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

1977 – Barbara Scheeler, a resident of Dunlap, Illinois is sworn into duty becoming the first female Police Officer in the history of Chillicothe, IL.

1977 – Alderman Richard L. Fislar is elected as the new Mayor of Chillicothe. Fislar became the 28th Mayor in the city’s history by defeating incumbent Mayor Harold Pribble. Fislar received 857 votes to Pribble’s 512. In other election results, Ilion Wait Crabel won re-election as City Clerk. This marked Crabel’s sixteenth consecutive term. Crabel, a 50-year veteran of the clerk’s office, ran unopposed and totaled 1,094 votes to lead all city-wide candidates. She polled 78.4 percent of the possible votes.

1977 – George Taylor, former Chillicothe IVC High School football coach, has been elected to the Illinois Coaches Association Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony was held at their banquet at the Ramada Inn Convention Center in Champaign.

1977 – Chillicothe’s first radio station, with call letters WCLL 94.3 goes on the air in Chillicothe on May 16, 1977.  Owned by Chilli Communications, Inc, a company run by William and Helen Engelbrecht of Henry.  The studios and transmitter are located at the northeast corner of Second Street and Chestnut Street.  Larry Weatherford, General Manager, and Bill Burns, Program Director will handle the management of the station.  

1977 – On September 9, the IVC Grey Ghosts football team opened their season against the Princeton Tigers. This game marked the first football game at the new stadium. IVC won the inaugural stadium opener 22-0, shutting out the Tigers. Dan Mooney, the team’s quarterback, led them to victory. Mooney scored the first touchdown on the new field with a two-yard run. Brian LeMaster and Cory Smith also added touchdowns in the game.

1977 – Chillicothe Federal Savings and Loan celebrates its 90th Anniversary with a grand opening at its new location at 917 N. Fourth Street.  The Board of Directors for CFSL includes James F. Whalen, President; Dr. C.F. Case, Vice President; Ross Palcher, Vice President; Walter F. Guigler, Secretary-Managing Officer; Kenneth L. Mills, Treasurer; Verne A. Nothdurft, Direct; George L. Stumbaugh, Director; Jack Gleich, Director; and Ralph L. Cusac, Director.

1977 – Victor and Theresa Heuermann with Custom Builders and Terra Development Company plat out a 75-lot subdivision on 20+ acres west of Westaire Subdivision on the north side of Cloverdale Road.  Street names within the subdivision include West Clover Drive and Cloverfield Drive.

1978 – Ilion Wait Crabel is recognized by the members of the Illinois House of Representatives with a resolution congratulating her for five and one-half decades of service to Chillicothe.  Ilion Crabel was first elected to a tw0-year term in 1923. She has since been re-elected to six two-year terms and ten four-year terms. 

1978 – Two changes took place on April 8th in Chillicothe. The first change took place when the Truitt-Matthews First National Bank officially changed its name to First National Bank.   The second change was the bank moving into their new home at the corner of Walnut and Fourth Street.  The bank and the name Truitt-Matthews have been a part of the Chillicothe Community for over 110 years.

1978 – Wendy’s Old-Fashioned Hamburgers opened its doors in Chillicothe on Tuesday, July 18 at the northeast corner of Fourth Street and Sycamore Street.  Wendy’s becomes the first franchised fast-food restaurant to open in Chillicothe.

1978 – Taylor Field, the new IVC High School football field is dedicated in honor of former football coach George Taylor.  Taylor compiled a record of 162 wins, 79 losses and 11 ties over his 27 years of coaching the Grey Ghosts.

1978 – The City Council approved a twenty-seven-lot subdivision in west Chillicothe, known as Area Growth Subdivision Extension 2. Developed by the Area Growth Corporation, with James E. Whalen serving as President, it is situated north of the Area Growth Subdivision, North of Walnut Street, and west of Bradley Avenue. The streets within the subdivision will include Chestnut Street, and Stanley Avenue.

1979 – Grecian Gardens, owned by Pano and Louis Trilikis opened for business on April 5th in the location formerly housed by Michael’s restaurant. The Trilikis brothers operated two Peoria restaurants, T & T Snack Shop and Athens restaurant since 1962 and 1968 respectively.   

1979 – Former Chillicothe and Illinois Valley Central High School principal Lonnie Parr passed away at age sixty-eight.  He started his career at Chillicothe High School in 1939 and taught English and History.  Parr spent eighteen months in the South Pacific as an executive officer during World War II.  He returned to Chillicothe in 1946 and became principal two years later.  He served as Principal from 1948 until his retirement in 1973.

1979 – The Chillicothe Park District board voted to issue $75,000 in general obligation bonds for the construction of two tennis courts on the north side of the swimming pool at Shore Acres Park.

1980 – The new McDonalds restaurant opens at the south edge of Chillicothe in Plaza Park north of the Plymouth Congregational Church.

1980 – The IVC varsity football team snapped a 23-game losing streak on Halloween night.  The team beat Bloomington Central Catholic by the score of 20-13.  The team coached by Ron Taylor, marked the first win on Taylor Field which is named for Coach Taylor’s father and legendary Coach, George Taylor.

1980 – J.C. Penney moves to its new location on Walnut Street in the building that was recently vacated by the Coast-to-Coast Store.  J.C. Penney had been at their location on Second Street since before the turn of the century and operated as the Golden Rule Store.  J.C. Penney Purchased the Golden Rule store in 1929.

1980 – The IVC High School Library was dedicated to the memory of Lonnie Parr, whose career in the local school system had spanned 34 years.

1980 to be continued next month