Looking Back

1880The south bank of the Little Blue River just west of the bridge here was lined with westbound mover wagons.A mistake in the survey of the town of Alexandria was discovered. Some houses were building squarely atop boundary lines.A new plank walk was installed in front of buildings on the south side of the square.1892Charles H. Denney was admitted to the bar here. He had been studying law in the Leton and Hinshaw office. Other generations in the future Denney & Denney firm included Arthur J. Denney and sons, Max and Robert. Robert Denney later went on to become a Nebraska Senator in Washington D.C.E. D. McCune of Gage County sold his land in wheat for $24.50 an acre, and corn land for $15.50 an acre.Two Fairbury caucuses each nominated John Heasty for mayor. One other name was W.H. Barnes, also a lawyer for clerk; the other chose Vine Pease, a druggist. Pease declined saying he was for Barnes. Both parties favored a “high license” policy for saloons.1902The railroad siding at Reynolds had been busy for a week with shipments of carloads of mules slated to go to Kansas City, five carloads of cattle to market and two “emigrant” cars for families to Mullen and a receipt of a carload of farm implements by J.E. Beachler.A construction boom was imminent at Diller, where there were no vacant business building nor residences.A church supper and bazaar at Daykin netted $47 for the fund to buy pews.1912It was a late, long winter here. Three feet of snow had fallen between Feb. 25 and March 14; a wedge snowplow cleared the road between Fairbury and Bower; coasting and sleighing had been good. The temperature dropped to five below zero on March 9. Jefferson County Republican, organizing for the campaign, delayed favoring any candidate for president until after the national convention. County officers of the party included C.H. Denney, A.M. Berry, R.E. Riley, Dr. Albert Lynch, O.L. Schuman, R.C. Harriss, John Heasty, H.R. Hinshaw, R.N. Prout and C.W.1924The Fairbury Journal said the Deshler Broom Factory, employing 200 people, had a $300,000 annual payroll.Majestic Theater attractions advertised by T.J. Kempes, manager, included Colleen Moore in “So Big,” Richard Barthelmass in “Classmates” and Constance Talmadge in “Her Night of Romance.”The Christian Church board voted to build a new parsonage on the first lot east of the church. This was on the northwest corner of the old Boogaart parking lot.1934Bids were opened for a new brick school building at Daykin. Lowest bid for the 54-x70 foot structure was $18,165. The federal relief agency was to pay S6,629.Murray Motor Co. of Fairbury advertised Hudson and Essex automobiles as low as $695 f.o.b. Detroit. Ballards's ladies ready to wear store on the east side of the square offered over 200 “lovely dresses” at $1.88, $5.88 and $9.981944Alvin Schoenrock of Fairbury won the Union Pacific vocational agriculture scholarship.1954Rebuilding of Highway 3S, between Fairbury and Endicott, started, including bridges.1964Kathy Rodwell of Fairbury was senior division county spelling champion.Fairbury Junior College's trophy case received its 25th trophy in the 19 years since World II. Coach C.L. Grovert's cagers had been runners up in the Inter-state conference.Joe LaBass succeeded Frank Watson as area Farmers Home Administration supervisor for Jefferson, Thayer and Fillmore counties.1974City Clerk Cleo Beavers reminded the city council the city's share for intersections in paving districts would conic to $18.962, about 1.6 mills. The same taxpayers would help property owners in School District 8 meet part of the cost of two blocks of street paving and one of alley.Rock Island employees' pledges of earnings shares to keep the railroad operating totaled over $1.1 million locally.Tri County's FFA chapter rated one of the top 12 in the state. There were six State Farmers from this area: Ron Dick, Dennis Kenning and Wesley Siebenneicher of Fairbury; Darrell Wallman of Diller and Andrew Peters of Tri County with Dan Swett of Fairbury a stale Agri-businessman.1984Local Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts were planting some 500 trees in a nursery on the west side of the softball complex at City Park. The idea was to grow the trees to 4 to 6 feet tall and then residents could pick them up and plant them in the terrace between the curb and sidewalk along city streets. Some were used at McNish Park as well.Fairbury High School sophomore Brice Goebel qualified for the National Vocational Industrial Clubs of America contest by placing first in extemporanious speaking at the state VILA competition.The State Bank of Alexandria was closed by the State Department of Banking and Finance after owners of the bank could not come up with enough capital to cover loan losses and a buyer could not be found for the bank.The closing was a shock to residents, but bank customers were promised a full return on deposits.A fire destroyed the Pete McCord home eight miles south of Fairbury, with the cause unknown.1994Community concerts presented the last concert of the season with performer Dan Butterworth and his marionettes.

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