We now continue on with interesting news items from the 1952 Minonk News-Dispatch.

Jan. 3: Mrs. John Gregorich is closing out her grocery stock at the Quality Cash Market on the east side and will quit business. She has not sold the fixtures or rented the building. Mr. Gregorich, who started business there in 1930, passed away a year ago, after having carried on very successfully for over 20 years.

Jan. 10: Between 250 and 300 persons attended the grand opening of Copp's tavern on W. 5th, formerly Ketchy's, Monday night. Roast pig and dressing were the principal items of food.

Ray's motor sale (now Herman's Body Shop) is announcing the new 1952 Studebaker. Mr. Borens will be glad to show the new 120 horsepower Commander V-8 and a new champion in the low price field.

The Sky Room Tap, (on north Chestnut) formerly the B&G, operated by Art Gangister and Ed Buchness has been taken over by Mr. Gangister. He sells food, in addition to the liquor business and there is dancing every Saturday.

Jan. 17: Mr. and Mrs. M. E. Gardner, owners and operators of the Gardner Hatchery (now Al Snow's bowling lanes) gave a venison dinner to flock owners and a few friends at St. Paul's Evangelical and Reformed church last evening.

Jan. 24: Remodeling the city hall on W. 5th Street to make ample room for the fire trucks was given the go ahead sign. Major repairs are also needed for restoration of the city hall.

Perhaps one of the most popular artists on the WLS Barn Dance is Donald "Red" Blanchard, who will appear at the Minonk Tractor and Implement Co., Inc. Community Day party next Monday.

Jan. 31: The new Minonk legion building is now completed and it is open and available for the use of the general public.

The Minonk-Dana High School basketball squad won the school's seventh Woodford County basketball championship.

Feb. 21: M. H. Pfaffle, 90, a resident of Minonk for the last 78 years, died Sunday evening Feb. 17. His family moved to Minonk when he was 12.

When he was 19 he assembled and started the first twine binder to operate in Woodford County on July 2, 1881.

For 14 years, Mr. Pfaffle served as bookkeeper, office manager and machinist for numerous businesses; then in 1889 he started a photo studio and began to practice optometry. He discontinued the photography in 1916 but continued the optometry business until a year before his death. He owned the first low wheel bicycle in Minonk, and one of the first two automobiles, which he bought in 1904. Dissatisfied with the crude workmanship of those first cars, he built one of his own two years later, in 1906. It turned out to be one of the first which had the steering wheel on the left side.