Joiner History Room - 103 E State Street, Sycamore, IL 60178

In Grandmother's Attic ...

Harold Olson of Sycamore, IL (pictured) was cleaning the attic of his grandmother’s home and discovered five rolled-up auction posters for a C. M. Kugler. Mr. Olson knew that the Kugler surname wasn’t part of his family’s genealogy. He came to the Joiner History Room to see what we could tell him about Kugler and to see if we could date the auction poster.

Using our obituary collection we found Charles Kugler was the son of Christian and Eva Haag Kugler and was born September 15, 1861, at Oswego, Kendall County, Illinois. When he was nine, Christian moved the family to a farm in Cortland Township. Charles married Margaret Walker on December 27, 1892. They had two children. He served in World War I. Charles died in California on December 24, 1930, and is buried in Ohio Grove cemetery near Cortland.

When he retired from farming the family land in 1908, he and Margaret moved to Sycamore into a house that later would become Harold Olson’s grandmother’s. That is how the auction poster was put in her attic.

If he retired from farming in 1908, we were certain that would be the year of the auction, but could we find the exact date of the sale? Research volunteer Sheri Baker found a notice in the Sycamore True Republican dated January 29, 1908 announcing the auction was to be held on February 20. Mr. Olson now knew the information he sought. (These newspapers are online and searchable.)

Mr. Olson was able to unroll the brittle posters by slowly exposing them to moisture. He stopped by the Joiner Room to show us the final result.

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New Military Records Available

Because of a donation of scrapbooks kept by Ada Halloran, we have added to our archives information from area newspapers about DeKalb county men and women who served in the Vietnam War. These clippings have been indexed and contain over 13 pages of individual names.

Also, the Joiner Room is in process of organizing and indexing their information on World Wars I and II. This project is almost complete.

To see if your ancestor is in either database, please email the Joiner History Room using the above link.

Joiner Room Honored To
Be Part Of The DeKalb County
Community Foundation

The Joiner History Room Endowment Fund was established in 2008 to honor Ralph Joiner and the first appointed DeKalb County historian, Phyllis Kelley. If you wish to donate to our Endowment Fund, click on the DCCF logo or send a check directly to The Joiner Room at the address above.

Adoptee Law Passed By Illinois Legislature
Excerpts From the Chicago Tribune 10 June 2011

Since last year when the bill was signed, about 645 adoptees born in Illinois before 1946 have been issued their birth certificates. Starting November 15, 2011, those born after 1946 will be able to do the same thing. The law also allows birth parents to have their names redacted from any released birth certificate by filling out a form by Nov. 1. For more information see www.newillinoisadoptionlaw.com.

1940 Census Link

CALL
BEFORE
YOU
VISIT

815-
895-7271

The Sycamore Public Library is being remodeled this summer. The Joiner Room may have to close periodically. If you are coming from out of the area, please call ahead to be sure we are open.

Joiner History Room Adoption and Juvenile Court Records Database Updated February 2012

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Images of Sycamore

In January 1928, nine days after DeKalb County sheriff Fred Dolder died in office, the county board unanimously appointed his widow, Helena, to succeed him. She showed she could keep control of the jail when, on her first day on the job, 33 of her 92 prisoners rebelled over the food served for supper. She and her deputies turned fire hoses on them to gain control and sent them to their cells unfed. This stand by the state's only woman sheriff was front-page news in the Chicago Tribune. Following a campaign that included this newspaper advertisement, Helena garners more votes than her three opponents combined in the April primary. In November 1928, she was elected to complete the final two years of her husband's unexpired term.

Picture and historical information used with permission of Sue Breese and the Joiner Room Staff.

See More Like This In
Images of America-Sycamore
Available from Borders, Barnes and Noble, Amazon and at Local Stores

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Copying/Scanning/Mailing Pricing

$ .25/page......Photocopy by patron at JHR

.50/page......Photocopies by JHR staff

2.00/scan......By JHR researcher

2.00/each......Photo quality prints

Scans will be emailed. To keep your costs down, we will try to get as much on one scan as possible. Photocopies by JHR staff and photo quality prints are sent U.S. mail only. Postage is also charged.

Information of Interest …

Obituary Database Under Construction

We are working on putting approximately 40,000 obits into an online, searchable data base. When completed, you will be able to search by name, year of death and cemetery name. Also available will be the ability to view all the obits in order of name, and in order of death date. Each obituary is being scanned and you will be able to print a copy of the obit.

This is a major project for our small staff of volunteers and interns. This is an ongoing project and no completion date has been established. This database is available now by clicking on the icon above.. If you don't find the obit you are looking for, contact the Joiner History Room.

We thank the Douglas C. Roberts Family for making this possible.

Sycamore True Republican Newspaper Is Online and Searchable

The Joiner History Room, the DeKalb County archive, announces the completion of a year long project to digitize the Sycamore True Republican. The Joiner History Room along with the University of Illinois and Shaw Media, parent company of the DeKalb Chronicle, has worked to digitize the Sycamore True Republican from 1868 through 1968. Funded by a grant from the Douglas C. Roberts Family, the newspaper is fully searchable for those years and available online, free for everyone. The Sycamore True Republican was one of DeKalb County’s longest published newspapers, recording our early history. It is the hope of all involved that this digitization will help preserve the rich history that was reported in the newspaper and make it accessible for everyone who wishes to use it for genealogy or historical research purposes. The newspapers can be accessed from the website at the University of Illinois through their Illinois Digital Newspaper Collection (IDNC) at www.library.illinois.edu/dnc/idnc.

NEW!
Picture Puzzles
Help us identify the people in the pictures.
One has been solved!

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The December 2011 Issue of the
Joiner Room Journal is Online
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Can You Help?

The Joiner History Room is seeking to add to its archives pre 1960 telephone books and city directories for the cities of Dekalb and Sycamore. We are also interested in historical documents pertaining to DeKalb County. You don't have to send the original historical document, copies will be just as good. If you have such an item to donate, please email the Joiner History Room. In the subject line enter "Item to Donate." Thank you.

Past Website Articles

Changling Movie Has DeKalb County Connection

Chicago and North Western Depot

Letitia Westgate and the 1902 Smallpox Season

Early Weather Reporting

The Lincoln Statue

First Jury of Sycamore Women

Sycamore Electric Company

Sycamore Wagon Works

Obituary of Phyllis I. Horton Kelly

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They Should

Every well regulated family in the city should keep a pig. Every well regulated family is supposed to have lot room so the pig would not be offensive to their neighbor. Every family throws out slop enough to keep a common fair minded pig and when it begins to get hoggish a little, meal soaked in water will cater nicely to his taste. One can as well raise $25 worth of pork every six months as not and to many of the poorer families this would be a big help, and none of us acknowledge we are any too well off financially. So we repeat, buy a pig.

Source: Sycamore Daily Recorder, August 19, 1882