75 years ago: The blue sausage that streaked over Shiloh

100 years ago, Aug. 6, 1925

A charter was issued at Springfield by Secretary of State L.L. Emmerson last Thursday to the Quality Dairy Products Company, owners of the O’Fallon Creamery Company.

The concern, which has a capital stock of $25,000, was incorporated by George N. Schwarz, Robert R. Ruth and Allen J. Stringer. It will deal in milk and dairy products, and coal and ice.

The company, which purchased the property and machinery from John Munier about two years ago, has made extensive improvements by the installation of new and modern machinery, making the plant up-to-date in every respect.

Besides milk and other dairy products they manufacture ice cream which is beginning to find a ready sale in a number of nearby cities. The firm also does an extensive ice and coal business.

At the time, Quality Dairy was located at the southeast corner of West Second and Westwood.

75 years ago, Aug. 3, 1950

Several Shiloh residents, including Mr. and Mrs. Robert Zimmerman and Mrs. Anna Nesbit reported they saw a new spectacle in the sky north of the village shortly after dark Saturday night. Others said to have witnessed the mystery flying gadget were Mrs. Hilda Cox, Mrs. George Wood and Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Nesbit.

All were convinced that it was not of the “flying saucer” type which is reported to be seen in various parts of the country from time to time. One of the witnesses described it as a weird flying object in the form of a bluish streak, resembling a large sausage. Although appearing to travel with speed in a northerly direction, it was visible for several minutes before it disappeared.

Since the incident at Shiloh, press dispatches relate that a similar object turned up at Springfield the same night. Residents there described it as a flying blue streak which looks like a “flying sausage,” trails yellow flames, explodes like a bomb, but doesn’t do any damage when it explodes.

Jim Graham, a pilot of an aviation company said he observed it north of Springfield. Graham said that at the time he was returning from a flight to Chicago when the object dived at his airplane, struck the propeller and exploded. The brilliancy of the weird streak almost blinded him, he said.

50 years ago, Aug. 7, 1975

The co-operative occupational education classes at O’Fallon Township High School are expanding for the upcoming school year with the addition of two additional areas of on-the-job experience.

Last year, the class was only involved in office occupational studies and the placement of students from that class into positions in the community. This coming year, studies will also include diversified occupations (vocational work) and distributive education (retail work).

Ben Butler, co-ordinator for the co-operative studies, hopes to get good response from local employers to make the program work. Local employers are asked to hire the students on a part-time basis. Office occupational students are able to work in the fields of typist, stenographer, clerical worker, receptionist, office machine operator, bookkeeper, file clerk and key punch operator. Some students from Butler’s office occupations class were placed in local business establishments last year when the program first started.

The diversified occupations students would be able to work in the fields of radio and TV repair, laboratory assistants, printers, baking, cooking, beauty culture, nurse’s aid, welder, horticulture, draftsmen, service station attendant and sheet metal work. The distributive education students would be able to work in any field of merchandising and selling. Work would be done in department stores and various other merchandise establishments by the students.

The classes are available to seniors to ensure that they have had sufficient training at school for the on-the-job work prior to their last year in high school. Approximately 25 students have signed up for the upcoming classes which will involve part-time work at a local business and part-time classroom studies.

“The program has advantages for the employer,” Butler said. “It provides a source for part-time employees and it provides a source for skilled full-time employees later on.”

Besides the part-time job the students have, they are also required to take related subjects in the field they are working in.

“It’s a good program and gives students a sound background for future employment,” Butler said.