Day in history for May 15, 2001

1876 -- 125 years ago

The fire last night on the bluffs back of Wagner's Brewery was a 1-story dwelling house belonging to Mr. Ben Harper.

1901 -- 100 years ago

A site on Second Avenue and Sixteenth Street, Rock Island, was secured on which to build the Illinois Theater.

1926 -- 75 years ago

Arrangements for the maintenance of a steady volume of outgoing mail for airplane transportation from Rock Island were made by the board of governors of the traffic bureau of the Rock Island chamber of commerce.

1951 -- 50 years ago

A total of 13,400 pounds of clothing, nearly seven tons, was collected for Lutheran World Relief in the spring drive just ending, according to Dr. E.E. Ryden, editor of the Augustana Lutheran, who headed the collection project. The clothing, intended for refugees in Europe, Korea and the Near East, was packed in a boxcar Saturday morning by 12 students from Augustana Theological Seminary. It was weighed yesterday afternoon.

1976 -- 25 years ago

Jim Blade, son of Mr. and Mrs. Bert Blade of Lynn Center, already deeply engrossed in auctioneering at the age of 15, got his start when he was much younger. His mother said ``Jim would grab anything that even looked like a microphone and constantly talk into it.'' Jim took a course by mail in auctioneering, but it did not help as much as actually listening to other auctioneers.

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