The Blade

09/07/2026

09/04/2026

Fairbury’s Aug. 26 blood drive, held at the First United Methodist Church, collected 64 units.
Michelle Baez of Fairbury was a first-time donor. Others reaching milestones were Steve Carey, Fairbury, one gallon; Samantha P***n, Forrest, four gallons; James Stein, Fairbury, five gallons; Cary Dehm, Chatsworth, 14 gallons; and Pete Walter, Fairbury, 18 gallons.
Also donating were Michael P***n, Jeff Ifft, Leslie Slagel, Amy Kostesich, Lori Leman, John Krueger, Bethany Brucker, June Yoder, Brandon Slagel, Jayna Casner, Craig Ziller, LaRae Walter, Sally Haas, Jerrod Haas, Gregg Honegger, Beau Popejoy, Cheryl P***n, Teri Stork, Donald Harms, Janice Bleich, Jeannea Shier, Steven Metz and Lynn Barnett.
Others donating were MaryAnn Stork, Elizabeth Dray, John Teubel, Sue Walter, Heidi Bahman, Robert Schroen, Tom Kilgus, Russell Tjarks, Aimee Boulware, Ellianna Jonsson, Charles Larsen, Erin Bittner, Mark Haab, Catherine Bessen Toohill, Matthew Toohill, Joel Zimmerman, Dustin Slagel, Arthur Moser, Rollin Wenger, Charles Fehr, Darcy Stoller, Justin Schroen, Anne Nugent, Levi Steidinger and Randall Stoller.
Donors came from Forrest, Chatsworth, Fairbury, Chenoa, Sibley, Lexington and Gibson City.
The VFW Auxiliary Post #9789 furnished a Dave’s gift card to provide food for the donors and donated cookies. Cookies were provided by Sharon McCoy, Sherry Martin, Carol Drach, Mary Zimmerman, Lo**ta Dunahee, Judy Bennett, Brenda Varvel, Laurie Cliffe, Deb Freese, Kris Sloan and Mary Catherine Carter. Karilyn Newnam and Martha Cottrell also donated cookies.
Volunteers working at the bloodmobile were Deb Moran, Kathy Fehr, Linda Zick, Barb Taylor, Jeanie Searby, Judy Bennett, Kathy Cook, Lo**ta Dunahee, Bev Forneris, Genda Platz, Mary Zimmerman, Donna Delaney, Dennis Greear, Joan Zehr, Delmar Platz, MaryAnn Stork and Katie Cavanagh.
Many thanks to the donors and to the volunteers who gave their time to help others.
Your next opportunity to donate blood will be Wednesday, Sept. 23, from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church. Make an appointment by calling Barb Taylor at 815-848-4121 or by visiting RedCrossBlood.org.

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09/02/2026

130 Years Ago
August 29, 1896
The twentieth annual fair of the Fairbury Union Agricultural Board will take place September 21 to 25. This year there are to be two political days upon which the crowd will be addressed by prominent speakers. On Wednesday the republicans will predominate, and Thursday will be Democratic Day.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Merit and children started overland Wednesday by team and buggy for a visit with friends and relatives at Minonk.
Mrs. L. B. Dominy, Mr. and Mrs. Elhanan Morris and Mrs. Jas. Kirby are among those who started Sunday for Waynesburg, Pa., to be present at the centennial anniversary of that place. Most of the party came from there years ago.
Vera Babcock's pony, “Nellie,” took a star part as “Queen Bess” in the presentation of ”In Old Kentucky,” by the Maudie Phelps Company at the opera house Wednesday evening. Like all the other members of the company Nellie did her part with great success.

120 Years Ago
August 31, 1906
Messrs. Frank Ford and son, George, landed in New York, Tuesday, from the old world. Frank came across on one boat and George on another, Frank having charge of their importation of horses and George of the sheep. Mr. Ford brought his horses direct thru from New York by express, arriving here Wednesday evening on the Wabash. Two big express cars were used to carry the importation. The importation consisted of six Percheron stallions, seven Belgian stallions, one English shire stallion, two Hackney stallions, two Hackney mares, one Welsh stallion and two Welsh mares. The horses are all in splendid condition and stood the trip well, as did Mr. Ford. They are a splendid lot of horses throughout and the many people who have seen them say they never looked at a finer lot.
Chas. Ellis, the magician, was greeted with a large audience at the Central Opera House Friday evening and his entertainment was as good, if not better, than anything that has been seen here in this line. His magic is of the quality that mystifies and he did many marvelous turns, which despite the apparent open manner in which they were done, proved very mystifying to the audience. The moving pictures shown were new and added much to the entertainment. Bert Thompson rendered the vocal solos in connection with the illustrated songs in a very pleasing manner.
T. A. Beach is perhaps the most cautious as well as conscientious automobilist in the city and this very fact was the cause of his getting a shock the other day. He was gliding smoothly along one of the side streets with his auto full of ladies when he chanced to meet a team that appeared to be a little fractious. Mr. Beach fixed his eye on the team and calmly steered his auto into a telegraph pole. The machine stopped but some of the passengers kept right on. No damage to the team, but the auto received a three dollar shock.

110 Years Ago
September 1, 1916
Frank Carson, of Lodemia, came into town yesterday to see the circus and he not only saw the circus but was presented with a new pair of trousers while in town. Mr. Carson was crossing Main Street just after the circus parade, when a car belonging to a Mr. Meeker of near Colfax, came along. Mr. Carson did not see the car and Mr. Meeker could not stop it, and the result was that the car hit the former gentleman. Mr. Carson was hit by the bumpers on the car and was dragged several feet with a part of his anatomy trailing on the pavement. He was not injured, but the north part of his trousers were torn out and his shirt was muddied as the street was just sprinkled. Mr. Meeker took Mr. Carson into a clothing store and presented him with a new pair of trousers.
Barney Smith had the misfortune to lose about 100 shocks of oats by fire Monday, and it was only by the hardest kind of work that more shocks did not go up in smoke. The fire was discovered by the threshing gang that was threshing at the home of Harlow King that day. They saw the smoke rolling up and left their work to find out where it came from. It was a hard fight to get the fire subdued and it was only the fact that the wind carried the fire away from the field that they were able to overcome it. It is not known how the fire started. The land farmed by Mr. Smith is owned by B. F. Barnes.
A band of gypsies landed in town Thursday and they were traveling in style. They had an automobile and it carried a Minnesota number. The women of the outfit at once got busy “telling fortunes.” Their stay here was not a very long or a pleasant one as the officers were soon on their trail and they were requested to move on, which they did. Mr. Brooks, manager of the Sanitary Grocery recognized the bunch as the same ones who visited Clinton recently, and while there robbed several citizens.

100 Years Ago
September 3, 1926
T. J. Patterson, who has resided three miles east of town for a number of years, this week purchased the W. C. Drennen residence property on West Chestnut Street, and will occupy the same as soon as vacated by Mr. and Mrs. Drennen, which will be in the next two months. The price was around $3,500.
The Blade on Tuesday finished the moving of their plant onto the main floor of The Blade building. It was quite an undertaking and while we are all moved, we are far from being settled. However, the state of getting things placed where they belong will come about gradually. We are pretty well satisfied with getting the office moved and getting The Blade to our subscribers on time, while the change was being made. The Blade now occupies the entire main floor of their building, the office being located on the corner of Locust and Third Streets; the composing room just south of the office, with the stock room next to the composing room. The press room is located in the south end of the building.
N. J. Claudon, the Ford dealer, sees so many cars of that make that they all look alike to him. Yesterday afternoon he came out of the post office, jumped into a Ford coupe and drove away. A few minutes later, J. W. Gish, a traveling salesman from Chicago, came out of H. B. Bedell's news stand and started to jump into his car, but it wasn't there. After looking for his car for some time Mr. Gish decided it was stolen, and so reported it to the police. In the meantime Mr. Claudon discovered his mistake and was taking it back to where he got it when Mr. Gish came along and received his lost Lizzie with open arms and the apologies of Mr. Claudon.

90 Years Ago
August 28, 1936
The city council met in special session Tuesday evening, and after discussing the Main Street improvement project decided to use crushed brick as an aggregate in the concrete to be used between the slab and gutter. The crushed brick will take the place of gravel. In accordance with their decision the council had two loads of the brick hauled out to the Estep rock crusher, where it was found that the crusher would reduce them to the required size. The crusher has been put to work in earnest and the crushed brick is now being distributed along Main Street, ready to go into the mixer. The block from Second to Third Streets will be the first to go in. The next two blocks east will then be finished following which the block between First and Second Streets will be put in.
A T. P. & W. freight engine and tender were all but buried under an avalanche of coal at the chutes east of town on Sunday night. And the tragedy of it all was that it would not have happened if someone in the train crew had had a knife. The train was one that passes eastward through here every night shortly after 11 o'clock. Sunday night it stopped at the chutes east of town to get coal as usual. The loading device is operated by a rope that hangs down from the coal chute. When the tender was full of coal the fireman sought to shut off the flow by releasing the rope, only to find that the rope was caught. As the coal continued to come out it fell on the rope holding it more securely. With the rope being held more firmly with every ton of coal that poured out of the chute and with the tender and the engine being piled high with the fuel, the train crew commenced to ask each other for a knife to cut the rope, but no one had a knife and the coal kept right on piling up. Finally after some 40 or 50 tons had run out the coal became clogged in the chute and stopped. By that time the tender and a part of the engine were pretty well covered and it was impossible for the train to proceed. After a couple hours' labor on the crew's part the engine and tender were dug out. It was after two o'clock when the train again got on its way.

80 Years Ago
August 30, 1946
The Imperial Shows, the carnival that occupied the midway at the fair last week, made arrangements before leaving for Fisher, where they are showing this week, to winter at the Fairbury Fair grounds. During the winter months they will repair and repaint their equipment and also during the winter new rides and shows will be added, according to William Gullette, the owner and manager of the shows. The Imperial Shows were the cleanest carnival that has ever occupied the local midway. They had no questionable shows and no skin games. Mr. Gullette in speaking of his carnival said it was a pretty hard matter to keep carnivals free of undesirable shows and concessions, but so long as he had anything to do with the Imperial shows they would be kept clean.
Robert Friedman, aged 17, son of Mr. and Mrs. Tony Friedman, of this city, is in the Fairbury Hospital with burns on one of his hands and both legs, the burns being caused by gasoline exploding. Robert's brother, Harold, is employed by Joe Broquard, near Forrest, and Robert went out there Sunday to help Harold clean up the motor on the latter's car. A can of gasoline was being used to get the oil and dirt off, and during the cleaning process some of it came in contact with a live wire from the battery. The gasoline exploded and Robert's clothing caught fire. Some of the gasoline also got on his left hand. He rolled on the ground to smother out the flames and beat what was left with his hands to extinguish them. In addition to his left hand being burned, one of his legs was burned about the knee and the other one from the knee to the toes.
Virgil Samples, J. M. Pletz and Jack Szold, of Peoria, arrived on a visit at the Walton Store on Monday evening in time for the store's annual picnic, which was held at the store, where a fried chicken supper was served. Miss Leona Roth, one of the store force, who is soon to become a bride, was accorded special honors. Two mahogany end tables, a gift from the group, will be a part of her new home furnishings that will recall memories of the happy event.

70 Years Ago
August 30, 1956
Fairbury was a stopping place Friday for one of the country's more illustrious “Knights of the Road.” Footloose and fancy free, Leonard (Knute) Hoflus drifted into town about 8 a.m. Wearing a well-pressed salt and pepper suit, a 150-year-old beaver hat, an easy going smile and a four-inch beard. Calling himself the “Poet Nauseate,” Hoflus has made being a hobo his profession of the past 37 years. He has walked into all of the 48 states, made a side trip to Europe and has associated himself with some of the more prominent men of the country, his most recent engagements having been with Gov. Laushe of Ohio, and ex-president Herbert Hoover. Hoflus is what you would call a character, but he has his reasons. “I like to travel,” says the 65-year-old hobo baron, “and if you go faster than a walk, you miss the scenery.”
Vandals smashed the windows and windshield of a car belonging to Mrs. William Campbell on the night of Aug. 18, while she was working at the Fairbury Hospital as a nurses aid. The vandal also tore the battery cable loose. Mrs. Campbell's father, M. E. Tarpy, has offered a reward for information regarding the vandalism. There have been cases of thefts from cars parked behind the Fairbury Hospital at night. Large yard lights were recently installed in an attempt to curb the marauders.
Attendance figures released this week by the Fair Association show that over 18,000 persons paid their way into the fairgrounds during the 81st annual fair completed Saturday. This was about 500 more than the estimated attendance paid a year ago. Including those who obtained entrance to the grounds on workers and exhibitors passes, total attendance was well over 20,000. General admissions to the grandstand during all sessions totaled 7,921 with reserved grandstand tickets totaling 3,815 and box seats 932. Ranked in the order of their popularity as reflected in the attendance at each, the evening entertainment programs lined up this way: stock car races Saturday night, stock car races Friday night, auto thrill show, Grand Ole Opry and musical revue. From this, one could assume that automobiles are here to stay.

60 Years Ago
September 1, 1966
An aerialist performing on a pole 30 feet above a moving sports car received a fractured pelvis Wednesday night at the Fairbury Fair when the apparatus broke and plunged her to the racetrack.
Billed as Countess Maritella, she was in the second of four scheduled performances when a snap broke, releasing a guy-wire on the left side of the car-mounted pole. Her driver-husband received lacerations on his right hand as he attempted to hold the pole in its descent. Both performers were rushed to Fairbury Hospital by the Cook Ambulance where they were treated but declined to be admitted. X-rays Thursday morning at the hospital reportedly revealed the presence of the pelvic fracture.
J. C. Ebach, Fairbury real estate broker, has purchased the Arthur Sterrenberg farm and subdivision, consisting of approximately 100 acres at the northeast edge of Pontiac. Sterrenberg, a Chatsworth native, acquired the tract about three years ago and subsequently sold several acres for the site of the new Pontiac Senior High school. He also platted the area and laid out streets. The tract is bounded by state Route 116 on the south, and Indiana avenue on the north. The new high school fronts on this avenue. Both the high school and Community Grade School District 429's Washington building borders the 100 acres on the west. The Christian Church of Pontiac is erecting a new edifice on the extreme northeast corner.
A total of 1,337 pupils, the most ever, is enrolled in the six attendance centers of Fairbury-Cropsey Community Unit Schools, which on Monday began full-time classes. A tally by Supt. Les Miller shows 107 in the Kindergarten building in Fairbury, 209 in Isaac Walton, 368 in Westview, 131 in Cropsey grade school, 192 in Lincoln Junior high and 323 in the high school. That totals 1,330 students, and seven more are enrolled in special education classes.

50 Years Ago
September 2, 1976
A gamble paid off, and several tried and true attractions reached new highs, as the 100th Fairbury Fair posted its best attendance records in recent years. While coming nowhere near the turn-of-the-century totals when as many as 10,000 people came by buggy, wagon and train to throng the grounds on a single day when the populace thirsted for entertainment, amusement and amazement, the 100th renewal was encouraging to the board of directors. Attendance last week jumped about 4,000. Single admission tickets for the week totaled 14,325 adults and 2,448 children, up from 10,908 and 2,105 last year. The figures do not include season and exhibitor tickets which add a substantial, but unknown daily quantity, and of course workers' passes must be figured in daily attendance, but again in an unknown quantity. At the grandstand Thursday night, with Loretta Lynn, queen of Country and Western music, performing, 3,196 paid admission, compared to 1,531 for Grandpa Jones a year ago. And that was the gamble which paid off. The board paid the most they ever had for any attraction, and made money.
Everybody loves a pig, even when he's greasy and objecting strenuously but worth $10 to the youngster who can catch him and put him in the pen. In fact, most of the nine pigs which youngsters in two age groups sought at the Fairbury Fair, were worth more than that, for the winners had the option of keeping the pig, which in most cases was worth about $40 on the market. Since most of the winners were farm boys, they kept the pigs, to feed out for market and perhaps get $100. Not bad for a greasy 10 minutes.
First day attendance at Fairbury-Cropsey schools totaled 1,161 pupils, according to Evelyn Jenkins, secretary to Dr. Calvin Jackson, superintendent. Enrollment at the junior-senior high complex was identical to the projected 582, while Westview Elementary School tabulated 579.

40 Years Ago
August 28, 1986
Enrollment in the Prairie Central School system this fall has crept past 1,700 students, according to preliminary figures released Tuesday morning by school officials. An unofficial count shows 1,737 students enrolled for classes as school begins. Only Prairie Central High School of the five attendance centers in the school district shows a decline in enrollment this fall, and that is just a very slight fall. PCHS has 482 students as classes get underway. Last spring the enrollment was 490. At the junior high school in Forrest, principal Leeon Carrico reports 249 students, almost evenly divided between seventh and eighth graders with 125 and 124 respectively. At Westview, the office reports 557 students, Chatsworth reports 217 students and Meadowbrook School in Forrest reports 232 students enrolled.
Recognized for decades as the nation's leading authority on school law. Dr. Lee O. Garber, 86, was buried Tuesday morning in Graceland Cemetery at Fairbury following rites at the Duffy-Pils Memorial home. Dr. Garber died at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 23, 1986 at Evenglow Lodge in Pontiac where he had resided the past 18 months since selling his Fairbury residence. After his retirement in 1966 from the University of Pennsylvania where he taught for 17 years and was head of the School of Education, he and Mrs. Garber made plans to move to Fairbury, where he had graduated from high school 50 years earlier. A year later, they moved into the new home they built here. Dr. Garber wrote a total of 63 books and monographs, most of them on school law.
Fairburian Tim McGuire has been named Most Valuable Player in the Amateur Softball Association state major fast-pitch tournament after leading his Bloomington B**r Nuts team to the state title Monday night in Bloomington. McGuire, who is recognized as one of the top pitchers in Illinois softball circles, tossed a no-hitter in the championship contest Monday night as B**r Nuts defeated Pinckneyville 4-0. McGuire's gem came after Pinckneyville had beaten Tim and B**r Nuts 1-0 on an unearned run earlier Monday in the double-elimination tourney. McGuire put together some impressive statistics on his way to the MVP award. In 33 innings over the weekend, he allowed just one earned run – that a solo home run late in a B**r Nuts win Friday night – and yielded just eight base hits.

30 Years Ago
August 28, 1996
If today you see Fairbury's newest fire truck being driven on the wrong side of the area's streets and highways, never mind; just dodge or duck. But don't bother to call the police, for they've already been alerted. It's not necessarily going to happen, but if it does, it could be from force of habit, for the man at the wheel will be from “Down Under” – Australia, where they drive on the left side of the road. He is Phillip Leslie, Manager of Special Vehicles for Mercedes Benz, Australia. He's scheduled to arrive in Fairbury Wednesday afternoon, coming directly from the International Association of Fire Chiefs just-ended convention in Kansas City. There, he was intrigued by literature depicting Fairbury's new truck, the “Big Dog,” just delivered in May and arrangements were immediately made to bring him to Fairbury to see it and to drive it.
In a news release, Darryl Tinges, President of the Board of the Boys and Girls Club, announced the resignation of John Jones, the Executive Director of the Fairbury club, effective Monday, Aug. 19. Jones served as Executive Director during a critical time as the Prairie Central club was established as an independent operating entity. The board is in contact with the Regional Office for the Boys & Girls Club and they are providing assistance toward filling this vacancy. The offering of fall activities will be provided as planned with the assistance of primarily volunteer help. Working with the Regional Office, a new Executive Director is expected to be hired prior to the start of the winter activity schedule. The Fairbury based club was formerly operated as an extension of the Boys & Girls Club-Livingston County. As of March 1, 1995 it has operated an an independent unit serving the Prairie Central area.
Twenty-eight students have signed-up for Prairie Central's boys' golf team. Thirteen-year coach Jerry Freadhoff has three returning letterman: seniors Matt Rambo and Steve Frobish, and sophomore Matt Aupperle. The Hawks finished fifth in the Corn Belt Conference last year, and won the Dwight Regional. They finished the season 8-8.

20 Years Ago
August 30, 2006
The Fairbury City Council met the city's new police officer candidate before unanimously approving his hire at its meeting Wednesday. Police Chief Jack Wiser introduced Michael Foster as the candidate for the department's eighth officer. Foster, 25, then gave a brief statement on his background and training. Foster, who currently resides in Watseka, grew up in Washington, Ill., and studied law enforcement in college before getting an internship with the Peoria Police Department.
The Boys and Girls Club of Prairie Central has named Abbie Moore as the new Athletic/Unit Director for Fairbury/Chenoa, who will oversee all day-to-day operations of the units as well as the sports programming. Moore will administer the athletic program and the after school program at the Fairbury unit. A 2007 recreation management graduate of Illinois State University, Moore brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to the position. She is skilled in after school programming, scheduling, promotion, special events, coaching and sports including basketball, volleyball, softball, as well as archery, r***e and outdoor recreation.
A long-time employee of the Prairie Central Cooperative at Weston was injured when he fell from equipment that shifted while he was working on top of a grain elevator on Wednesday morning. George Craig, of Lexington, fell approximately 15 feet when the equipment shifted, according to Alliance General Manager Michael Sulzberger. Sulzberger said rescue workers at the site carried Craig down to where the Pontiac Fire Department tower ladder was waiting at approximately 85-90 feet in the air and he then was loaded onto the ladder and taken down to an ambulance. He was admitted to the hospital overnight and was further checked for any injuries Thursday morning. The equipment, which shifted, has been brought down to the ground.

10 Years Ago
August 31, 2016
The microfilm reader at Dominy Memorial Library in Fairbury is starting to break down. It no longer prints and the archived text is hard to read. Instead of replacing it with a new machine, head librarian Debbie Oakland and the library board are looking at a cost-effective alternative that would allow anyone to freely browse and search the archives – which start in 1871 – anywhere internet access is available. The idea is to send microfilm reels to a company in Rolling Meadows called Imaging Office Systems, who send the archives to BMI Imaging in California for digitizing. Once the library receives copyright permission to digitize the Blade, the library would like it to be a free service to customers.
The 28th annual Threshermen's Reunion is going green. There will be plenty of green farm equipment on display since John Deere is the featured brand this year. Like many companies, Deere has seen many changes in its products and services since it was founded in 1837. According to www.deere.com, Blacksmith and inventor John Deere came up with an idea which would change the face of agriculture. His blacksmith shop and a piece of discarded steel resulted in the creation of the plow. In addition to the John Deere lineup, the reunion will also have some old Prairie tractors on display. Prairie tractors were large machines designed to break the centuries-old sod in the Midwest and were intended to replace steam traction engines. Most of the machines were built in the early 1900s and weighed six tons or more. The back wheels were almost eight feet high.

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08/26/2026

130 Years Ago
August 22, 1896
P. C. James is attending the Farmer City Fair with a string of fifteen show and race horses.
John T. Gill, who resides on the Cuddeback farm southwest of town, had a valuable horse killed by lightning during the storm Sunday morning.
William Rutz has traded 400 acres of land in Owego and Avoca Townships for a stock of shoes in Bloomington and is in that city conducting the business.
C. E. Amsler has greatly improved the interior of his store room this week by the removal of the partition and other changes.

120 Years Ago
August 24, 1906
Forrest Day is over and as advertised was “the best of 'em all.” The program started with a ball game in the forenoon between Cullom and Chatsworth. The afternoon game between Chenoa and Saunemin was simply immense. After the ball games were over there was a pony race, a pony from Cornell winning. The balloon ascension and parachute drop by Prof. Tomilson, as usual, was good. Last of all was the band concert by Burch's band and that is always good. Take it all together Forrest Day was a success.
Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Alt came very near losing one of their little girls, one of the twins. Mr. Alt had emptied a mixture of gasoline, kerosene and oil in a jar and set it out in the rear of the laundry. He placed a cover on the jar and weighed it down with a rock. The children playing around there had thrown the rock off and the little one drank of the mixture, becoming sick at once. Dr. Kuhn was sent for and pumped the child's stomach out three times before he emptied the stomach of the fluid. The little one is getting along very well at present.
Tuesday night as Fred Ward was going out of Cropsey rather fast he locked wheels with another buggy. He was thrown out over the front of the buggy and struck on his head, rendering him unconscious. He had no broken bones, however, and at this time is doing fine. We have been looking for something of the kind to happen to some of our boys for some time. They drive altogether too fast and reckless.

110 Years Ago
August 25, 1916
The forty-first annual exhibit of the Fairbury Union Agricultural Board opened Tuesday, and from all indications it will be the most successful in the history of the organization. There are many things that go to show why it will be the “Best yet.” The free attractions are great, the exhibits are many, the race horses fill the stalls to their capacity, and then some, there are more concessions and shows on the grounds than has been there for years, one of the best bands in the state is furnishing music, the weather has started out ideal and all indications are that it will stay that way and there are numerous other reasons why the Fairbury fair of 1916 will be a success.
Dr. A. B. Middleton of Pontiac was called to Forrest Tuesday in consultation with several physicians of that place over the physical condition of a 9-year-old boy of that city whose case has been puzzling the doctors in charge for the past several days. The case was Tuesday diagnosed as infantile paralysis. The home in which the boy resided, was at once quarantined and the state board of health notified by telegraph.
Harry Brandvig is taking a week off from his duties as commercial teacher at Brown's Business College, Peoria, and is spending the week here at the home of his mother, Mrs. John Burkhart.

100 Years Ago
August 27, 1926
On last Friday evening the young people's classes of the Christian Sunday school known as “Loyal Gleaners” and Loyal Fellows” perpetrated a neat surprise on their pastor, Rev. W. C. Chapman. The occasion was his birthday. An advance guard kept him at home without arousing suspicion until the main group, numbering about thirty, arrived. A jolly good time was provided by games and music. Mrs. Herndon made the hit of the evening by singing a song of her own composition to the tune of Illinois. After partaking of refreshments consisting of pie and ice cream the merry party wished their pastor and teacher “many happy returns,” leaving a number of substantial tokens of appreciation.
A Fairbury citizen who lives on Route No. 8 busied himself last Sunday for a short time in taking note of the number of cars driven by men and the number driven by women. During the time he was busy with his paper and pencil 652 cars went by his home. Of this number 588 men were at the wheel, while 64 cars had women pilots.
Chicken thieves got a warm reception at the home of Martin Wessels, three miles west of Fairbury on Sunday evening. It was about 9:30 o'clock when Mr. Wessels heard a noise out among his chickens, and upon investigating, saw a man after his flock. It was moonlight and Mr. Wessels could easily see the man. Mr. Wessels secured his double-barreled shot gun and immediately put it into action. He shot four times at the fleeing figure and with about every shot the thief dropped some chickens, the feathered tribe being scattered all along out through the orchard to the corn field, where he disappeared. The thief did not get any chickens. Deputy Sheriffs Scaratt and Ives were called from Pontiac and neighbors also assisted in the search for the thief, but he could not be found, although he was tracked for a distance.

90 Years Ago
August 21, 1936
The third annual Tri-Gamma reunion was held last Saturday afternoon and evening. Meeting at the Elmer Ramsey yard in the late afternoon, the motor caravan proceeded to the M. D. Fugate farm for the evening's merrymaking, where they were greeted with a fine table of food. Dominating the table was a ham, sent by Leland Presler, of Shelbina, Mo., in lieu of his absence, which in the opinion of the runionists, was 'the swellest ham mortal man ever put tongue to.” Following the scrap supper there was the ceremonial meeting which the original members had inaugurated back around the turn of the century. After that the singing of old Gamma songs.
Walter Moser, residing southeast of Fairbury, was able to leave the Fairbury Hospital yesterday, following his recovery from a case of tetanus or lockjaw. About two weeks ago Mr. Moser stepped on a nail at his home, the nail penetrating the sole of his shoe and entering his foot. He applied some home remedies and later consulted a doctor. Last Friday his jaws started to lock and he otherwise felt the effects of the injury. He again called a doctor and then drove the car himself to the Fairbury Hospital. His condition was serious for several days.
After several delays in starting the actual construction of the electric high line which is to serve twenty-two farms southwest of Wing, all of whom have had their buildings wired for several months, waiting for the Public Service of Northern Illinois to extend the electric line to their farms, actual construction of the line began this week. Poles, which have been unloaded in Wing for several weeks, were completed with cross arms, etc., which have also been stored at the Albert Bollier farm for some time. It is reported that the delay was caused by the machine being broken which is used to dig the post holes, which by the way, is some machine, as it digs the hole and sets a 35 foot pole in five minutes. The company promises that the work will continue until the entire line is completed, which will take about two weeks, provided no further delay occurs.

80 Years Ago
August 23, 1946
A windstorm of considerable violence struck some sections of Belle Prairie Township about three o'clock Saturday morning. In some fields as much as 25 percent of the corn was broken off. At the Virgil Mundell home a large and highly prized shade tree that stood by the house was blown down. Several fruit trees were also blown down.
Mrs. Edward Longbottom is a patient at the Fairbury Hospital with a broken hip. Mrs. Longbottom was attending a Sunday school meeting at the T. J. Patterson home Wednesday evening last week and had just started to go home, when she stepped off the sidewalk and fell.
Mr. and Mrs. Ray Osterhouse, Swiss Bell Ringers, will present an unusual sacred concert Sunday, August 25, at 2:30 o'clock at the First Methodist Church in this city. These two young people are widely experienced, having appeared in 1,300 churches, as well as broadcasting from 82 radio stations. They will present a diversified program of Swiss hand bells, musical glasses, sleigh bells, singing saw, guitar, trombone, piano accordion, readings, solos and duets. They will also give selections on the ether wave instrument, the mysterious Victor Theremin. It has no keyboard, reads, strings or pipes. Tones are produced by delicate movements of the hands and fingers in the air without contact with the instrument.

70 Years Ago
August 23, 1956
Since 1918, with a few years excepted when he lived away from Fairbury, Jay Carter has served as track marshall of the fair. In each of those years, in the week preceding the fair, Carter has taken his horse to the Hagen Bros. Blacksmith Shop for shoeing. Hagen recalled that Carter, in point of service, is his oldest customer. Joe began shoeing in 1912 and shod horses for Jay in that year. No other of his present customers date back that far, Hagen said.
A case of “door rattling,” which may or may not have been an attempt to break in to a local residence, was reported to The Blade this week. The incident occurred on South Second Street Saturday night. The persons reporting the affair asked their names not be mentioned. The door rattling was done at two different times, once at about 10 o'clock and again at about two in the morning. At the earlier time, a light was burning in the kitchen, but when it was turned off by the occupant, the prowler fled toward the fair grounds. On his return, the intruder gave two stout yanks on a rear storm door, but then went away when these failed to force it open. The occupants of the house had just returned from a vacation the day before.
It's back to school Monday morning for 924 youngsters in the Fairbury-Cropsey Unit District. The first session of the 1956-57 school year will begin at 8:40 a.m., and will last only a half day. The first complete day of school will be Tuesday. For 43 seniors, Monday will be the last “first day of school.” For 84 first graders, it will be the first of approximately 2,900 days in which they will attend school. The largest class in the unit is the freshman class, in which 89 are enrolled. The unit faculty this year includes 42 teachers, 22 of which are in the two Fairbury grade schools, six in the Cropsey grade school and 14 in the high school.

60 Years Ago
August 25, 1966
Advertising pays – If you don't believe it ask Mrs. Louis Haberkorn of Chatsworth, who recovered two stolen bicycles through a classified ad shortly after the local papers, Forrest News, Chatsworth Plaindealer and Fairbury Blade hit the stands last week. A week ago, two bicycles were stolen from their front yard at Chatsworth. She told this newspaper she never dreamed they would be found but in order to collect insurance on the equipment, placed a lost ad in the special “Cornbelt Classified Supermarket” featured in the Blade newspapers. Friday morning the bicycles were returned to her by courtesy of the Norfolk and Western Railroad Company, Forrest. They had been spotted by Jim Gulliford of Railway Express, laying along their tracks 100 feet south of the first crossing north of Forrest.
A total of 1,302 Fairbury-Cropsey students will report to their classes tomorrow (Friday) morning as the 1966-67 school year gets under way with a half-day session. Supt. Les Miller said that the projected total, which may well be raised by late enrollees, does not include the number of children from migratory farm workers who will be attending for the first few weeks of school. Miller said that kindergarten enrollment is 107, Isaac Walton 203, Westview 353, Cropsey 124, Lincoln Junior High 192 and High School 323. This is slightly more than last year as far as the total is concerned, but there is a drop in the high school enrollment as entering freshmen did not exceed last spring's graduating seniors. The Unit will have a staff of 70 certificated teachers, including three in remedial reading.
Dr. and Mrs. C. G. Shaddle will celebrate their Golden Wedding Anniversary with an open house at the Fellowship Hall of the Forrest Methodist Church on Sunday, September 4. C. G. Shaddle of Palatine and Jane Lambert of Genoa City, Wisconsin, were married on Sept. 2, 1916. They have two children, Mrs. Francis Anderson and Dr. Lloyd Shaddle, both of Forrest, and seven grandchildren. Dr. Shaddle graduated from Northwestern Dental School in 1908 and moved to Forrest where be began his practice the same year. At this time Dr. Shaddle still works every week at the offices he shares with his son in Forrest.

50 Years Ago
August 26, 1976
Champion chess player, Helmut Lowen Jr., “likes Fairbury because it's tranquil and it reminds me of my grandfather's farm, the smells and sounds are the same.” The young champion is staying with the Delmar Smith family under the auspices of the American Field Services. The 17-year-old AFS'er from Ponta Grossa, Parama, Brazil, South America, plans on entering the university next fall in preparation for becoming a Naval Engineer. Besides his obvious interest in ships, he also enjoys math, physics and architectural drawing. Helmut left a town of 200,000 people, which is the biggest manufacturer of soybean oil in the world, to live in Fairbury for the year. The area around is home town is very rich in soybeans, corn and wheat, quite similar to the area around Fairbury.
A Klondike buggy, built by Stoller in Fairbury many decades ago, and in need of considerable restoration, brought $260 to pace the bidding among the many antiques offered at the John and Pearl Wagenseller auction Saturday at the farm northwest of Fairbury. An electric train brought $240 from the crowd estimated at 350 by auctioneer Erv Fehr. Other top figures included $140 for an old L. C. Smith double-barrel sh***un; $80 for an etched vinegar cruet set; $110 each for a slipper-sleigh and for a set of sleigh bells; and a Shirley Temple china doll for $80.
Connie Steffen of Forrest has returned from a 28-day study tour of Eastern and Western Europe, and Russia. The tour was arranged by the Foreign Study League, Inc., a subsidiary of Readers Digest. The tour can be used for college credit, as it focuses on comparative cultures, including plays, concerts, museums, as well as local events of the cities visited. Time was spent in Rome, Italy; Vienna, Austria; Kiev, Moscow, Leningrad, USSR; Helsinki, Finland; and London, England. They traveled by airline and night train passage through continental Europe. Highlights of the trip included seeing the Queen of England, and visiting a hospital in Leningrad to observe the effects of socialized medicine.

40 Years Ago
August 21, 1986
A green horse being broken to harness died on the track Monday afternoon at the Fairbury Fairgrounds. The animal, driven by Dr. Michael Dillon of Cullom and formerly of Fairbury, ran through the railing on the inside of the track twice and then dropped dead on the track, possibly of a heart attack, track officials said. Dr. Phillip Bane was called to do a postmortem exam, and tissue samples were sent to a laboratory.
Joe Stevenson, an ag engineer, has joined the staff of Jim Walter's H & W Systems Company in Fairbury. He and his family formerly resided in Fairbury in the 1960s when he was on the staff of Thrive Center, the farm building division of Honeggers & Co., Inc. The Stevensons moved to Monmouth several years ago when the plant was relocated there after being sold to Tractor Supply Company. Mrs. Stevenson, who was The Blade's first Lifestyle editor, plans to join her husband here after the home in Monmouth is sold.
Mark Flessner, 14-year-old son of Jim and Gloria Flessner of Chatsworth, shot a Hole-In-One at Indian Creek Golf and Country Club in Fairbury on Tuesday. “It's his first year,” said his friend and fellow golfer, PC eighth grader Todd Ashman, also of Chatsworth. Mark, a freshman at Prairie Central High School this year, gives full credit to his uncle, Gene Hamilton of Tucson, Ariz., who visits for about a month every summer and took Mark out his first half-a-dozen times. “He gave me my clubs, too,” says Mark. Old hands at the game teased the youngster after his fifth-hole break, “What's he got to look forward to? We're till trying after 20 years,” they laughed.

30 Years Ago
August 21, 1996
“Pay now,” opposed to “Pay later” was the consensus of the Prairie Central School Board of Education as they authorized the all-weather track committee to accept the longer-warranted type of track. A polyurethane surface was chosen over a less expensive latex surface. The board will offset half of the cost of the difference in an amount not to exceed $7,540, it was decided at Monday night's meeting. The decision was made in lieu of less costly maintenance that was projected over the next 12 to 13 years. The projected amount needed to maintain a latex surface was about $7,000 more over 13 years, compared to a polyurethane rubber track. It was decided a fence was needed now to protect the new track from damaging traffic.
Three area residents recently went to Wilmington, NC to assist with the relief efforts of Hurricane Bertha. Volunteering with the Red Cross Disaster group were Caroline Stephens of Forrest, Marilyn Stauter and Duane Mock of Gridley. They worked in mass care and family services. Fifty-five Red Cross shelters were opened, serving over 9,000 people at the peak of the disaster. About 84,554 meals had been served, and 465 clean-up kits have been distributed. Although the local volunteers have returned home, the Red Cross Service Center remains open to assist families whose homes need repairs. All Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary gifts of time and money from the American people.
Mrs. Louise Zimmerman, a resident of Fairview Haven Nursing Home since March 17, 1995, celebrated her 100th birthday Sunday, Aug. 11, with an open house hosted by her family in the activity room of Fairview Haven. Mrs. Zimmerman was born Aug. 11, 1896 in the little town of Risk, a daughter of Louis and Martha Waibel Koehl. She was the youngest of four children and the only surviving child. She grew up in the rural Strawn area, attending country schools that were close to the family farm. She completed eight grades and then helped out at home. She married Sam Zimmerman Dec. 27, 1924, and they had two children, Doris Steffen of Forrest and Lester Zimmerman of Fairbury. She also has seven grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, three step-great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren.

20 Years Ago
August 23, 2006
At Thursday night's Prairie Central Board of Education meeting, Superintendent John Capasso read a letter from Randy Dunn, State Superintendent of Education, congratulating the students, faculty, staff and parents of Chatsworth Elementary school. The grade school has earned the distinction of 2005 Illinois Spotlight School on the Illinois Honor Roll. The title of Illinois Spotlight School is awarded to high poverty schools exhibiting high academic performance and helping to close the “achievement gap.” The award goes to schools with enrollments of at least 50 percent low income, where at least 60 percent of students met or exceeded standards in 2003, 2004 and 2005. In addition these schools have each made Adequate Yearly Progress under No Child Left Behind in 2004 and 2005.
Fairbury Fair Winners — Division winners of the Fairbury Fair Talent Show held Sunday afternoon were Evan Bahler of Fairbury, junior division winner in the 11-14 age group with his vocal/guitar performance; Ryan Henkel of Graymont, senior division winner with his vocal performance; and Ali Schrock of Pontiac took honors with her violin performance in the junior division, ages 10 and under. Tony and Fran Witte entered 82 items in the fair this year. Tony won champion potted plant in the men's department. Marilyn Vaughan of Piper City has been exhibiting at the Fairbury Fair for many years, and this year brought 67 entries, including her peach pie that was the top prize winner. She also had the Best of Show vegetable basket. The Fairbury Fair is the fourth and final fair for Vaughan's summer fair circuit. She also exhibited at the Kankakee, Iroquois and Ford County fairs.
Hazel Karcher, a life-long resident of Forrest, currently a resident of Fairview Haven in Fairbury, will celebrate her 100th birthday on Saturday, Sept. 2 with a reception in the activity room at Fairview. Mrs. Karcher was born Sept. 4, 1906 at Forrest, the daughter of Sam and Rose Hurst Farney. She married Simon Karcher on Nov. 26, 1925 at Costorland, NY. He is deceased. She is the mother of Joy Zimmerman of Forrest. A son, Robert Karcher is deceased. She also has four grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and one step-great-granddaughter, and a daughter-in-law, Phyllis “Skip” Karcher. Mrs. Karcher was a long-time employee at Turnipseed Variety Store, Forrest. She is a member of the Forrest Apostolic Christian Church.

10 Years Ago
August 24, 2016
The food stand run by the Fairbury Prairie Farmers 4-H Club has grown and even changed locations since last year, but the food that fair goers have come to know and love has stayed the same. For the past 40 years or more, the 4-H Club has used the food stand to help offset costs associated with field trips, club dues and special outings. The food stand is the club's only fundraiser and each year it continues to provide for the roughly 40 children in the club. In the past, the food stand was located on the west end of Floral Hall, where the new bleachers now stand. This year the food stand is in a new location, the Fairbury American Legion Speedway Diner, also known as FALS Diner.
During a brief meeting of the Fairbury City Council during Fair week, the group appointed an ESDA director, approved sidewalk requests and purchased extended warranties. Deb Moran was named to the ESDA position, which Mayor Lynn Dameron considers a good addition to the city. Sidewalk requests were granted to Steve Tooley and Ryan Steidigner who both live on east Locust Street. According to Street Superintendent Martin Steidinger, the sidewalks are not in horrible shape, but water tends to stand in the area during rain events.
Four members of the Prairie Central High School cross country team ran more than 300 miles this summer. These runners are Jermiah Dunahee, senior; Colin Fogarty and Jadyn Stephens, freshmen; and Megan Ifft, junior. This was a challenge set up by Prairie Central head coach Scott McGuire before summer training began. Coach McGuire started the training club a few years ago to encourage runners to be better prepared for the season. Since 2014, only eight runners have gained entry into the “300 Mile Club.” Runners have the choice to run, bike or swim throughout the summer. All athletes record their workouts on an online training log.

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