Day in history for March 31, 2004

1854 -- 150 years ago

The new woodhouse at the depot was blown down by strong winds yesterday.

1879 -- 125 years ago

Men who boast of their walking prowess are issuing challenges for more marathon walking races to be held in Turner's Hall.

1904 -- 100 years ago

John L. Sullivan, once the great fighting champion, is now so overweight he can hardly walk. His hair is white, and his face is wrinkled.

1929 -- 75 years ago

The weather outlook is for showers and cooler on Easter.

1954 -- 50 years ago

Somewhere between 25,000 and 30,000 marbles, varying from the tiny commies to the huge, heavy 2-inch diameter boulders are in the strange but fascinating collection gathered together over a span of 52 years by Ludwig P. Chansky, 60, of 1717 25th St., Rock Island. He has about 3,500 of the commies, the small clay-type marble rarely seen anymore. He has chinnie marbles and a number of bonnies, which were originally made from a large dice.

1979 -- 25 years ago

David Stone, president of the Whiteside County Farm Bureau Board, put a little corn in his car's fuel tank when he was the first customer for gasohol at the Whiteside FS Inc. in Lyndon. Gasohol is a mixture of 90 percent regular or unleaded gasoline and 10 percent alcohol made from corn. Gasohol could provide an economic boost for farmers by cutting the corn surplus and giving farmers a second product market.

Back: Available days in March 2004