100 years ago: O’Fallon gas station installs machine for ‘laundering’ automobiles

100 years ago, April 15, 1926

George C. Anheuser, hustling proprietor of the Lincoln Service Station, corner of Second South Street and Lincoln Avenue, this week installed machinery and equipment in the building formerly occupied by the Superior Bus Company for the washing and laundering of automobiles.

All the equipment is of the latest and improved type assuring quick service and first-class work. The laundry is a new innovation in O’Fallon and no doubt will be welcomed by the average automobile owner.

This was O’Fallon’s first car wash, located at the southeast corner of Second and Lincoln.

75 years ago, April 12, 1951

A federal grant of $2,807.25 for 1951 has been made to the O’Fallon Township High School to help in taking care of children of Scott Air Force Base families, according to an announcement made today by Cong. Melvin Price. Local school authorities believe that another grant will be made for the grade school.

The grant was made under Public Law 874 which provides for Federal aid to school districts where there is financial difficulty due to the number of children of parents at military establishments, either military or civilian.

Elmer D. Murray, superintendent of O’Fallon’s schools, made application for both schools. He explained that under terms of the federal law the grants are made for four-year terms, providing the need continues.

Of the $2,807.25 allocated for the high school, $1,403.63 has been sent to the County Superintendent of Schools and will be made available for use almost immediately. The grant was made on the basis of 31 pupils at the school who are of parents at Scott Air Force Base.

Murray reported that there are 76 pupils in the grade school of parents who are either employed at the field or are in service there. As one instance of the added expense to the school district Murray explained that four extra grade school teachers are required in the lower grades because of this added load.

In addition to the grade school application for operating funds, a request has been made for a sum of money for a building program. Belleville and Mascoutah school districts have also been successful in securing Federal aid to their school systems.

50 years ago, April 15, 1976

There were few surprises in Saturday’s local school board elections with the incumbents or favored candidates winning seats on the respective boards.

In O’Fallon Grade School District 90, Kathy Davinroy, R.R. 1, O’Fallon, was the top vote-getter in the election with 264 votes. The two other candidates elected to the District 90 board were Ted Randall, R.R. 1, O’Fallon with 244 votes and Donald Boyd, 708 N. Lincoln, who received 210 votes. The fourth candidate in the election for District 90 was Donald Hocher, R.R. 1, O’Fallon, who received 160 votes.

Mrs. Davinroy will become the third woman on the present District 90 board joining Barbara Peacock and JoAnn Schaefer.

“I’m very pleased at the results of the election. Now I want to start being effective on the board,” Mrs. Davinroy said.

Mrs. Davinroy, Randall, and Boyd will replace incumbents Jack VanHoorebeke, Rudy Scholl, and Terry Yeryar, who did not run for re-election. O’Fallon Township High School District 203 board incumbents were re-elected for another term. There was no opposition to the incumbents’ re-election. The three elected were Robert Brown, 399; Dean Heitmann, 400; and Robert Lillie, 394.

In Shiloh Grade School District 85, voters elected four board members and gave narrow approval to a 30-cent educational fund tax increase by a 68-66 margin.

The 30-cent tax increase will not be used to its fullest according to Superintendent Karl Hollerbach. Hollerbach said the district will only use half of the approved increase and reduce the levies in other funds.

“The result will be an increase of only a couple of pennies overall,” Hollerbach said.

The full tax increase would raise the rate from $1.01 per $100 assessed valuation to $1.31. The four incumbents re-elected to the District 85 board were: David Ambry, 126 votes; George Nesbit, 123 votes; Jim Noeninger, 113 votes; and Russell Zink, 92.

In one of the hottest school board races, the incumbents were re-elected at Grant District 110. Six candidates were running for the three openings of the board. Among the candidates were the three incumbents. Vernon Buxton was the top vote-getter with 425 votes; Steve Tiedemann received 359 votes and the third incumbent, Opal Smith gathered 321 votes. The other candidates included: Velma Lurtz, 297 votes; Patricia Haug, 234 and Fern Fleshner, 198 votes.

Central District 104 voters elected two new board members and had a write-in campaign to fill an unexpired term on the board. Arch Montgomery and Irwin Whitmer were elected to the District 104 board with 36 and 38 votes, respectively. Glen Kaemmerer was the top write-in vote candidate with 15. Gail Baldwin was a close second for the unexpired term with 12 votes.

In the Pontiac District 105 race, the two incumbents were re-elected to another term. Jerry Vallina and Donald Tait were re-elected with 133 and 121 votes, respectively. Carl Callup was the third candidate. He received 83 votes.