www.boonecountyjournal.com In Our 17th Year 815-544-4430 The Boone County Journal April 5, 2013 1 FREE COUNTY LOCAL NEWS, OPINION & HISTORY Real Journalism for a Real Democracy www.boonecountyjournal.com Published Every Friday • April 5th, 2013 • Vol 17 • Issue 50 No. 883 April: Before The Trolley’s Came to Town By James Middleton No one remains in Belvidere who lived here before the trolley came to town. There is likely no one that can remember when Belvidere had a first traffic gridlock jam. There also is no one in town that remembers Belvidere when the sidewalks were made of wood. There is much about Belvidere that has changed and disappeared in a remarkably short period of time. In the history of men a century might be considered little more than a second or perhaps two seconds instead of a vast length of time. The photograph shown here depicts Belvidere before the city had murals and certainly before Belvidere was known as “The City of Murals.” This photograph has Belvidere as the city appeared in the late 19th Century. The photographer placed his view camera at an intersection that remains today. The point is the confluence of South State Street that continues running ahead and to the left Logan Avenue spurs to the right. Even in 1899 that point in the city was and remains today a theoretical center of Belvidere. At about the time when the photograph was shot, the National Sewing Machine Company was thriving as the largest employer. The National Sewing Machine Company in the late 19th Century was to Belvidere what the Chrysler Group is to the city today. However today, looking down South State Street toward the Kishwaukee River, the scene looks very different from the city that is presented in the photograph. For example, the poles lining the street were new additions to the downtown wagons and carriages lining South State Street as far as the gridlock would paralyze downtown Belvidere. Looking neighborhood when the photograph was shot. The poles eye could see through the mist. at South State Street today, many downtown merchants provided the skeleton of a network of poles and wires that One teamster midway in the photograph is shown might look out the window and would wish to hear beeping interlaced the city with telephone communication. Though moving a team of horses pulling a wagon of hay through the horns, clanging trolley bells and seeing cars inch down the the service was new in the late 1800s, because it was new, center of Belvidere. To do what that man was doing, took a street. Such a vision can only be imagined and might be the service was in high demand. steady hand with the reins, a wide stance on top of the hay a blessing compared to people crossing South State Street The poles on the right side of the street carried electricity and an unfailing sense of balance. It is doubtful that any with abandon. and those too were used to create the basis for a network of farmer in Boone County today could lead a team of horses South State Street before the trolley cars was a quieter electrical wires through the city. In the late 19th Century while standing perhaps 25 feet off the ground atop a pile street in a quieter town. Trolley transportation thrived so much that was changing in America with technology of shifting hay. It is likely that few Boone County farmers in Belvidere for only a few years before that mode of emerging as an agrarian economy was disappearing into an today could manage a team of two horses pulling a wagon transportation was replaced by automobiles. The freedom industrial economy. Offices, industry and even some of the with bailed hay much less loose hay. found with automobiles allows the car to go where the homes in Belvidere were becoming electrified and capable A few years would lapse before automobiles or driver wants the car to go, instead of following rails or of providing instantaneous communication. Belvidere “horseless carriages” would replace carriages in downtown going only where hay and water is found. residents could actually talk with others in Chicago, New Belvidere. Those new machines caused a stir in the city There are some today that would wish to return to those York or even Los Angeles by simply lifting the receiver of and what emerged from the sale of automobiles in Belvidere earlier days of the late 19th Century before the trolley cars the telephone, asking that a connection be made and—well was the development of modern marketing and a booming came to town. However, some of those that might want not instantly—but soon, the line was connected. economy that captured the imagination of the city. to return to those latter days would admit, they would do These were astonishing opportunities that were placed at One notable Belvidere family grew to earn fame and so if they could keep their computer and their internet the hands of so many people. Only a few years earlier, these fortune around the region as the place to go to buy a new connection and their Facebook page and their Twitter page innovations could not have been imagined. car. The family continues today with one brother selling and—and—and so much more. Just another look at the photograph also discloses that new cars and another brother selling used cars. The result The Journal wants to thank the Boone county Historical the image emerged from a day that might have been near remains the same today as decades ago with that local Society for allowing use of the photograph. We also want to the end of horses and carriages being the primary mode family having established a reputation for managing the fair acknowledge Wikipedia.com the “Internet Encyclopedia” of transportation to move goods and people. The day the sale and fair trade of automobiles. for providing research material that was used in the photograph was shot appears to have been a busy day with A few more years would pass before traffic jams or preparation of this piece. was Resolution #13-15 that had, “resolution authorizing Reapplying For State Grants application for Public Transportation Financial Assistance By James Middleton under Section #5311 of the Federal Transit Act of 1991, Local governments have to engage in a number of committee approved two resolutions that would apply for as amended (49 USCA § 5311).” The resolution provided repetitious acts every year to obtain ongoing funding from $90,000 in grant funding from the state. The structure of authorization for the Boone County Board to apply for the state or federal agencies. As federal and state laws are this grant is a matching grant and Boone County would also grant however, questions arose from the resolution regarding enacted, clauses are entered into the law that require, for contribute $90,000 to fully fund the bus service. the extent of authority that the chairman of the Boone example, that state or local governments must reaffirm that Boone County administrator Ken Terrinoni introduced County Board Bob Walberg (District 1) could exercise in they will pay an “acceptable wage” when these governments the item on the agenda by telling the committee members obtaining the grant. put out requests for bid and later let contracts for services that this application process is undertaken every year. “This County representative Bill Pysson (District 1) asked, that were bid. is in the form of two resolutions for a grant and a final “In section 5 of the resolution, the chairman may do some The superior body, such as the state or federal ordinance that you have to approve to get the grant.” The things without County Board approval.” government keeps these clauses in effect to be certain grant comes from the Illinois Department of Transportation The language found in section #5 read, “That Chairman of that the municipality or a county, for example, is paying a (IDOT) and the language that is in the resolutions, Mr. the County Board, Bob Walberg, of the County of Boone, is responsible and reasonable wage for work that they need to Terrinoni said, “comes from IDOT.” hereby authorized and directed to execute and file on behalf be done. He clarified, “This is grant funding for the rural of the County of Boone all required Grant Agreements with In a similar context, Boone County representatives transportation service that is handled through the KeenAge the Illinois Department of Transportation, in order to obtain that are members of the County Board administrative Center of the Council on Aging.” He indicated that before grant assistance under the provisions of Section #5311 of and legislative committee, met Monday to preliminarily the April County Board meeting, he will have another the Federal Transit Act of 1991, as amended (49 USCA § approve a reapplication for transportation grant funding document that covers union policy that must also be 5311).” from the State of Illinois. These funds for many years approved. These items will appear in the April County Mr. Pysson sought to clarify, “If the match goes beyond have supported the only countywide transportation service Board meeting for approval by the members. what is levied, we should do that with Board approval.” Mr. offered by the Boone County Council on Aging. The The first document considered by the committee Continued on page 2 2 April 5, 2013 The Boone County Journal 815-544-4430 In Our 17th Year www.boonecountyjournal.com From Front Page... Grant Walberg indicated that he would report to the County Board what occurs.