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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

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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
April 29, 2015

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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, uncopyrighted material in the public domain.

The Class of 1905

The 1905 Polaris

The 1905 Polaris

1905 was the first year the Polaris came out under the current name. It was the name of the school newspaper, with the final edition as a yearbook.

Unfortunately, the photos of the Class of 1905 are only identified by last name, so as I discovered first names, I added them. The only one I haven't identified is Miss Gale. Anyone know who she was?.

Harry Angle, manufacturer, Freeport.

Eva Armour, Chicago.

Margaret E. Armstrong, married Mr. Engle, Freeport.

Lura Bennethum, bookkeeper for Dr. Bowers, Freeport.

Florence Brubaker, Principal, Mt. Carroll High School

Bessie Capron.

Clarence W. Chapman, Moline Plow Co., Freeport.

Laura Clark, Freeport.

Arthur Clermont, Fairmount, New Hampshire.

Edith Courtney, teacher, Freeport.

Roy Cromley, Cedarville.

Frank E. Dailey, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Earl Eichelberger, bookkeeper, Rockford.

Ethel Ferries, Freeport.

Elta Flachtemeier,

Paul Frank, Moline Plow Co., Freeport.

Alice Frey, stenographer, Freeport.

Madge Furry, Freeport.

Miss Gale,

Oscar Heard Jr., reporter, Bulletin, Freeport.

Margaret Hershey, teacher, Freeport.

Mary Alice Hill, teacher, FHS.

Herbert Hime,

Oscar Hively, engineer, Kansas City, Missouri.

Carrie Hoefer, U. of W. Class of 1910, Freeport.

Laura Hoefer, teacher, Freeport.

Earl Huenkemeier, University of Chicago.

Ada Hunt, U of I, Ridott.

Nellie Jones, stenographer, Freeport.

Eloise Kintzel, teacher, Freeport

Cora Koenig, bookkeeper, Freeport.

Elenora Lamm,

Flora Lamm, married Mr. Newberger, Ridott.

Louis Lebkicker,

Elsie Mallory, married Mr. Coon, Freeport.

Frank Markel, advertising manager for newspaper, Portland, Oregon.

Florence Marr, married Mr. Dannhuerer, Racine, Wisconsin.

Jane McConville, teacher, Freeport.

Charles McCool, draftsman, Moline Plow Co., Freeport.

Lillian McGrath, teacher, Freeport.

Anna Meyer, teacher.

Ralph Morris, banker, Portland, Oregon.

Anna Myers,

Mary O'Connor, teacher, Freeport.

Jane Osborne, teacher, Freeport.

Claude Parks, Freeport.

Stephen Rigney, U of W Class of 1910, Scioto Mills.

Ellen Runner, Freeport.

Lillian Rust, married Mr. Fry, Freeport.

Melville Schaub, Miller Jourden & Carroll, Freeport.

George W. Schoeffel, U of I Class of 1910, Freeport.

Albert Steffen, traveling salesman, Freeport.

Helen Louise Strong, married Mr. Hartman, Freeport.

Charles Sullivan,

Mary Sullivan, teacher, Freeport.

Ethel Taggart, Rockford College, Ridott.

Norman Tuckett, Tuckett & Sons, Freeport.

Walter W. Vautsmeier, West Point, Class of 1910. An aviator in World War I, Major Vautsmeier died, along with 23 others, in a hydrogen-filled balloon that crashed near Norfolk, Virginia in February 1922 during a test flight of the U. S. Navy Zeppelin, Roma.

Ada Voigt, Freeport.

Alfreda Voigt, teacher, Freeport.

Luetta Voigt, teacher in rural school, Freeport.

Dan Voss,

Mazie Warner, teacher, Freeport.

Bessie Weisser, Rockford.

Chester C. Wells, U of W, Freeport.

Jessie Wilson, teacher, Freeport.

The Senior Class of 1905

The Senior Class of 1905.

Top row: Mallory, McConville, Runner, Huenkemeier, Cromley, Strong, Markel.
Third row:
Hunt, Frank, Hershey, Angle, Rigney.
Second row: Marr, McCool, Bennethum, Steffen, McGrath, Ferries, Eichelberger, Warner.
Front row: Voigt, Jones, Clermont, O'Connor, Schaub, Gale, Voigt.

The Senior Class of 1905

Top Row: Koenig, Osborne, Kintzel, Morris, Furry, Capron, Tuckett.
Third row: Wells, Armour, Hill, Vautsmeier, Brubaker, Schoeffel.
Second row: Hively, Clark, Voigt, Armstrong, Sullivan, Taggart.
Front row: Heard, Hoeffer, Rust, Meyer, Parks, Hoefer, Daily.

Volume 1, Number 8

Volume 1, Number 8. The Polaris. Freeport, Illinois, June, 1905. Principal L. A. Fulwider.

Some prominent Freeport buildings

Some prominent Freeport buildings are shown. Top left, City Hall. Bottom left, the YMCA (across the street southeast from the Courthouse. Center, the Carnegie Library. Top right, The Freeport Club. Bottom right, the Post Office and U. S. Court.

Baccalaureate
Baccalaureate

Commencement
Commencement

The Polaris Staff

The Polaris Staff

Top row: David Graham - Exchange, George Schoefffel - Business Manager, Edward Luebbing - Assistant, Harry Angle - Forum, Kenneth Burrell - Junior, Clarence Chapman - Athletics.
Middle row: Florence Brubaker - Associate, Charles Sullivan - Sophomore, Chester Wells - Editor, Edith Swingley - Junior, Laura Hoefer - Alumni, Fenton.
Front row: Jane Osborne - Proof Reader, Clarence Young - Freshman, Lillian Rust - Sigma Delta, Marjorie Verbeck - Sophomore.
Not shown: Clara Ryan - Sophomore Literary, Margaret Armstrong - Senior, Joseph Faubel - Staff Artist, Helen Strong - Proof Reader.

Forum

The Forum boys' literary society, first organized by Prof. Scrogin in 1900.

Top row: McColloch, Wheeler, Sullivan, Vautsmeier, Erwin, Wells, Parks.
Third row: Hively, Luebbing, Angle, Rigney, Leibetrau, Fitch.
Second row: Holmes, Schulte, Steffen, Burrell, Eichelberger, Nestlerode, Madden.
Front row: Rigney, Davenport, Schoeffel, Wagner, Nolting, Graham, Schaub.

Sigma Delta

Sigma Delta literary society of FHS was organized in September 1904, composed of Junior and Senior girls.

Top row: Gale, Bricker, Armstrong, Jones, Caapron, Brice, Mayer, Rust, Warner, McGrath.
Fourth row: Osborne, Marr, Swingley, Runner, Jones, Bennethum, Hill, Hoefer, Kintzle, Furry, Hill.
Middle row: Chapple, Hill, Littwinkski, Wilson, Voight, Dryer, Brubaker, koenig, Strong.
Second row: Holland, Ziegler, Figely, Grant, Ditzler, Lamm, Ferries, Watson.
Front row: Vaupel, Jones, Murphy, Brine, Armour, Courtney, O'Connor, Hoefer, Voigt.

The Palladians

The Palladians began in the spring of 1905, consisting of Sophomore girls.

Top row: Ewing, Youngblut, Hill, Kelly, Hoover, Baltser.
Third row: Kruse, Trotter, Collins, Rosenstiel, Barshinger, Kruse, Faerber.
Second row: Peight, Grattelo, Wagner, Brown, Parks, Moore.
Front row: Gale, Leitzell, Ryan, Verbeck, Frey, Wagner.

The 1905 Debating Team.

The 1905 Debating Team.

The first Freeport High School debate team. Coach McGill, Wagner, Schoeffel, Burrell.

The 1904-1905 Basketball Team.

The 1904-1905 Basketball Team.

Top row: Rogers, Hively.
Middle row: McCool, Hime, Luebbing, Erwin.
Front row: Hanke, Schmelzle.

The 1904-05 basketball team were the Champions of Northern Illinois outside of Chicago. FHS outscored their opponents during the season by 554 to 285. The Northwestern Illinois High School League was created by Principal Fulwider. The State basketball tournament wasn't organized until 1908, so the team could not show their skills further than the Northern Illinois championship tournament.

The 1905 Girl's Basketball Team.

The 1905 Girl's Basketball Team.

Standing: Chapple, Jones, Jones, Runner, Hill, Hunt, McConville, Capron, Ditzler.
Seated: Hill, Ficeley.

How about those uniforms?

The Second Basketball Team.

The Second Basketball Team.

Standing: Schaub, Rogers, Schoeffel.
Seated: Chapman, Hanke, Hively, Clermont, Hoefer.

The 1904 Football team.

The 1904 Football team.

Standing: Gleason, Holmes, Wagner, Vautsmeier, Angle, McCool, Chapman, Nolting.
Seated: Goddard, Wheeler, Patton, Erwin, Schmelzle, M. Rigney, S. Rigney.
Front: Voss, Clermont.

The 1904 Football team had its most successful season ever, winning half its games!

The Second Football Team, 1904.

The Second Football Team, 1904.

Standing: Nichols, Coach Nestlerode, Madden, Behcenbach, Hutchins, H. Young.
Seated: F. Young, Fitch, Meisenbach, McCann, Best.
Front: Angle, Thorn.

The 1905 Baseball team.

The 1905 Baseball team.

Standing: McColloch, Goddard, Meisenbach.
Middle: Nestlerode, Clermont, Schmelzle, Voss.
Front: Young, Zanoni, Best.

The 1905 Track Team.

The 1905 Track Team.

Standing: Voss, Jones, Rigney, Goddard, Luebbing, McCool, Young.
Seated: Schmelzle, Madden, Meisenbach, Angle, Clermont.

The first ever Northwestern Illinois High School League track meet was held in Freeport. The league consisted of schools from Freeport, Lanark, Mt. Carroll, Rockford, Savanna and Warren. Freeport finished 4th. Clermont won the 220 yard hurdles for Freeport with a time of 28 seconds.

Freeport Manual Training School.
Freeport Manual Training School.

Freeport High School's most popular department appears to be wood shop. Note the mess on the floor!

Manual Training Exhibit.

Manual Training Exhibit.

Some of the articles made in Instructor Seefelder's department during the year. Considering the mess in the photo above this one, some fine furniture, clocks and frames have been made.

1905 Treble Clef Club.

1905 Treble Clef Club.

Back row: Jungkune, Hill, Windecker, Kelly, Starkweather, Rowland, Smith.
Front row: Holmes, Fenton, Furry, Instructor Hewitt, Kintzel, Dryer, Rust.

Assembly Hall
Assembly Hall

Every year advertising from local businesses makes it possible to publish the Polaris. Above & below are some of the 11 pages of ads from Freeport supporters.


The back cover of the Polaris.

My copy of the 1905 Polaris came to me in battered condition with a loose cover. Bending it to put it onto a flatbed scanner to share with all of you has made it worse. But I thought that this was well worth sharing. I don't know who owned this copy for the first 100 years. Inside was a clipping, probably from an earlier issue of the Polaris student newspaper of an attractive young woman:


Does anyone know who she was?


World War I Veterans from the Class of 1905

Herbert Hime, Officer's Training School, Camp Taylor, Kentucky.

Major Walter W. Vaustmeier, Aviation, Camp Kelly, San Antonio, Texas.


Oscar Hively was Superintendent of Highways for 37 years.


The 1905 Polaris has an article about the FHS Alumni Association, which was founded in December of 1904. It does not say which class each alumnus is from:

Office
Graduate
President
Al Fleck
1st Vice President
Katherine Porter
2nd Vice President
Ada Naylor
Secretary
Iva Swingley
Treasurer
Clinton Bennethum
Banquet Committee
Mrs. J. F. Fair
Banquet Committee
George Graham
Banquet Committee
Florence Miller
Banquet Committee
Oscar Dorman
Banquet Committee
Sarah Curtis
Membership
Ada Towslee
Membership
Paul Fair
Membership
Mary Stearns
Membership
Dr. Fred Bowers
Membership
Mrs. C. Fred Kuehner
Membership
Charles Green
Membership
Gertrude Hea
Membership
Walter Pfender
Athletics
Hon. O. E. Heard
Athletics
Dr. Louis Voigt
Athletics
Charles Bentley
Educational Progress
Alice Brown
Educational Progress
H. M. Barnum
Educational Progress
Miss Pattison
School Decoration
Winnie Taylor
School Decoration
Charles Hildreth
School Decoration
Mrs. D. B. Breed
School Decoration
Flora Guiteau

 


card postmarked 1905

Card postmarked 1905 showing Freeport looking northwest from the city limits. The Hobart M. Cable Company, locally known as the Organ Factory, is shown near the center. The railroad tracks are just visible in front of the winding Pecatonica River. The card was printed at Wagner Printing in Freeport.

First ME Church

Photo of the First M. E. Church, erected 1905.

1905 Letter

Letter postmarked December 3, 1905, from Freeport.


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.

1905
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

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