100 years ago: Runaway horses barrel through O’Fallon, leave businessman bruised
Looking back at stories that appeared in the O’Fallon Progress 100, 75, and 50 years ago:
100 years ago, April 16, 1925
A runaway team belonging to Martin L. Keck, the teamster, caused some excitement in the business section Monday afternoon.
The team, hitched to a wagon loaded with baled hay, took fright on East State street and dashed down the thoroughfare scattering the hay as they continued west. Mr. Keck and George Lauerman, who were seated on top of the load, were thrown to the street with considerable force. The former suffered a badly bruised and wrenched foot and body bruises while the latter escaped with slight bruises.
The frantic horses continued west on State until they reached Cherry street, where a short turn caused one of the horses to fall, which brought them to a stop. The streets were deserted at the time due to a windstorm which was raging and this probably accounts that no other accidents occurred.
Mr. Keck is confined to his home but will be out within a few days.
75 years ago, April 13, 1950
Work is to start on a long-needed improvement in O’Fallon Saturday morning when, under the leadership of Fischer-Sollis Post, American Legion, volunteer workmen will begin erecting new city street signs. The signs, of metal construction, have been completed and are now here, awaiting installation.
Announcement was made by Commander John Klingelhoefer yesterday that since the placing of the signs is a big undertaking, physical assistance from public-spiritited citizens will be greatly appreciated. Volunteer workers are especially needed to help in the initial work of digging the holes for the steel posts and pouring of the concrete, which is to begin Saturday.
Volunteers are being asked to be at the Legion Home at 8:30 Saturday morning with spades and shovels. They are to be divided into two groups, each to be provided with a power post-hole digger and a truckload of ready-mix concrete. After the hole is dug the standard will be set in place for the pouring of concrete. The signs are to be attached later.
Klingelhoefer assures the volunteer workers a luncheon and refreshments are to be served at the Legion Home at noon. Everyone that possibly can is being asked to assist in the work. The street sign project has been under consideration for some time by the Legion, which has been assisted financially by other organizations.
These groups have undertaken a most worthy public improvement since the old street markers have disappeared a long time ago. With the rapid growth our city has experienced, the many strangers coming here are bewildered in finding the location of our streets. This also applies to many citizens who have lived here a long time.
50 years ago, April 17, 1975
Two incumbents and two new faces will be joining the O’Fallon City Council when they meet Monday evening at city hall following Tuesday’s aldermanic election.
The two incumbents, Ralph Thomas from Ward One and Robert Lillie from the Third Ward, won by sizeable margins in their races. The upset of the election took place in the Fourth Ward where newcomer Donald White defeated incumbent Mel Wesemann in a close race. White won the election with 167 votes while Wesemann picked up 149 votes. The third candidate in the election, Joe Hillesheim, received 99 votes in his favor.
Wesemann, who could not be contacted for a comment, has served on the council for 16 years and was chairman of the streets, sewers and lighting committee.
White said that this campaign was different from the last one he ran in. Two years ago, White ran as a third candidate when Alderman Cliff Joseph defeated incumbent Clyde Pitt.
“I had more confidence this time and my campaign was different from the last one,” White said.
White said he took the campaign to the people and knocked on as many doors as possible. “I thought it would be a close race and probably the third candidate helped me win the election,” White said.
As alderman, White said he will press for resolving the sewer problems in his ward and throughout the city. White said the problem needs to be corrected as soon as possible.
In the closest race of the four wards, Leo Lugge squeezed by Rion Turley in the Second Ward to win the aldermanic seat by a margin of eleven votes. Lugge received 157 votes, Turley picked up 146 and (Gerald) Smith received 32 votes. A total of 340 persons turned out in the ward to cast ballots. Since the vote was so close, election judges stated they recounted the votes and came up with the same result.
Turley, a teacher at O’Fallon Township High School, did not take the day off Tuesday to bring people to the polls for voting, a move that may have cost him the election.
“My first priority is with the kids. I couldn’t sacrifice the day to bring people to the polls,” Turley said.
In the Shiloh village election, Lowell Maggine was re-elected treasurer of the village. He received 114 votes and was unopposed in the election. In the race for board of trustees, however, only one incumbent was returned to the board. Wilfred Weidenbenner was re-elected to the board with 84 votes.
The other two newcomers are Marta Pascuzzo who received 74 votes and Harvey Kreutzer who received 67 votes. The other incumbents, Clarence Rhines and Terry Simpson, lost their re-election bids. Rhines received 59 votes and Simpson received 58 votes.