all the way to the Illinois Supreme Court:
Sterling Daily Gazette, June 17, 1937
This battle is one of 3 court cases that Uncle Clement tells about in his story. Hey Brothers won all 3. Early in his life story, Uncle Clement explains that he was quiet, but read and thought a lot. This explanation of his limited formal education (8th grade only) and consequent effort to educate himself is the context for the following excerpt.
"In business college I had commercial law. When I was working at age 18 or 19 I took several units of a correspondence law course which gave me more insight on others sides of law... In later business career I will cite several legal battles I fought and won, probably because I had a clearer view of my rights at law." "The case with Rockford was when they passed an ordinance for licensing ice cream manufacturers selling in Rockford, with provision that we must not only have a state license, which we had, but a city license subject "first" to approval of our plant by the city inspector, and stating that "IF" he was satisfied and we paid the fee we could get a city license. We did not take out a license because it was dependent on the "man's being satisfied" and it might take $10,000 to satisfy him. The lawyer thought that he could beat them on other grounds, but the court ruled the ordinance void on my grounds." (from "The Story of My Lifetime of 86 Years," by Clement Hey)
In a bench trial, Hey Brothers was awarded $31.46 over a debt owed by a Nellie Gohring. You can read the court documents. (5 pages. Scroll down.)
Hey Bros Milk Truck, 1947
Standing just east of the back of Hey Bros Dairy, mom took this 1947 photo. All ice cream mix was made at the Sterling dairy, and the truck was used to transport the mix to the Dixon and DeKalb plants. Grandpa Hey was quite proud of the truck. To the left of the truck is Central Park (where the Grandon Band Center is located). In the background is the old First Baptist Church (now torn down), now the location of the U.S. Post Office.