Looking Back…. News items from the past pages of the Calhoun News-Herald
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100 years ago
Feb. 11, 1926
A law passed at the last session of the Illinois General Assembly seems to make it probable that the new county judge of Calhoun county, to be elected next November, will receive a salary of $1,800 per year. The salary at the present time is $400. Attorneys, according to the Pike County Republican, are not agreed, however, as to the matter of salary, since the constitution of the state itself seems to be contradictory. In one section of the constitution provides that the salary of the county judge shall be “fixed by law,” meaning, of course, a law of the General Assembly, while another section, the constitution provides that the salary of the county judge shall be fixed by the board of supervisors or county commissioners.
75 years ago
Feb. 8, 1951
Although the 1950 figures on apple tree population shows a slight decrease, Calhoun still has more than twice as many trees as Johnson county, its nearest rival. According to figures released from Springfield on the 1950 farm census the county now has 219,179 apple trees and 30,799 peach trees. The peach tree figure shows an increase as peach plantings are heavier each year. Johnson county has 92,977 apple trees and is followed by Union county with 89,872. Jersey county is fifth with 76,098 apple trees. Union county is far in the lead in regard to peach plantings. It had 174,382 trees in 1950. Its nearest competitor was Marion county with 121,040. Jefferson was third with 85,698 trees.
50 years ago
A new cafeteria is being reassembled in Kampsville for the Foundation of Illinois Archeology on the corner of Oak and Second Streets, across from the Red Dog Tavern. The building, 57 feet by 80 feet, is a surplus Job Corps cafeterias from Little Grassy Lake near Carbondale and is being moved to Kampsville in eight sections and rebuilt there. Workers plan to have the facility operational by the time summer school starts later this spring. The sections are placed five blocks high, which is close to being above the 1973 flood level. A walk-in cooler/freezer, serving areas and other rooms are included in the cafeteria,which was assembled in Carbondale but never used there.
25 years ago
Feb. 7, 2001
Three Batchtown teenagers came very close to losing their lives when the truck they were riding in ran off the road and overturned in a ditch filled with five feet of water on the morning of Saturday, Jan. 27. Adam Eilerman, was driving his father’s pick-up truck on an errand to pick up lumber from Calhoun Lumber Company in Hardin around 10:30 a.m. when the accident occurred. Adam’s cousins were passengers in the truck. According to Susie Eilerman, mother of the passengers, Adam was driving very slowly because of slightly icy conditions on the road but as the truck approached a curve on the MIssissippi River Road near Batchtown, it began to slide sideways “in slow motion.” The truck was moving slowly enough that one of the passengers jumped out of the truck before it slid off the road. As the truck slid down the ditch it rolled over and ended upside down in a ten-foot ditch. According to Eilerman the particular site is a common place for accidents because ice forms easily on the roadway due to it being shaded. Ricker Eilerman approached the Calhoun Commissioners suggesting a guardrail be put up, or at the least, more salt and sand be spread at the site. “There has been $50,000 in vehicle damage in our family alone on less than 500 foot of road,” Rick Eilerman said.
