The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

ryp$r >AT, HAY *, 1m 'IN 11111 <•»•»••••••••••»••»•»••»»»•»•••»••« IMMI t lHI 5-DISCOVERING ILLINOIS" !> < !"•> ^ LESTER B. COLBY, Illinois Chamber of Commerce t * In the beginning there was nothing •t all to suggest that Kewanee might aver be a city. Apparently it was destined to be a village, to which the farmers might come to trade. In matters of transport, location, water or other advantages there was little tset it apart from thousands of other lerican town*. « Kewanee in the (beginning was merely a place on the Burlington Railroad, 131 miles from Chicago, and slightly south of due west, where trains stopped. It was surrounded by ft prosperous fanning country. Yet "today Kewanee is a city of 20,000 per- ' • In Kewanee are three of the beet tnown manufacturing organizations in the world, rompaniee tmaking widely advertised goods, making them in enormous quantities. More than half of the low-pressure1 steel heating boilers manufactured in the United States are made in Kewanee. How and why have these things grown up in this particular spot. Hie answer is--men. The reason for Kewanee's growth can be nothing else. There is no other. Everything that has gone to make Kewanee what it is grew up there, developed from the inside. The story begins in 1862, sixty-five years ago, when Anderson Heater Co. was started there in a bit of a shack. It was a simple thing. Just a plain little stove-like heater whose destiny BUILD WITH Manufactured by II Frett Bros. & Freund MASON CONTBACTORS West McHenry, BL Telephone 600-M-l or #86-R ' #»»••»»»» vrtke last time> and time hoaMk Thjr actatOr I TWirfc* IfethMraatjragaL Tb»yw«« Let ua lay tfaM beautiful, permanent, asbestos shingles eight over your old roof, without the fuas and bother at rifff-i * r1- T r nr.--11 wM bring you compile htoiiistfua v Phone 46 TV/frlJENRY LUMBER .M. W JL JL Quality and Service First „ -• West McHenry Where weather and wear put varnish to trying test Devoe Aquaspar mes tk flying was to warm stock food and stock water--and make a city of Ktwanee. The originators puttered along a few years and reorganization came. The company became known as The Rax tun Steam Heater Co. Years and evolution followed and the Western Tube Co. succeeded the Haxtun Co. So the seed of manufacturing was sown in Kewanee. It brought mechanics here. Boys grew up and learned the trade. Mien began to have vision. The little plant making stock food heaters is the parent of every plant in the city. Something else, all the plants in Kewanee are devoted in large measure to giving comfort to humanity. In all these larger ventures her© we find the element of comfort applied through the medium of warmth,. The Walworth Mfg. Co., employing 2,000 persons in Kewanee, 28 acres in plant, makes a complete line valves and fittings used primarily in steam and hot-water heating. This company manufactures about -30,000 tons of fittings here per year. Steam heating is about fifty-five years old and this Kewanee plant has grown up with it, from the embryo, so to speak. Its expansion is such that other allied plants are now operated in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Alabama. General sales officer are maintained in the east, five sales divisions manage the t^ad« in the United States and a sixth division, Walyworth International, handles the export business which reaches to all parte of the civilized world. That's quite a step forward from the simple little stock food heater. Kewanee boilers are known the world over. The Kewanee Boiler Co., has on its payroll in Kewanee more than 1,300 persons. The plant covers thirty-three acres and eleven acres are under roof. The company fabricates approximately 25,000 tons of steel plates annually. Fifteen to thirty carloads of riveted steel boilers are shipped out every day. More than $1,000,000 worth of Kewanee boilers were sold in New York City in 1926. What was its origin? Bless you, it started right in the same little shack that gave birth to the stock food heater and the Walworth plant. Only in the years it became an individual company and pursued a slightly different course. The Kawnee Boiler Co., was organized as a separate institution in 1892 with E. E. Baker, president, and B. F. Baker, treasurer. Both are still active and both retain those same titles. But while the company was captialized at $100,000 in the beginning and employed only a handful of men it is now capitalised at $3,500,- 000. B. F. Baker was chairman of that valiant committee of aggressive, organised business men who a few years ago fought the battle against "Pittsburgh Plus" to a finish and put the steel industry in the central west on a sound profitable basis. E. E. Baker, known as the wealthiest and most public-spirited citizen in Kewanee, six years ago organized a park system for his city and to date has given that same park system in cash $110,000. A third firm; the Boss Manufacturing Co., Hie largest maker of work gloves in the world, also grew up tn Kewanee. The men who started it got their industrial schooling directly out of the original stock food heater plant. They finally went into business for themselves. Their first product was the Boss husking pin. Now Boss isn't a name derived from that of the manufacturer. They named it that because they felt they had a good pin, one that would be boss of its field. "Hie answer is that this plant today makes mftre husking pins than all the other husking pin makers in the U. S. From husking pins they turned to other things. A cheap work glove was developed--made of cotton flannel. Shortly other numbers, of the higher cost and better quality, were made. Today Kewanee is the home office and central plant of an organization operating fourteen plants making low-priced gloves for workers of all kinds. The Boss company has an output of 50,000,000 pairs of gloves a year, almost 1,000,000 every week. Gloves go out regurarly to the Argentine, Australia, the Orient, Europe and other far places. Because these great industries have grown up here and have developed a city of 20,000 inhabitants, something else now comes. A 66,000 volt power line has just been completed from the Keokuk dam, on the Mississippi river, 106 miles away. Another line, 132,000 volts, is being built in from Joliet. Plans are completed for a third line, 132,000 volts from Pekin, and a fourth, also 132,000 from Rock Island, to be built next year. Here at Kewanee, a central point in northern Illinois, will be the great central station to become a clearing house for electric power by the mere matter of shifting a switch or two, that will link up all neighboring cities using electric power in al| the country 'round. The cost of this great project which is to be completed before the end of 1928? No one can say just now. Estimates have placed the cost of the "high lines" and necessary equipment all the way from $12,000,000 to $22.- 000,000. An eighty acre sit« has been acquired just out of Kewanee for the central sub-station. The growth of electrical development can be judged from the fact that three years ago Kewanee had only one small, inadequate power plant. It could not supply the larger industries with power and they had to make their own. Today these larger plants, steadily expanding, are putting in electrical equipment with full knowledge that never again will purchasable power fail them. The organizations behind this vast electric system are the allied North ^American Power A Light Corp., and the Illinois Power 6 Light Corp. Nor are th« above all that has grown up in Kewanee. Some smaller companies are (getting under way. Not so small either. The Kewanee Implement Co., which begun modestly, is building a new plant, 250x280 feet, for the manufacture of farm machinery. The Kewanee Manufacturing Co. maker of steel basement chutes, claims to be the largest manufacturer in this particular item in the world. As I have gone about Illinois finding material for these stories, many persons have asked me, in many towns, this question: "What chance has a town like this »" Kewanee seems to give the answer. Kewanee in the beginning had nothing that these other towns did not have. It seemed destined to be only a farm village by the side of a railroad. But Kewanee developed men of visiion, energy, ability to organize--men with tenacity enough to ride through the storms that came. Yes, the answer is in one word--men! with relatives Monday in McHenry. Mrs. Catherine Tonyan visited with M^s. Elizabeth Tonyan Tuesday. Elizabeth Kempfer was a McHenry caller Monday. Frank Kempfer visited with his parents a few days last week. Mr. and Mrs. Joe Lauritz, daughter, Dolly, and son, Junior, of Chicago visited with Mr. and Mrs. Frank Kempfer Tuesday. John Huff celebrated his fiftieth birthday anniversary one day last week. Many friends and relatives were present. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Hettermann and family and Mrs. Catherine Tonyan visited with Mr. and Mrs. Peter Blake one day last week. Mr: and Mrs. John Thelen visited with Mrs. Mary Schmitt Sunday. Mr. and Mrs. Fred Smith visited with Mr. and Ifrs. John Smith Sunday. Mr. and Mrs. John Schmitt visited Mir. and Mrs. Henry Thelen Sunday. Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Thelen visited with Mrs. Mary Thelen Tuesday. Mr. and Msr. Henry Thelen visited relatives in McHenry Wednesday. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Nell visited Mr. and Mrs. Math Freund one day Jast week. Mr. and Mrs. John P. Freund and family were visiting Mr. and Mrs. Mteth Freund Sunday. Miss Agnes Weingart and Frank Nell motored to Waukegan Sunday afternoon. M)r. and Mrs. John M. Pitzen were visiting with Mr. and Mrs. Frank Kempfer one day last week. Mr. and Mrs. Peter Freund and family visited with Mr. and Mrs. Joe Miller one day last week. Mr. and Mrs. Joe King visited with Mr. and Steve May Sunday. Mr. and Mrs. William Hiller and children and Mr. and Mrs. Tony JOHNSBUB0 Mr. and Mrs. H. W. Hettermann and family motored to Wheatland, Wis., Friday evening and visited Mr. and Mrs. William Krift. Miss Helen Schaefer entertained a few friends Sunday afternoon. Mr. and Mrs. Ben Schaefer visited Equip With ThejBest Tirestone Feed We make our own POULTRY SCRATCH AMD MASH Both excellent feeds and prioes moderate. Try a Sack Today Mdlenn flour Mills Wm'Motieery. (1L Schmitt and son visited Mr. and Mrs. John Schmitt Sunday. Miss Rose Pitzen and George Obenanf visited with Mr. and Mrs. Ben Schaefer Sunday. A shower was given by Amelia Weber and Matilda Freund in honor of Miss Hilda Weber Sunday. The evening was spent by dancing and bunco, the lucky ones in bunco being Miss Hilda Weber, first; Mildred Schaefer second, and Charles Stilling consolation. Refreshments were tfwi served at a late hour. Mrs. Anna Tonyan of Fox i* visiting with Mrs. Mary Tonyan who is ill. Have you tried our "Kept Fresh" coffee? It is always fresh and the taste lingers. Erickson Dept. Store. .M John J. Vycital Hardware SHEET METAL WORE Radiator Repairing TTsyiand Furnaces All Work Guaranteed -- Prices Reasonable LET US BSTljMATE THAT JOB : • Sivt Yon Money V TeL 98-M Green St. To CHICAGO /From McHenry--Gray* Lato Convenient, dependable service by North Shore Motor Coach North Shore Motor Coaches connect at Waukegan with fast North Shore Line trains taking you to the heart of Chicago--the "Lootf* vtfi&'i Lt. McHenry Lv. Grays Lake Arr. Waukegan a Arr. Chicago Arr. Milwaukee 7:30 am 8:10 am &52 am 10:05 am 10:35 am 10:30 am 11:10 am 11:52 am liOB pmt, ItlOpaa S:10p* S:S0psa 6:22 IMS 8:M|MS T:3S pifc CNcags Nartk Sfctre & Uwankw M.cijg WEBER & SCHIE8SLE Local Ageata West McHeary <*• :v^i .1^" Full Size Balloons CJhe Worlds lowest Priced Cars with Supremely Beautiful FISHER BODIES ! comes through with colors flQUASPARwfflgi.i •••--lssa. A vice in Htrhma, on boats* wherever a varnished service bbm(| ' tesist severe wear or exposure. 1c flr,. durable, easily applied and wfll nog torn white in either hot or coil^ water. We guarantee it to give Mtisfactioa when applied according to directions. JOHN F. BRDA Phone 161 McHenry, III cPmctiad€11ah 'Prove D"x*Qfma* Ton want the utmost safety--comfort--economy? Firestone Full-Size Gum-Dipped Balloons fill these require- . ments. Firestone Balloons are logically possessed of greater strength flexibility and endurance -- they are the only Gum-Dipped low pressure tires. Gome in; let us demonstrate how Gum- Dipping makes possible the superiority of these wonderful : Firestones are economical through surpassing mileage service. , KNOX MOTOR SALES Chevrolet is the only car in its priceclass offering bodies by Fisher--built as only Fisher can build, and styled as low-priced cars were oever styled before! Bodies by Fisher are everywhere acknowledged to represent the highest order of beauty, luxury, and safety --and never was the superiority of Fisher craftsmanship more eviden t than in the Most Beautiful Chevrolet Despite the lowness of Chevrolet prices, there is not the slightest compromise in de- »»Kn' construction or finish. Ail em body exactly the principles employed on the high- CM priced cars--« composite construction of selected hardwood and steel. All are finished in beautiful colors , pf lustrous, lasting Duco. .JRnhancing the beauty of roe bodies themselves are numerous features of distinction previously considered exclusive to the costliest cars--features typified by heavy full-crown, onepiece fenders and bullet-type headlamps. Only the economies of Chevrolet's great volume production make possible such quality at Chevrolet prices --value so outstanding that comparisons cease to exist. Ask for Sfe Coach *595 TheTouriag. or Roadster 525 TVe Coup* 625 The Sedan 695 tile Sport 71C Cabriolet - 71" The Landau 745 Iih^lmperi^go fc-Toa Truck 395 1-Ton Truck 495 Ck*uu On !y) •' ° b "Where Your Dollar Buys Most" Phones 30 and H • M'HENBY Cheek Chevrolet Delivered Prices Phone 191 or Sales West McHenry JQ U A L I T Y AT L O W CO ST