100 years ago
An unknown tramp is in custody in the Monticello County Jail after being found with a vial of nitroglycerin and a set of burglary tools in his possession. He had been noticed several times around the Moore State Bank and the popular guess is that he planned to blow up the safe there.
The Lance American Legion Lincoln Post No. 102 elected officers for the coming year. They include the commander, Irl Cathcart; the vice-commander, Cecil Bowsher; Warrant Officer, Elzy Taylor; Sergeant-at-Arms, George Wisegarver, Chaplain, Benton Webb; Sports Officer, Thomas O’Brien and Meeting Place Committee, JC Bickel, Charles Trigg and Carter Wisegarver.
The first-ever Dollar Days savings event is held at DeLand. A total of 15 DeLand traders will participate in the cooperative. The merchants of each trade will offer you real bargains. Look for their special ads in this Tribune and the official Dollar Day sign in their windows.
Clinton administration meteorologist CT Sprague reported Monday night’s temperature recorded 1° below freezing, the coldest weather this winter. Several thermometers here recorded temperatures as cold as 13 and 14° below. The warmest it has been this week is 10° above zero.
Otis Donald was accidentally shot and killed around 4 p.m. Wednesday while hunting. The young man was alone at the time of the accident and the body was not found until 7 p.m. when it was discovered between his home and the West Frantz cemetery, about a mile west of Cerro Gordon. For those who found him, it appeared that his single-barrel shotgun had accidentally discharged, causing the fatal wound as he ran through the fence wire of the fence he was standing next to.
The Weldon Municipal Lighting Plant was closed due to the collapse of the ten inch tall water well. However, it is now believed that a smaller six-inch pipe is sufficient to operate the power plant until a new well can be found. The plant was restarted on Monday evening and power was restored.
— Compiled by Roger Wisegarver
75 years ago
Monticello and Bement will soon have a new modern dairy. A new location has been purchased at the corner of Market and Marion streets and the dairy will soon be new and modern from the ground up. Some of the materials and equipment have already been contracted out and the beautiful building will be an improvement on this location.
Piatt County received $81,914.59 for road improvements from the farm to the highway according to an announcement from the Highways Division of the Illinois Department of Public Works and Buildings.
Twenty-two World War II veterans recently filed their honorable discharges at the recorder’s office.
Ms. Hilda Eidman, director of the Standard Office Building’s Social Security Board, urged men and women aged 65 and over who have stopped working to file for Social Security benefits.
Jack Sprague of White Heath is the new president-elect of the Piatt County Coon Hunters Association.
AD: Piggly Wiggly – Florida Seedless Oranges, 3#, 27 cents; turnips/carrots, 2#, 15 cents; cabbage, 2#, 15 cents; No. 1 Idaho potatoes, 10# mesh bag, 53 cents; peanut butter crunch, 1# jar, 35 cents; bologna, #, 18 cents; hamburger 25 cents#; beef liver 35 cents#; beef tongue,
34 cents #.
AD: Lyric Theater – BAR 20, starring Wm. Boyd as Hopalong Cassidy and Andy Clyde.
— Compiled by Kay Gilbreath
50 years ago
General Telephone Company is gearing up for another busy year in the Monticello area. According to J. M. Clark Monticello’s Commercial Manager, ten subscriber rural service will be completely phased out in the Bement, Hammond and LaPlace exchanges in 1972. About 40 rural Bement customers are expected to be converted to suburban service (maximum of four on one line) during July 1972. This project will require over 23 miles of buried cable at a cost of $64,000.
The Supervisory Board opened bids on Tuesday for the first phase of the courthouse renovation program. The bids received for the office carpet were $1,353 for Carpetland and $1,575 for Liepers. Bids for electrical work were Alladin Electric $6,595, Idleman Electric $4,797, Harolds Electric $5,498, WIlburs Heating and Electric $5,995. General contractor Foster Construction $6,990, Joe Davis $4,862. Renovations will include carpeting all offices, lowering ceilings to 11 feet, installing a new acoustic ceiling, relocating electrical outlets and steam registers.
Eight high school students from Piatt Co. received high honors from their classmates and teachers. Marth Postelwait and Robert Ayers of Bement, Rebecca Soran and Steven Christison of Cerro Gordo, Teresa Norton and Doug Sosamon of Deland-Weldon and Mary Riley and David McCraw of Monticello were chosen to receive the DAR Good Citizen Award and the SAR Good Citizen Medal .
— Compiled by Jack Stiverson
25 years ago
Monticello City employees Ray Gossett, Roger Eades and Larry Cravens speak with the superintendent. of Ron Ivall services during the process of digging up a broken water main on North Union Street in sub-zero temperatures last week. The appointment of Hugh D. Bryan as assistant vice president of VIOBIN Corporation was announced today by William E. Melby, president of the Monticello, Illinois-based company. Two Country Companies insurance agents in Piatt County have qualified for the company’s prestigious All American team. Carrying out the honor were Dennis M. Davis, Monticello and John Wayne James, Mansfield. Poetry took on new meaning for sixth-graders at Monticello last week. Sixth grade students and teachers in the Monticello unit were taught by poetry consultant Phyllis Janik. The program was introduced to Monticello by the Illinois Arts Council program called “Artists in the Schools.” Ms. Janik is Assistant Professor of Literature at Moraine Valley College.
— Compiled by Deanna O’Reilly
As Time Goes By is researched and written for the Journal-Republican by the Piatt County Historical and Genealogical Society.
