В Крэнфорде зафиксированы рекордные траты на ремонт жилья и торнадо, унесший имущество

125 years ago — 1901 James Berry died Monday evening at a little after six o'clock in the boiler room of the courthouse basement. The deceased had been given to the excessive use of intoxicants for several years, and for the last month or more had been under the continuous influence of liquor, resorting to the use of anything containing alcohol, as he could not get drinks at the saloons. During the ten days preceding his death he had scarce been about his home and had not been there at all for the four preceding days. Monday he was observed lying on the east side of the courthouse, partially protected from the rain by the steps. About five o'clock Circuit Clerk Wilkin went to him and had him get up and go into the boiler room in the basement and lie down on an improvised couch of the janitor’s, as he was suffering intensely with inward pains, a shortness of breath and extreme nervousness. Mr. Wilkin went to the drug store and got some medicine to quiet his nerves, but as he did not seem to get relief he telephoned for Dr. Carlisle, who arrived at about six o’clock, and pronounced him in a dying condition, and in a few minutes, he breathed his last. — The Grange Fair has been postponed until October 8, 9 and 10, on account of the street fair. — The city council passed an ordinance last week ordering a concrete walk to be built from Woodworth’s corner to the graveyard, and work has been commenced on same. — 75 years ago — 1951 The alumni and Gamma Zeta Chapter of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, University of Illinois, are having a weekend rush party in Robinson on Friday and Saturday, with Dick Heath of this city, serving as chairman. — Approximately 70 girls attended the annual Camp Fire Girls day camp at Ca-O Ma, located on Brooks Lake, three miles south of Robinson. The camp was donated to the girls by Dr. A.G. Brooks of this city. — Mrs. Val Titsworth suffered second and third degree burns on her left arm about seven o’clock yesterday morning while attempting to light a gas oven at the Tic Toc Cafe here where she is employed as cook. — 50 years ago — 1976 Crawford County residents are going in for home improvements in a big way these days. They are putting a record amount of money into alterations, additions and general revamping of their properties, a government survey shows. In the past year, it is estimated, local home owners spent some $2,961,000 on such improvements, considerably more than in 1974. — Robinson City Council agreed to settle a suit with the bonding for the contractor for the Robinson Community Center, at a cost of nearly $32,000 to the city, during the regular council meeting Wednesday evening. Aldermen voted to pay $31,912.96 to U.S.F.&G., the bonding company for the contractor which went out of business. The bonding firm had named the city in a suit to collect $36,407.96, plus interest from Nov. 29, 1973, but agreed to the lesser amount due apparently to alleged inferior work on the parking lot and roof of the building, which had been in contention for almost two years. — The Robinson Recreation Department will open its Youth Center in the Community Center here for the school year, beginning Saturday, Aug. 28, Mike Shimer, activity director, announced today. — 25 years ago — 2001 A tornado touched down and hail and strong winds were reported across the county as a cold front stormed through Crawford County late Saturday afternoon. The twister touched down briefly on the property of Scott and Jennifer Wolf about one-and-a-half miles south of the Duncanville Road on Illinois Route 1. They were away from the house on vacation at the time and did not discover the damage until Sunday evening. It damaged shingles on their house and destroyed outdoor lawn furniture and children’s playthings. The twister drained a child’s swimming pool and carried it into an adjacent cornfield, which was also damaged. — The Central Wabash Archaeology Club will play host to an open house at the Roy Morris/Ellis Site in Palestine during the upcoming Labor Day Weekend festivities. The excavation site is located on East LaMotte Street and South Ellis Drive. Club members will give tours of the site and excavation demonstrations, with artifacts on display.