The following is the Eighteenth of a multi-part article about the timeline of Chillicothe, IL. This article will illustrate the key dates along with the key individuals who helped to shape our city’s great history.

1968 – North Chillicothe Village Board President Henry Terveen resigns his position due to health reasons. Village Board Trustee Marty Gollnitz has been appointed to fill the rest of his term. 

1968 – The final graduation exercises for the Union Community Consolidated Grade School took place on May 24, 1968 with eleven graduates completing the ceremony

1968 – The final commencement exercises for Chillicothe Township High School took place on June 5, 1968. One hundred sixty-eight seniors receive their diplomas for the last class of Chillicothe Township High School District 115. The high school will be part of the new Unit District 321 after July 1, 1968.

1968 – The voters of the City of Chillicothe and the Village of North Chillicothe voted to approve the annexation of North Chillicothe to the City of Chillicothe. Twice before, in 1952 and 1966, the voters of the Village of North Chillicothe had defeated the proposition. On October 8, 1968, the voters of North Chillicothe broke precedent and approved the annexation with 373 votes in favor and 298 against. On Tuesday, October 15, 1968, the voters of Chillicothe registered resounding approval of the annexation, with 723 votes in favor and 51 against.

1968 – Tuesday, November 12, 1968, marked the end of the Village of North Chillicothe when Village President Marty Gollnitz officially handed over the gavel to Chillicothe Mayor Harold Pribble. North Chillicothe was formed in the early 1870s primarily when the Santa Fe railroad came to town, about one mile outside of Chillicothe. It was incorporated in 1890.

1968 – Dr. A. Lee Aeschliman has been appointed as the first superintendent of the newly formed Illinois Valley Central District Unit 321. A native of Wadena, Iowa, Dr. Aeschliman brings 19 years of professional experience as a teacher and coach at Grand Junction, Iowa. His new office for the unit district will be located in the former Union Grade School building.

1968 – Rescue 33 Ambulance incorporates and is now separate from the North Chillicothe Fire Department. Founders of the organization are Joe Kennington, Earl Fulton, Bob Fulton, Ron Foster, Sonny Johnson, Glenn Koch, Jim Ladd, Robert Ladd, Bill Prather, Lowell Rudolphi, Bob Semtner, and Don Wiseman.

1969 – In the first election since the annexation, Chillicothe found itself in a three-way race for the new Mayor of Chillicothe. Incumbent Mayor Harold Pribble was up against Democrat challenger Bertie King and Independent challenger and former mayor Everett Rose. A record-setting tally of votes had King emerging as the winner to become the 28th Mayor in the city’s history. Pribble received 415 votes behind Rose’s 597 and King’s 696. King becomes the first elected Mayor of the unified community. Other election results included Ilion Wait Crabel winning re-election as City Clerk against challenger Juanita Semtner. In a close race, Crabel received 916 votes to Semtner’s 751. This marked Crabel’s fifteenth re-election.

1969 – Elmyra M. Koch, widow of Kenneth C. Koch carries out the development of Hillcrest Park Subdivision Section 3, located within lot 2 of the Hillcrest Park Subdivision. This is a thirty-seven-lot subdivision that extends south from Hillcrest Park Section 2. Streets within the subdivision include Sweetbriar Drive, Hillcrest Drive, and Ridgewood Dr. 

1969 – The city council approved the annexation of the Mullen Manor 4th Extension subdivision west of town. The fourteen-lot subdivision will be extended to the south and the west of the existing Mullen extensions. 

1970 – Chillicothe Park District opens the new pool at Shore Acres on June 30, 1970. The state-of-the-art Pool replaces the old pool that sat behind the Shore Acres Clubhouse for the last forty years. The total cost of the construction was $200,000 ($1.62 million in today’s economy). George Taylor, Superintendent of Parks, always has five lifeguards on duty. Lifeguards on staff are Pat Kehr, Don White, Mason Minnes, Pam Mullen, Joyce Stiers, and Melissa Hicks.

1970 – The referendum for the Illinois Valley Central Unit District 321 to finance a new high school in Chillicothe was soundly defeated. The $3.58 million bond issue was defeated by a count of 640 in favor versus 2,497 votes against. Had the bond issue been approved, it would have meant an average tax increase of 36 cents per $100 valuation over the next 14 years.

1971 – City Council approves the ten-lot subdivision known as Placher Court Addition by William and Eve Traub. The subdivision is an extension to Placher Court Road in the Wilson Addition subdivision that was originally laid out in 1948.

1971 – Chillicothe State Bank opens their new bank on February 15, 1971, at Second and Chestnut Streets at the location formerly known as Skot’s Supermarket. Harry F. Miller is President, William H. Curtis is Executive Vice President, and Jack Peterson is cashier. The Board of Directors are Harry F. Miller, Willard H. Curtis, John R. Peterson, Joseph T. Fennell, Anthony G. Gensler, Dr. Edward Newhaven, Carl E. Phillips, William M. Traub, and Edward R. Wyckoff.

1971 – The Chillicothe Historical Society is incorporated on April 6, 1971. Officers for the Historical Society are C. Richard Smith, President, R. H. Zinser, Treasurer, and Theda G. Allen, Secretary. The newly formed society was incorporated as a Not-for-Profit corporation.

1972 – The Pearce Mustangs boys lightweight team win the IESA Boys State Basketball Tournament. Coached by Tony Blew, the Mustangs defeated Rantoul 58–56. Starters for the state champs were Tony Razo, Alex Razo, Marty Miller, Jim Thorton, and Mike Rushin. Mike Nibbelin and Mark Mead provided the much-needed spark off the bench to help propel the mustangs to victory. Other team members included Joe Bailey, Jeff Chamberlain, Troy Childers, John Coates, Steve Connor, Mark Gronewald - MGR, Tom Kehr, Brian Lauber, Steve McAllister, Joe McMillan, Mike Vaughn, Chuck Walker, and Keith Williams – MGR. 

1972 – George Taylor retires after 27 years as the head Football Coach for Chillicothe High School. A retirement dinner honoring Taylor was highlighted by a phone call from California Governor Ronald Reagan, teammate at Eureka College. Coach Taylor finished with an overall record of 156 wins, 81 losses, and 12 ties.