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Remember When: A Community Review of Tonganoxie

By Billie Aye - | Apr 25, 2012

10 years ago: April 10, 2002

(Caption under picture.) Tom Norman checks the National Weather Service rain gauge Monday at his farm eight miles southeast of Tonganoxie. Norman’s father, Bill Norman, began keeping weather statistics 41 years ago, and Tom Norman continues the family tradition.

Tonganoxie school board members Monday voted to hire an architectural firm, on a contingency basis, to look at the district’s building needs and lead it through construction projects. (The DLR group, from Overland Park, was hired. They had been building and renovating schools for more than 30 years.)

Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Tonganoxie soon will begin a campaign to raise funds for a new home. The church is planning to move to U.S. Highway 24-40 between Victory Baptist and West Haven Baptist churches from its location at 703 River Street. The present church has served as Sacred Heart’s home for more than 100 years.

Death: Lloyd L. DeHoff, 79, Tonganoxie, died April 8, 2002.

Tonganoxie High School Chieftain Singers received a silver rating when the group competed in the Music Maestro Festival in Chicago during spring break. The singers’ silver award was the highest recognition given at the ceremony. They came home with a trophy and a plaque.

25 years ago: April 8, 1987

Lea Hollingsworth, daughter of Winston and Gayle Hollingsworth, Lansing, was selected first runner-up March 22, 1987, in the Kansas Homecoming Queen pageant held in Wichita. Lea is the great-granddaughter of Maurice Soetaert of Tonganoxie.

McLouth News: Mr. and Mrs. Keith Herries honored their son, Gregg, with a birthday party on Sunday, April 5.

A certain businessman’s April Fool’s joke backfired. An employee, a lady, all in fun, wired some snake eggs together which actually sounded like a rattler was inside the package. Scary. He retaliated and had someone call saying the IRS needed her to bring records for the past three years and appear in person — then she was upset.Yes, it was all over in due time.

Mrs. Jean Lenahan, Mrs. Mary Wager and Miss Sunshine Petrone of Leavenworth attended the Ice Capades in Kansas City, Mo. Saturday afternoon. They said it was beautiful. Also this was a birthday gift in honor of Sunshine’s birthday.

50 years ago: April 26, 1962

Ye Olde Tonganoxie Mirror had a birthday this week. The Mirror is now 81 years old. We can’t help but wonder if there is anyone around who has taken the paper since it started. If there is, we would like to hear from them.

Deaths: Arthur A. Cole, Kansas City, Kan., formerly of Tonganoxie, passed away April 22, 1962; Elmer Eugene (Shorty) Holladay, 51, Lawrence, died Wednesday.

Linwood News: Mrs. Viola Hubbard died in Bethany Hospital, Kansas City, Friday. Burial was in Mt. Sidney cemetery Monday.

Basehor Weekly Notes: Mr. and Mrs. Dan Oelschlaeger celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary at their home in rural Bonner Springs Sunday with a dinner.

75 years ago: April 1, 1937

One hog at the Quigley Hampshire sale at Perry brought $1350. The depression must have ended.

Workmen uncovered a 1910 model Tonganoxie Mirror while excavating for the new Phenicie Bldg., that provided some interest. One jokester took it into Cain’s Drug Store and asked Doc Cain if he still had some of that “cow ease” advertised in it. Doc said he thought so.

Mr. and Mrs. Lewis P. Sanders celebrated their golden wedding at their home on March 24 with a dinner with all their children and grandchildren present.

Leavenworth: John W. Murray, 70, a pioneer resident of Leavenworth county, died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. William A. Seymour, here Wednesday night.

From “It Happened in Kansas” by F. A. Cooper: On Jan. 22, 1893, Kansas was on the verge of a Civil War! The Populists and the Republicans had each organized a separate House of Representatives and refused to recognize the other. The Governor (a Populist) called the militia to aid his party. The Wichita Battery with their “Gatling Gun” and the Douglas Guards of Lawrence, arrived to form an army of 250 men. A thousand men deputized and armed by Republicans were advancing on the Capitol and guardsmen. The situation was tense. Any hostile act would have resulted in bloodshed. Suddenly, one of the guardsmen raised his gun and aiming directly into the crowd, and pulled the trigger. The gun missed fire and war was avoided. Not a man was injured or a gun fired in “The Topeka War.”

100 years ago: April 11, 1912

The Star Creamery has put an addition to the east side of the plant.

The first keg of beer of the season landed in here by express Saturday.

One of Frank Fairchild’s teams had a runaway Thursday morning, but the principal damage sustained was in tearing up the harness.

Dr. T. D. Seeley is practicing on a new auto which got in from the east the latter part of the week. It is a neat little runabout, and so far has proved quite tractable.

Two peeping toms are said to be prowling around town. Most communities handle such cases with shot without any particular discrimination as to the size of the shot.

The Japanese ambassador tells us that the world is at peace. Aside from the fact that there are a few wars in progress, he is right.