1924 – 100 Years Ago
Although it has been declared against the traffic rules of the city, several autoists of the city have acquired the habit of backing around a corner onto a side street or the Lincoln Highway rather than drive like a clock and make a turn. This is a dangerous practice and should be given careful consideration by the public. There are always pedestrians on the intersections and often times there are small children about to cross the street who do not expect a machine to be coming at them in that manner. Police department officials announced several months ago that this was contrary to the rules and it is probable that if the practice keeps up, some arrests will be made.
As a result of someone carelessly leaving his Ford automobile parked on the highway near Creston last night, while he made a trip to a garage for gasoline, and without lights, two DeKalb boys were slightly injured and both machines are wrecks. The two DeKalb boys were not seriously injured, although one young man suffered a serious gash in one arm, requiring the services of a surgeon. The machine had been left standing on the cement instead of being pushed to the side of the road, and the driver of the other machine did not see the darkened Ford, on account of the other cars approaching.
Work started yesterday afternoon on the filling station for Corey & Son, which will be located on the vacant lot at John Street on the Lincoln Highway. The large storage tank on the ground, the driveways have been laid out and it was expected the contractor would start the cement work today. Some delay on the driveway work is necessary on account of the proposed sewer that will be installed on John Street. P. S. Corey states today that he hopes the contractor will keep at his task until the building is completed, that he may be able to get started at the earliest time possible.
Movers today began the task of moving a house on Grove Street in DeKalb adjoining the Peter Christianson property, which will be taken to another part of the city. The building has been vacated, was put on rollers and within a remarkably short time after the movers took charge today, was in the street. On account of the paved streets of DeKalb, the task of moving a building nowadays is a comparatively easy one, compared to what it was several years ago.
1949 – 75 Years Ago
Residents of DeKalb and a number of nearby cities will lose one hour of sleep tonight as timepieces are advanced one hour and daylight-saving time become the official time of the city. Daylight time will become official at 2 o’clock Sunday morning.
The Chicago Great Western Railroad has been given permission to discontinue two passenger trains serving Sycamore, it was learned today. First sought several weeks ago as an economy measure, the permission of the Illinois Commerce Commission for the move was obtained Wednesday after a hearing in Chicago. The trains will be annulled at midnight May 10 since the railroad had to wait 20 days after issuance of the order.
Saturday, April 23, Jerry Murad and his Harmonicats will be featured at the DeKalb Egyptian Theatre. Hailed from coast to coast as the most popular recording artists of America, and winner of the Cash Box Magazine’s national poll, conducted by the music machine operators of America, their record “Peg O’ My Heart” was selected as “The best record for 1947.”
A pair of Chicagoans, arrested in Rockford Tuesday and returned to DeKalb County by Sheriff Arthur E. Anderson and Deputy Harry Overton were bound over to county court yesterday on charges of possessing and selling obscene literature. The pair was arraigned before Justice of the Peace A. C. Taylor in the county jail who viewed the evidence and then held them under a $2,500 bond. The exhibits displayed by the sheriff, who said they comprised only a small portion of the loot, consisted of comic books and some of the filthiest pictures imaginable. The comic books were of a similar character, all drawn around familiar characters.
Mrs. Kenneth Elliot of Ohio Grove has had the heavy cast removed from her leg and is more comfortable with a light case on her ankle.
An automobile was smashed into junk by a westbound Great Western passenger train about 1:30 o’clock this morning a mile east of Sycamore but nobody was injured. The train crew reported the car was stalled on or near the crossing near the airport a mile east of town. The car was cut in two pieces. The driver appeared shortly and rode on the engine of the train into Sycamore and then disappeared.
1974 – 50 Years Ago
The campaign to restore passenger train service to DeKalb was stoked with encouraging information Tuesday. NIU officials said commuter students might make the train a profitable operation, at least as far as DeKalb.
Kishwaukee College’s five-week trial bus service came to an abrupt end this week, after operating for only five days. Kishwaukee officials terminated the bus service after driver counts showed only 123 students rode the DeKalb-Sycamore bus and only 26 students rode the Rochelle bus to classes.
Vandals caused $1,200 damage to a road grader on Windsor Drive over the weekend. Police said the criminals broke windows and poured sand into the machine’s gas tank and on the motor.
The Voluntary Action Center within a period of about six months has established its physical functions in its own office, has hired a part time director and has been successful obtaining a grant in excess of $12,000 from the National Center for Voluntary Action. Serving as director of VAC is Mrs. Glorya Rubel.
Reports of destruction in the downtown business district and havoc raised throughout the City of Genoa took up a large segment of Genoa’s Tuesday night council meeting. A spokesman for the large group of merchants, suggested the city put a foot patrolman on the downtown streets in an effort to disperse groups before they grow into crowds.
1999 – 25 Years Ago
High winds which lashed northern DeKalb County late Wednesday night may have had some Genoa residents thinking about tornado season. Genoa officials believed their community will soon be better protected from those devastating storms, as leaders work together to upgrade the city’s outdoor warning siren system.
One student used a cellular phone to deliver a calming message to his mother: “I’m OK, but I’m hiding.” Thirty others, huddling in the choir room, telephoned to let authorities know where they were. Others outside Columbine High School used cell phones to tell their parents they were OK. An increasingly popular, some would say annoying, accouterment of a mobile society, cellphones served as a lifeline for some during and after Tuesday’s rampage.
City officials finally said last night what most people have long taken for granted. The proposed DeKalb Regional Mall is dead. The mall was supposed to put DeKalb on the retail map. Instead, the often-delayed project produces frustration for supporters.
– Compiled by Sue Breese