Wilma Tolley took some really dramatic images of the McLean County Courthouse (Now our McLean County Museum of History!) in 1949. Jack Beaver was up on the very top of the dome painting the flagpole. They were carefully maintaining the courthouse for future use, even the flagpole was important!!!
Wilma Tolley even took a picture looking over the edge of the roof, looking down over the corner of Jefferson and Main.
Fires were another source of drama, one that could rarely be resisted. This fire in the 300 block of South East Street destroyed a storage building when the Piggly Wiggly was keeping boxes there.
When a fire occurred in the Peoples Bank office, tenants in the building didn't even have time to leave the building before the fire fighters put out the fire. Unlike those of us who are reluctant to leave the building when the alarm goes off, they could just open the window and look out to see what all the fuss was about. The little boy in the sailor hat seems disappointed there wasn't more fire or smoke.
Sports have a different kind of drama. Here Ike LaBounty is competing in the broad jump for ISNU. The men watching are looking to where he will land! I don't remember a line ever being strung across the broad jump?
The drama of this shot is obvious. Will she make it . . . or not? (Guy fletcher and his tricky cat.)
All images from the Pantagraph Negative Collection, McLean County Museum of History.
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