100 years ago: The Boy Scout ‘movement’ arrives in O’Fallon
Looking back at stories that appeared in the O’Fallon Progress 100, 75 and 50 years ago:
100 years ago, April 10, 1924
“The Boy Scout movement, comprising a universal organization of young boys between the ages of 12 and 18 years, received an impetus here last week when several citizens became interested in the project.
“A meeting will be held next Monday evening at 7 o’clock in the Methodist church, for the purpose of furthering the move in an effort to institute one or more troops in our city.
“All boys between the above ages are invited to attend this meeting. Parents are also urged to be present as applicants must have the consent of their elders before they can become members.
“The Boy Scout movement is becoming known in practically all parts of the country and is universal in its scope. It is an organization composed of boys and young men who are taught as one of the first principles to do one good turn each day.
“It is strictly non-sectarian and non-military. Boys, regardless to what church they may belong can become members providing they are of good moral character and pledge themselves to the principles of kindness and charity, which is one of the predominating features of the Boy Scouts.
“Members of the troop are continuously under the direction of a competent scout master who is held responsible for the actions of his troop. The organization strives to make better men of boys who receive an exceptional training regarding first aid treatment, plant and animal life and the great out-door life, providing them physically to take care of themselves.
“O’Fallon citizens should foster and encourage the movement as it is a good one. Our city should have at least three troops of boys, who under the able guidance of competent instructors no doubt will be a credit to our city.”
(Boy Scouts in O’Fallon date even further back than 1924. An earlier Scout meeting took place in O’Fallon in 1916, and a “Lion Patrol” was organized the following year.)
75 years ago, April 14, 1949
“A proposal for the consolidation of four rural school districts with O’Fallon city grade district 92 was approved by the voters at Saturday’s school election.
“The proposition carried by a majority of 88 with 157 for and 69 against in the combined vote of the city proper and the rural districts. A majority for the merger was necessary, both in the city and rural vote.
“The complete results were as follows: O’Fallon (City), 55 for, 12 against; O’Fallon (Outside), 7 for, 1 against; Enterprise, 8 for, 26 against; Rock Springs, 34 for, 3 against; Ogle Creek, 43 for, 3 against; and Oak Hill, 10 for, 23 against.
“In O’Fallon, District 92, the proposition carried by a vote of 55 to 12, while the rural vote in the four rural districts was 102 for the proposition and 56 against.
“The districts, which by Saturday’s election will be merged with the O’Fallon grade school (District 92) are Enterprise, Rock Springs, Ogle Creek, and Oak Hill. Oak Hill is the only district which still operates its own one-room school, the three other rural districts having discontinued their schools, sending the children to the local grades on a tuition basis.
“The next step in the merger will be another special election for the naming of a president and six board members for a board of education to manage the newly- consolidated district.
“County Superintendent of Schools Clarence D. Blair is to call this election within the next 30 days.”
(District 92 was the predecessor of the current O’Fallon Community Consolidated School District 90. For those doing the math, the “against” vote total was off by one, as printed in the original Progress column.)
50 years ago, April 11, 1974
“The State of Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has requested that the city of O’Fallon outline for the state (the) action that will be taken to correct “most unsanitary conditions” from a sanitary sewer overflow line at East Madison St. and from portable pumping equipment used on (the) sewer in that area.
“Investigations of complaints made to the state EPA office have revealed, according to the letter, circumstances which may constitute “violations of the EPA Act and regulations.”
“Four violations as cited in the letter to the city are: 1. Unnatural color and turbidity in receiving stream. 2. Unnatural effluent color and turbidity. 3. Chemical constituents in excess of standards. 4. Fecal coliform concentrations in excess of standards.
“Investigations have also revealed evidence of sewage discharges into Engle Creek from an overflow line at the first manhole upstream of the lift station at the O’Fallon waste treatment lagoon.
“Dave Davis, city engineer for O’Fallon, said that action concerning what will be done to correct the problems will be taken up at the next council meeting.”