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Robert Bike

Robert
Bike

Licensed Massage Therapy #5473
Eugene, Oregon

EFT-CC, EFT-ADV

Teaching Reiki Master

Life Coach

541-465-9486

Gift Certificates

Reiki
Private classes.
Biblical Aromatherapy
Therapeutic Essential
Oil Massages
Member
OMTA & ABMP
President of the Oregon Massage Therapists Association
2008-2010
& 2012-2013

I graduated from Freeport (Illinois) High School.
I'm a Pretzel!

FHS Reunions

Copyright 2002 - present

Latest Copyright
January 3, 2023

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Please help keep
this site free.
Buy one of my books, on sale below.
All sales go to help support this website.

Remarkable Stories,
Volume 1


by Robert Bike

Remarkable events have happened in Freeport and Stephenson County, Illinois, and remarkable people have lived there. These are stories gathered about people and events from 1835 through World War II.

By no means complete, these are overviews of lives and events which shaped our country and our world. From events in the lives of Tutty Baker, Abraham Lincoln, Charles Guiteau, Leonard Colby, Jane Addams and Bob Wienand come stories that will amaze you. Welcome to Volume 1 of our living history.

The author lives in Eugene, Oregon, and works as a Licensed Massage Therapist and Life Coach. An amateur historian, parts of these stories and many more appear on this website.

Buy now! Only 99 cents to download in .pdf format!

Want a paperback? List price $14.99, now only $11.99!

Biblical Aromatherapy

by Robert Bike

The Bible mentions about 232 plants by name, or closely enough to figure out what plant is meant. Of these, 24 are aromatic plants; that is, parts of the plants can be pressed or distilled to get an essential oil. Essential oils are the lifeblood of plants and have tremendous healing capabilities.

The healing power of plants is the basis for modern medicines.

Biblical Aromatherapy
discusses how the plants were used in biblical days and how you can use the essential oils from biblical plants.

Originally published in manuscript form in 1999, I completely revised the book and added illustrations.

To order Biblical Aromatherapy in paperback,
Click here.

List price $24.99; introductory offer $19.99


To order the pdf version and download to your computer or phone,

Click here.

The electronic version is only $2.99!

 

Publicity!

Olga Carlile, columnist for the Freeport (Illinois) Journal Standard, featured this website in her column on January 19, 2007.
Here is a jpg scan.

Harriet Gustason, another columnist for the Freeport Journal Standard, has featured this website twice. Click to see pdf of articles:
June 29, 2012
November 3, 2012

 

"My Life Purpose is to inspire my friends
and clients to achieve
success, health,
wealth and happiness
by empowering them
to reach their potential,
while living in harmony
with each other, animals
and our planet."
Robert Bike

Robert Bike, LMT, LLC

The Polaris is the high school annual from Freeport High School, Freeport, Illinois.

All text and photos Copyright 2002 - present Robert L. Bike, except for direct quotes from the Polaris, and other uncopyrighted material in the public domain.

The Class of 1890

Fred H. Bowers, dentist, Japan; later Freeport.

Charles H. Bucks, Bucks & Warner, Chicago; later Winona, Minnesota.

Mabel Clare DeVore, Freeport; later married Mr. Hitchner, Albia, Iowa.

Emily Doeserich, Sabula, Iowa; later married Mr. Neurome.

Katherine Finn, teacher, Freeport; later married Mr. Scanlan.

Rose E. Gross, Freeport.

Frederick M. Gund, assistant secretary of German Insurance, Freeport; later manager of Williamsburgh City Fire Insurance Company, Freeport.

Jennie May Potter, teacher, Freeport; married Mr. Jordan.

Clementine Roland, married Mr. Kennicott, Carbondale, Illinois.

William E. Ruston, minister, Freeport; later Fairly, Iowa.

Julia Schofield, married Mr. Liscom, Chicago; later Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

Matilda Smith, Freeport.

Edwin H. Smythe, inspector for Central Union Telephone Company, Chicago; later patent expert, Chicago.

William H. Staver, banker, Winfield, Kansas; later Mexico.

Sarah Helen Stevens, stenographer, Freeport; later Chicago.

Elmer E. Thayer, a well-known actor, later head of the Independent Coal Company


In the 1880s in Freeport, there were no hospitals, and few people saw the need for one. In December of 1886, the Muehlenhoff family contracted typhoid fever. The Reverand Father Clemens Kalvelage of St. Joseph's Church contacted the Sisters of Charity in Joliet, requesting help. Sister Mary Francis and Sister Mary Jerome nursed the family back to health. The community was impressed with their service, and plans began for Freeport's first hospital.

the origiinal St. Francis HospitalOn February 5, 1887, William Stoneman died. His will gave $7,000 to the City of Freeport for the establishment of a hospital.

In July of 1888, Father Kalvelage used his own funds to purchase two lots on S. Walnut Avenue. He travelled to Danville to visit their hospital, and returned with their floor plans. Ground was broken in the summer of 1889. The cornerstone was laid on September 1, 1889. The city sold to the hospital 50 cords of limestone valued at $5.00 per cord, though the debt was later forgiven. Many citizens donated money, sand, lime and cement. The masons at Flachtemeier's donated the labor of cutting the foundation stone.

Jacob Eberle and John Rodemeier excavated for the foundation. H. H. Upp was superintendent of construction. The Eberle Brothers did stone work. John Trunck did brick work. Charles Seifert was the carpenter. M. Scanlan did the plastering. Bouge and Swarz painted. Bartlett Hardware contracted for the steam heat. The tin slate for the roof came from Philadelphia; the galvanized cornices came from Milwaukee. The total cost of all the contractors was just $14,565.

The cross was erected on October 19.

On Lincoln's birthday in 1890, St. Francis Hospital was dedicated. The first patient arrived on February 14. Dr. W. L. Caldwell was the first doctor.

In May of 1893, the Henney Buggy Company donated an ambulance wagon, and Dr. J. H. Stealy donated the horse that pulled it.

In 1894, Dr. Caldwell donated a seven-foot statue of St. Francis of Assisi that had been made in Cologne, Germany, which was placed over the entrance.

In 1902, an addition was built at the south end of the original hospital. In 1909, when John Taylor died, he gave his driving park to the hospital. The city bought the park for the public's use from the hospital.

In 1923, the St. Francis Hospital School of Nursing was started. The Hospital, along with the Freeport Board of Education, offered a 52-week course in practical nursing. In 1926, the southern half of the hospital was built, with an exact replica of the Grotto of Lourdes on the grounds.

In 1942, St. Clare Convent was built to house the Sisters who worked in the hospital. During the polio epidemic of 1945, the first floor was reserved for polio patients. Four iron lungs were in use, and doctors and nurses from around the state came to help.

On a Saturday in July, 1965, St. Francis Hospital closed its doors. In the spring of 1967, the original hospital and the addition were torn down. The 1926 addition still stands, and houses the St. Francis School for Exceptional Children.

Father Kalvelage was also instrumental in the founding of St. Vincent's Orphanage.

For more information and photos, see 1948.


Elmer E. Thayer was born in Freeport June 24, 1872, a son of William H. and Letitia Thayer. He attended Freeport public schools and while still young started his career as an actor and musical comedy star, taking part in many home talent plays. Later he traveled throughout the country with his brothers, Otis B. Thayer and Ave Thayer, presenting "Sweet Clover." He acted for twenty years. For several years he was also a black-face comedian traveling throughout the United States and Canada and claimed he was the first black-face to successfully tour Canada.

He was the father of, Tiffany Thayer, a wildly popular author and actor, who dedicated his books to "Pops." In one copy he sent to his father, the first off the press, he wrote, "Just to be sure there is no dispute as to who owns this book, to 'Pops' from the 'keed.' Tiffany Thayer." In one novel he wrote: "To Pops, for whom the moral will be clear."

Elmer Thayer married Sybil Farrar in 1898. They had one son, Tiffany Thayer. In 1910 he married Mrs. Ora Johnson.

For the last nine years of his life Elmer Thayer was head of the Independent Coal Company.

He coached and directed home talent plays, being especially active in aiding in the presentation of plays offered by the young people of Immanuel Lutheran Church and Freeport High School. During World War One, Elmer was well known as a "minute man" speaker.


An advertisement and a coin for John Vaupel (1850-1928) Clothier, and two interior photos of tailors at work in Freeport, possibly Vaupel (but not labeled as such) from the same batch of photos. Why are the men sitting on the tables?


Ladies on a bridge in a Freeport park, about 1890.


Classroom 4, Third Ward School, 1890, with a photo inside the classroom and one on the front steps of the school.

A 1953 article in the Journal-Standard used a cut-off version of the photo and identified most of the people.

Note George Wilcoxon on the penny-farthing bicycle.

The man standing on the far right is the superintendent of schools, C. C. Snyder. His son, Dr. Karl Snyder, was a prominent Freeport physician and aviator.


Polaris Home

Freeport High School

Click on any year in the chart below to see the class and other info,
such as postcards, people and events from that year.

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

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