Citizens Savings and Loan of Normal purchased the assets of the El Paso Building and Loan Association and opened an office at 15 West Front Street, December 17, 1973. Plans are underway to build a new office on West Front Street at Michigan in 1974. Stephen Thompson is local manager.

In 1973, Woodford County Swine Breeders, Inc. was formed by Don Ioerger, Kenton Zellmer, Curt Mahaffey, Clifford Krug, Louis Ulbrich, and Merrick Hayes. Two cement and steel buildings – one measuring 34 x 300 feet, the other 34 x 400 feet – were built in Panola Township about two miles east of U. S. 51. A confinement-type of swine production is being carried on there with Clifford Krug as manager. Three hundred fifty sows are kept with an anticipated production of 5,000 head of hogs annually.

Another new business which started in 1973 was Linco Equipment, Inc. This business is owned and operated by James Pfab, with his wife helping out as his bookkeeper. The Pfabs moved to this community from Iowa where he had farmed for several years. Linco Equipment is a distributor for Henderson Manufacturing Company which makes fertilizer applicators and some related equipment.

To date, the newest business in El Paso is The Carriage House, which is owned and operated by Mr. and Mrs. Donald Mool. They plan to stock their business with paints, wallpaper and other decorating materials. Mr. Mool also plans to do interior and exterior painting. The Carriage House is located at 115 West Front Street.

PANOLA – On August 3, 1967, a fire of undetermined origin destroyed the El Paso Elevator Company's elevator in the north part of town. The elevator had a capacity of 100,000 bushels, but only a small amount of grain was in it when the fire was discovered at 1:20 a.m.

Another large fire at Panola occurred October 9, 1972, when a large pile of cobs owned by Russell Charlett caught fire and burned. The blaze was visible for many miles, and the pile smoldered for several days. The cobs had been stock-piled by Charlett for shipment to Tennessee where cobs are processed for use as industrial abrasives.

During the summer of 1972, the south fork of Panther Creek, which drains approximately 18,000 acres in the Panther Creek Drainage District, was cleaned of sediment. The creek, which flows east from the Illinois Central Railroad south of St. Mary's Cemetery, was straightened and deepened in some places in 1920. This was done to provide better drainage for the south portion of Panola Township, the north portions of El Paso and Gridley Townships, and the southwest sections of Waldo Township which are known locally as "Poverty Flats". In seasons of heavy rainfall, many fields were flooded for weeks, causing heavy crop losses. The creek was last cleaned in 1947.

In April, 1972, a large crane and bulldozer operated by Ralph T. Smith of Normal began the cleanup operation, which cost approximately $38,000. Landowners who benefited from the work were taxed $4 per acre. The work was completed in November. An unusually large

Page 353

Go to previous page

Go to next page

Go to El Paso Story gateway page