Already Had the Spanish Flu and Survived By 1920? No Worry Mon

From the December 2, 2020, MidWeek (DeKalb County, Illinois)  "Looking Back."

1920. 100 Years Ago.

"If you had the real Spanish flu back in 1918 and 1919, and didn't die of it you won't have it again.

"You can start in the winter with a perfectly light heart and no worry whatsoever as how to treat yourself in the case of a fresh attack, now that the time-honored whiskey and  quinine cure is no longer integrally available."

Prohibition started in January 1920.

It is too bad that these days in 2020 that if you get the virus and survive you only get a temporary immunity from it.

No Whiskey for You.  --Cooter

If It's Not Tonsils, It's Polio in DeKalb County in 1920 and 1945

 From the August 12, 2020,  MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1920, 100 Years Ago.

"Tonsil cases at the hospital occupied a great deal of the time of the attendants this morning because of the fact that there were four who had their tonsils removed instead of the usual one or two.

"The children having the occupation performed were Waite Embree, Evelyn Hiland, Marian Miller and Lilea Miller.  All of the children are doing nicely  and will be able to go to their homes this evening."

I had my tonsils removed  when I was child.  That was so mean, they promised me ice cream but my throat was too sore to eat any of it.  I screamed for ice cream.

1945, 75 Years Ago.

"The DeKalb Lodge Loyal Order of the Moose has purchases a portable  iron lung from the Portable Life Saving Company of St. Louis, Mo.  The new equipment is now at the fire station, where every member of the department will be taught how to use it."

The portable iron lung was used to treat cases of polio.

That Promising Ice Cream That You Couldn't Eat Was Not Nice.  --DaCoot

A Marauding Herd of Cattle and Polio in DeKalb County

August 5, 2020, MidWeek (DeKalb County, Illinois)  "Looking Back."

1920, 100 Years Ago.

"The owner of a herd of cattle that was taken to the police station on a charge of having trampled the garden of O.S. Greenwood is Albert Ashelford and he was brought into the local police station yesterday and  assessed a fine for allowing his cattle to run loose."

From Find-A-Grave.  Albert Ashelford was born 16 June 1867 in DeKalb Co., Illinois, died 22 December 1922 (age 84) in DeKalb County and is buried in Fairview Cemetery in DeKalb, Illinois.

1945, 75 Years Ago.

"Those polio cases in Rockford are causing Sycamore people to use every precaution with their youngsters.  Sycamore had its share of polio two years ago and doesn't want it again."

Disease problems even back then in this age of the coronavirus.

--Cooter

Pigeons Coming to DeKalb County in 1920

From the April 22, 2020, MidWeek (DeKalb County, Illinois)  "Looking Back."

1920, 100 Years Ago.

"If everything goes as has been planned, the Chicago Concourse Club will send out about 5000 homing pigeons to be released from here Sunday morning.

"During the war, this type of pigeon won great fame for themselves by carrying messages while under fire.  A man will also be sent along with the birds to see that they are liberated in the right way."

--Cooter

DeKalb High School Cadets Get Guns in 1920

From the April 22, 2020, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1920, 100 Years Ago.

"The High School Cadets are not marking time since they received the new equipment of guns and rifles  from the government.

"Wednesday two squads  of the company were out for target practice and used the bank of the Kishwaukee River as a backstop.  The boys used the regular ball ammunition and some of them made very good scores."

Students with guns?  Well, it was a different time, wasn't it?

These students were probably the forerunner of today's JROTC at DeKalb High School.

Target Shooting.  --Cooter

Polio Scare at the Fair in 1920

 From the September 9, 2020, MidWeek (DeKalb County, Illinois)  "Looking Back."

1945, 75 Years Ago.

"Officials of the Sandwich Fair have announced that children are welcome to attend the fair, which opened today, and that there is no truth to the rumors that children are not being allowed on the grounds.

The officials state that there is no polio in the area and that the rumors that children were being barred from the grounds because of the polio scare are not true."

Something to think of in these coronavirus days.

--Cooter

Not That DeKalb County Was Rural and Agricultural in 1920, But....

From the March 4, 2020, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1920, 100 Years Ago.

""Frank Furr will move from the Kelley farm to the Marshal farm which he bought.

"D. Werden will move from the Hines farm to the Kelley farm.

"Sam McCormick will move from his own farm to Wisconsin.

"Carl Modeen will move into the McCormick farm.

"Henry Lankton has sold his farm to Cooper and Leonard and will move to Genoa.

"Fred Anderson will move from the Waite farm to a farm north of Kirkland."

And Cooter Will Figure Out How to Milk a Cow.  --Cooter

Criminals Active Even During War Time in 1944

From the December 18, 2019, MidWeek (DeKalb County, Illinois)  "Looking Back."

1944, 75 Years Ago.

"Chief of police, B.F. Peck today asked that the Secret Service department remind the merchants that check thieves and check forgers  do their Christmas shopping  with stolen and forged checks if merchants and housewives aren't particularly  careful.

"Chief Peck  stated that the government mails out nearly one million checks each day and that check thieves steal as many as they can from mailboxes."

Bah!!  Humbug!!!  Where's the Christmas Spirit.  --Cooter

The "Wets" Have It In Shabbona, Illinois, in 1945: Still A Drinking Town

From the April 22, 2020, MidWeek (DeKalb County, Illinois)  "Looking Back."

1945, 75 Years Ago.

"The 'wets'  were victorious in the local option election in the village of Shabbona by the slim margin of seventeen votes.

"On the question of whether the sale of alcoholic beverages should be prohibited, 174 voted no and 157 voted yes."

How Wet I Am.  --CootDrunk

Cigarettes and Corn in 1944

From the Nov. 20, 2019, MidWeek (DeKalb County, Illinois) "Looking Back."

1944, 75 Years Ago.

"Remember way back when City Clerk Bill Wallmark always had a pack of cigarettes on the counter for the convenience of callers?  It is probably now that Bill has an extra smoke  now for anyone if they ask for it, but he has eliminated the 'help yourself' plan."

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"Fairdale neighbors with tractors and corn huskers husked and shelled the crop of corn for Mrs. Eunice White  Monday.  Mr. White had been ill for several weeks and unable to husk his corn before he passed away Wednesday."

Mighty Neighborly in Fairdale.

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Hey, Bud.  Got a Smoke?   --Cooter

Free Doctoring and Getting Rid of That Cat in 1878

From the June 3, 2020, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1878, Many, Many Years Ago.

"Drs. Nesbitt and& brown have taken the contract to doctor the poor of Sycamore next year.  That includes pretty much all of us, don't it/  What's the use of paying any more doctor bills?

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"You can sell your cat for ten dollars in the Black Hills.  It will cost you eighty-five dollars to get out there with the cat and get home but you will be rid of the cat and that is worth  one hundred and twenty-five dollars to anyone."


Cat Lovers, Obviously.  "Don't It."  --Cooter

Pounding It and Running for Sheriff in 1878

From the June 3, 2020,  MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1878, Many, many Years Ago.

"There were some amusing novelties at the sociable.  The pound party of the Episcopalians  made a good deal of fun.    Each guest brought a pound of something and at nine o'clock,  the 40 or 50 packages were sold at auction.

"When Wilkens gave forty cents for a pound of meal and Filkins 10 cents for a pound of tea, when Pillicoddy got his pound of candies for a  dime and Mulligatawney gave a half dollar for a pound of sand the fun was prodigious."

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"Captain Whittemore asked a man from the south of the county what was the news down there and learned that 'half of our people have been sun-struck, and the rest are  running for sheriff."

--  CootPound

No More Fox Bounty Money in 1969

From the April 3, 2019 MidWeek "Looking Back."

1969, 50 Years Ago.

"The bounty paid on fox carcasses was eliminated by a ruling of the DeKalb County Board of Supervisors.  The measure was taken because the amount of money paid to bounty hunters is in excess of the money appropriated for that  purpose."

Was This Just Temporary?  --Cooter

Gas Shortage in 1920

From the Nay 13, 2020, MidWeek (DeKalb County, Illinois)  "Looking Back."

1920, 100 Years Ago.

"Another filling station is out of gasoline.  Sawyer & Sons reached the limit this morning and at the present time, the only place in town that has gas is the independent oil filling station.

"The Standard is all out and has been for the past four days.  Both it and Sawyers are expecting a car, but because of the uncertainty of the railroads, do not know when  it will arrive."

Gas Shortages?  Back then?  Didn't Know there Were That Many Cars.  --CootGas

Judge Orders Wine Barrels To be Poured Into Kishwaukee River in 1919

From the Nov. 27, 2019, MidWeek  (DeKalb County, Illinois) "Looking Back."

1919, 100 Years Ago.

"Groans from both court attaches and spectators were audible in the county court room on Monday when Judge Pond rendered his decision in the case against an Italian resident of Kirkland, accused of selling intoxication liquor against the law , and who was the first person arrested in DeKalb County under the state search and seizure act.

"The groans came  when the judge ordered two whole barrels of perfectly good wine, seized from the defendant to be pored into the Kishwaukee river."

--CootWiner

Snowball Fight in 1919 Leads to Injury

From the December 18, 2019, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1919, 100 Years Ago

"The first serious accident due to snowballs occurred yesterday when Dale Chapman, 10-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. H.R. Chapman was quite badly injured.

"The Chapman boy in company with several others was returning home from school when the crowd engaged in a snowball fight.  The young fellows were packing them pretty hard and one hit master Dale when he stood near the thrower.

"Though it is thought that the Chapman boy will recover with proper treatment, the young folks are cautioned about the danger of snowballing."

I'm sure this caused an immediate cessation of hostilities.  Even so, snowballs hurt much less than a direct hit by a dirt clod.

Ouch!!  --DacootDuck

Stores Open Later for Christmas Shopping in 1919

From the December 18, 2019, MidWeek (DeKalb County, Illinois)  "Looking Back."

1919, 100 Years Ago.

"Those who find it inconvenient to shop during the day will now have the opportunity of doing the remainder of their buying in the evenings.

"Beginning yesterday, the stores of the city are open during the early evening hours and folks who are busy during the day will now have an opportunity  to make Christmas purchases."

And to think this wasn't even Black Friday.

--CootBuy

Of Dogs and Foxes in DeKalb County in 1919

From the March 27, 2019, MidWeek "Looking Back."

1919. 100 Years Ago.

**  "Two families are mourning the deaths of pet dogs, and a third home on Third Street, another dog has been poisoned. :  Residents are nor certain whether the poison was set for the dogs or  whether it was put out to catch pests."

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**  "A resident of Kingston township brought to the office of the county clerk a pelt of an animal shot by him, and supposed to be a wolf, claiming the $100 bounty.

"The fur was a rich red color and there were earmarks of a fox.  After several of the county seat experts had examined it, it was adjudged a fox pelt and bounty refused."

--CootPelt

A Snow Ball Problem in 1919

From the March 20, 2019, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1919, 100 Years Ago.

"Recklessness of boys throwing snow balls is causing complaints of pedestrians.  Yesterday a lad threw a snow ball which struck a little baby girl square in the face.

"Today her face is bruised in three places.  Carelessness in throwing snow balls has resulted seriously many times and it seems that boys might be more careful."

No Throwing Snowballs, Lads.  --CootSnow

Flu's Back in Elva, Illinois in 1919

From the March 20, 2019, MidWeek  (DeKalb County, Illinois)  "Looking Back."

1919, 100 Years Ago.

"Flu has broken out in Elva for the second time.  The illnesses do not seem to be very serious, but the cases are frequent."

Just when you thought it was over.

Was the Spanish Flu Coming Back For Another Time?  --Cooter