Years Gone By

5 years ago:

     • Monticello, ranked first in Class 2A for both boys and girls, made history in several ways while sweeping the River Valley Conference Cross Country Meet Oct. 15 at Monticello High School. The boys won the championship by 28 points, their 13^th conference title out of the past 14 seasons. The girls were also champions. It was the fourth time this season that Monticello won both the boys’ and girls’ titles in the same meet.  (10/21/2015)

     • On Nov. 20, UnityPoint Clinic will open an Urgent Care Clinic at Jones Regional Medical Center in the new Center for Specialty Medicine, in Anamosa. Urgent Care will offer after-hours care for non-emergency situations.  (10/21/2015)

15 years ago:

     • The Monticello Eagles are officially on their way to having a permanent place to land. Ground was broken last week for the Eagles’ new 7,440-square-foot building at 102 Lindner Court in the north part of Monticello. The building will include a bar and a banquet hall. (10/19/2005)

30 years ago:

     • Monticello residents will continue to receive a quarterly water bill instead of moving to a monthly billing system. City water bills took a substantial jump when new water rates went into effect June 1, and one reason for considering the monthly billing system was to make it easier for residents to budget for the higher bills. (10/17/1990)

75 years ago:

     • Gilbert Hay has contracted to operate the Sinclair filling station at the corner of Main and Oak streets in Monticello. This is the corner where the road turns to Scotch Grove. (10/18/1945)

     • Come on all you hep cats and cut a rug. The traditional homecoming dance comes around Nov. 2, after the West Liberty game. This is to take place at the community building and there is to be a real live orchestra instead of the usual records. To top it off we are going to select Monti Hi’s first homecoming queen. “M” Club and the band are sponsoring this big event. (10/18/1945)

100 years ago:

     • An unusually large quantity of sorghum molasses has been manufactured in this locality this fall. The farmers planted an increased acreage of sorghum, and the weather being extremely favorable, with no frost hard enough to injure the cane the resulting product has been unusually good. This sorghum has been made in small mills in various localities, operated by some farmer, who reduces not only his own, but his neighbor’s cane to molasses. This sorghum is being marketed at an average of $1.50 per gallon. The sorghum is very acceptable on buckwheat pancakes, in ginger bread, baked beans, and molasses taffy. (10/21/1920)

     • There is talk that a new Milwaukee time card will be out before long. The dope is that Higgins’ train, the passenger between here and Davenport will leave Monticello a little earlier in the morning and return an hour earlier in the evening. (10/21/1920)