The first commissioners were Arthur Henning, John F. Schofield, and John R. McKinney, appointed by County Judge Edward E. Robeson. Schofield and McKinney resigned in 1940, and George Burroughs and W. D. Kitchell were appointed that June. In 1954, the commissioners were Burroughs, E. A. Selk and Earl Burroughs. T. W. Wollenschlager, R. G. Pierce and W. F. Kitchell were the commissioners when the district was terminated. No other commissioners were appointed, and the drainage problems have become the responsibility of the City Council and its water committee.

SEWAGE SYSTEM – After numerous warnings by the state Sanitary Water Board that Panther Creek was being contaminated by sewage emptied into it from El Paso drain tiles, a deadline for action was set, with penalties for failure to act. A referendum was held on October 1, 1966 to authorize issuance of $300,000 general obligation (property tax) bonds, to help finance the project. A federal grant of $37,000 was allowed, and $735,000 was received from sale of revenue bonds to be paid over a 40 year period. The minimum water bill at that time was $4.50 for two months. This was increased to $12.60 for the same period to pay off the revenue bonds.

The project was approved by a vote of 285 to 101. Bids were let for the work on September 5, 1967. Normoyle & Berg of Rock Island was given the contract for installation of the lift station in town and the sewers on a bid of $727,953.50. A bid of $58,102 was made by Bill Martin of Bloomington for installation of concrete pipe from town to the lagoon located on the Hurd farm one mile north of town. The Rowe Construction Company of Bloomington bid $60,518.26 for construction of the lagoon, and received the contract. The site for the lift station was purchased from George McKinley for $750.

The lagoon was constructed in the fall of 1967, and the pipe from town to the lagoon was laid in the spring of 1968. Normoyle & Berg began sewer hookups in November, 1968, and most were completed during the following summer. A deadline for completion of the installation was extended several times, but in March, 1974 there were a few which had not yet been completed.

CHURCHES – The Centennial Chapel, located five miles west of Kappa was built in 1876 at a cost of $1,600 through cooperation of the United Brethren and Methodists. They held services there, more or less regularly. But members became affiliated with larger groups in neighboring communities, and services were finally discontinued. In 1959 and 1960, an interdenominational group held services there occasionally. Sometime during Sunday night, December 18, 1960, fire of undetermined origin, completely destroyed the building and contents. A four months old child who died in 1845 was the first burial in the cemetery which surrounded the church. Members of the Hart, Van Scyoc, Patterson, Grant, and Hexamer families are among area pioneer families buried there.

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