Yesteryear: Looking back at January in Yorkville area news

January 2013

Bristol-Kendall Firemen scheduled a meeting, looking for a group to take over the annual Fourth of July celebration in Yorkville.

January 2008

Ronald Clark’s family decided to give back to his community of Yorkville. He decided to sell his 4.34 acres of land near the southwest corner of Route 47 and East Main Street just north of the Fox River for a reduced price. The city will pay $550,000 in installments for the property.

January 2003

State Rep. Thomas Cross of Oswego succeeded Lee Daniels as leader of the House Republicans.

January 1998

After reviewing their options, Yorkville city officials are leaning toward building a new city office on Game Farm Road.

January 1993

New State Rep. Tom Cross was sworn in for his first term in the Illinois General Assembly.

Parkview School has been sold again, this time to a foundation that hopes to preserve it as an historic site.

January 1988

Congressman Fred Grandy, former actor who played “Gopher” on the Love Boat television series, was in the area promoting agriculture.

January 1983

A 17-year old Waubonsie Valley High School basketball player died after he collapsed at the Plano Christmas tournament. He was entering the locker room after playing about three minutes in the game, and collapsed and died of what doctors later said was a inflammation of the heart, a condition that did not show up on his physical exam.

January 1978

The bald eagle at the Glen D. Palmer State Game Farm was moved to a zoo near Peoria. Game Farm Director R.F. “Sim” Wilson said he gave up the bird because he feels he no longer has the staff to care for it after state budget cuts the past few years. The eagle is about 22 years old and landed on the game farm in 1955.

The bird was injured in a storm and weak, and the game farm staff nursed him back to health, and he stayed in a special cage.

January 1973

Jan. 4: An arraignment was held at the Kendall county courthouse on Tuesday morning to read the charges against Betty F. Piche and Carl Allan Reimann, both of whom were arrested on Friday, Dec. 29, 1972 in connection with the armed robbery and multiple murders at the Pine Village Restaurant and Lounge, Inc. at the southwest corner of Routes 34 and 47 in Yorkville. Mrs. Piche, 30, of Somonauk, calmly heard the charges of armed robbery, theft, and four counts of murder read against her. The same charges, all felonies, were heard by Carl Allan Reimann, 31, of Sandwich. Both suspects were denied bond by Judge Robert J. Sears.

The robbery and murders took place at approximately 10:30 p.m. at the Pine Village, located at the intersection of Routes 34 and 47. Pronounced dead at the scene of the crime by Deputy Coroner William Dunn were George T. Pashade, 74, of Aurora; Catherine M. Rekate, 16, of Plano, both pine Village employees; Robert E. Loftus, 48, of Bristol and David M. Gardner, 37, of Yorkville, patrons in the steak house. A fifth victim, John H. Wilson, 48, of North Aurora, also a Pine Village employee, was wounded twice in the head and is, as of publication time, listed in serious condition at the Hinsdale Hospital.

Six hundred and ninety four dollars were taken in the robbery. All but $55 was recovered from the car in which Reimann and Mrs. Piche were riding.

January 1968

Pam Anderson, a third grader at Bristol Grade School, was the winner of a contest to pick a name for the new Yorkville elementary school: Circle Center School.

January 1963

We hear the state is pressuring the city to instigate parallel parking on Bridge Street downtown instead of the current diagonal plan. Parking downtown will really be at a premium

January 1958

The Yorkville Band Boosters will sponsor Amateur Hour at the Yorkville gym. Emcee will be Robert Ament.

January 1953

Governor-elect William G. Stratton has appointed Glen D. Palmer of Yorkville as State Director of the Department of Conservation.

January 1948

The members of the Yorkville Methodist Church gathered in the farm bureau auditorium to view the architects drawing for the new church to be built at South Main and Madison Streets near the courthouse.

January 1943

The Hard Times party scheduled to be held Tuesday evening at the Yorkville Gym by the Yorkville Lions had to be postponed on account of the weather.

January 1938

The Kendall County Farm Bureau moved into its new building on Van Emmon Street.

January 1933

After being dark for two months the Fox River bridge will be lit again, with the state assuming financial responsibility. It will save the village about $240 a year. Only one other bridge in the state is currently lit with state funds. “By keeping everlastingly at it, we finally got what we were after,” said Mayor Devereaux.

January 1928

After the big road meeting in Aurora Saturday afternoon, the people of McHenry, Kane, Kendall and Grundy counties feel satisfied that Route 47 from Morris to the Wisconsin line will be completed this year.

January 1923

The Yorkville village board is planning the boring of a new well in the village to take care of the added drain on the present water system. As the present conditions exist, there is difficulty in providing sufficient water from the reservoir and the water from the artesian well at the creamery is being pumped almost continually during the day to keep a sufficient supply in the tank.

January 1918

Fred P. Thompson of Plattville is listed by the government at Kendall County’s first man to be “lost in action” in World War I. He was killed in action somewhere on the western front.

January 1913

Sheriff Henderson is still suffering from a fall at the courthouse and has been ordered by his physician to lay up for two weeks

January 1908

Knapp’s Hall in Oswego was not half large enough to hold the crowd of people who came to see the Hon. Charles S. Deneen, governor of Illinois.

January 1903

John Langhart will be the new Yorkville freight and express hauler. He has bought out Louis Dyer.

January 1898

The Woodmen and Royal Neighbors installed officers, led by venerable counsel W. E. Kinnett; Royal Neighbors oracle is Mrs. Sallie E. Hill.

January 1893

The ice on the river above the dam is 11 inches thick. The ice men are now loading 20 cars a day.

January 1888

The Yorkville schools are now all in session in the new building: about 200 children enjoy the new order of things immensely.

January 1883

A freight train came to Yorkville Monday morning a little after seven, drawn by two engines; when they got here it was discovered that part of the train had been left somewhere, so the train was backed up, and found the caboose and some cars near Montgomery. There was no swearing, for it was a cold day.

January 1878

The trustees have placed street lamps at all the principal corners in the village of Yorkville and now we feel like a city. Constable Weber lights them up.

January 1873

The Yorkville station was a busy scene Monday evening. At five o’clock there were three trains here trying to get by - one from Aurora and two from Ottawa, and at 5:20 the Ottawa passenger came along to add to the difficulty. Lon Halleck had five cars of hogs on the side track and several empty cars, so that a train could not get on it so as to clear both ends at once. After a good deal of whistling, shouting, swinging lanterns and running, one train managed to get by, but it was a full hour before quiet reigned. The passenger was delayed half an hour. More side track is needed here.

January 1868

About two inches of snow fell on Monday night but the roads are so rough that it does not make sleighing.