the names of patrons, who had paid subscriptions from March 17 to April 9, exclusive of the contest payments. As the posting of the accounts is done from these stubs there is no record of the payments and this office would like all persons who have subscriptions between thee dates at the office to notify Miss Inez Taylor so that their accounts can be credited.

DeKalb’s new fire pumper, which can be used to great advantage in removing water from basements was pressed into service Tuesday. For some accountable reason this afternoon at the McLean home the basement at the home became flooded and the fire chief was appealed to. With the big pump, it took but a few minutes to remove nearly all the water from the basement.

1949– 75 Years Ago

Excitement was caused at 10 o’clock this morning when the eastbound City of Los Angeles streamliner struck the rear end of an auto at the Third Street crossing. Fortunately, no one was injured. William T. of south Second Street was driving north across the tracks and had nearly cleared the tracks when the streamliner struck the rear part of the back fender and bumper. The car was turned sideways and stopped with the front wheels against the west curb by Penney’s store. William T. stated that the wig wags were not operating when he started over the crossing.

Yesterday afternoon 300 chicks were lost when a brooder house on the farm operated by Archie Tuntland near McGirr was damaged by flames. The DeKalb fire department was called at 4:15 o’clock. The brooder house fire is believed to have been caused by an oil heater. The floor was burned badly and the 300 chicks were lost in the fire. Last evening the department was called to the Shell Service Station at Seventh and the Highway where a motorcycle had flared. The cycle was badly damaged by the flames.

Grass fires are most popular at the present time and hardly a day passed without the fire department being summoned to battle a grass blaze. Yesterday afternoon about 2:55 o’clock the department was called to 524 West Lincoln Highway where a grass fire had gone out of control and was threatening to cause damage.

Alberta and Warren Scholl of Northwest Malta visited over the week end at the home of their aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Martin in Colfax.

Workmen began the task of widening and improving East Lincoln Highway in DeKalb. Work began late last week with the street being blocked from Fourth Street to Ninth Street.

Ambulance calls and reports of a minor nature have been recorded on the DeKalb police blotter the past couple of days. The ambulance has been very busy with four or five calls being received each day.

Tuesday, April 5 and Wednesday, April 6, were days of unusual activity at the Anaconda Wire & Cable Company in Sycamore. The big white chest X-ray unit, of the Department of Public Health, Division of Tuberculosis Control, of the State of Illinois was stationed at the personnel office to take Chest X-rays of Anaconda Employees’.

1974 – 50 Years Ago

Daily Chronicle readers responding to a passenger train service questionnaire said they want the train back. The tally was 262 for the train and one against. Replies came from high school students, retired persons, families and single persons. Persons who already commute daily to Chicago and those who only would use the train on a seasonal basis, like Christmas shopping, chipped in their support.

During an inspection tour of Kishwaukee College’s buildings now under construction, the Kishwaukee Board of Trustees Tuesday night learned that the contractor has been given an April 18 deadline to repair 20 cracked or defective concrete beams. The beams, described as “haunches” connecting Phase I and Phase II of Kishwaukee’s building projects, have specified inner reinforcing steel in only three of 23 points.

As Ivan Williams, chairman of the Bypass Road Citizens’ Study Committee, sees it, the exposition center proposed by the Sycamore Farmers’ Club should not be located on the County Home farm on Sycamore Road. The club had told a County Board committee on March 4 that the farm was the favored site for a multi-purpose, large-scale exposition center on the order of the Dane County (Wisc.) Coliseum.

1999 - 25 Years Ago

The Genoa Township Park District is looking to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to help fund a park project first proposed in 1994. A grant application is being prepared for up to half of the estimated $30,000 to make improvements to 1.5 acres of ground donated to be part of Genoa Woods subdivision. Genoa Woods is now being developed with some 26 residential lots just beginning construction.

Northern Illinois University is cutting tuition for out-of-state students in a move officials hope will increase their numbers on campus.

There’s something for just about everyone in a Genoa budget going before the public in two weeks. Ranging from a new tornado siren to raises for council members, Genoa officials have parlayed a projected surplus at the end of the current fiscal year into a spending plan which will address a number of concerns.

Compiled by Sue Breese

Sue Breese

Sue Breese is a DeKalb County area historian.