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Remember When : A Community Review for March 24, 2021

By Compiled Ray Stockman, Janet Burnett, Theresa Megee, Connie Putthoff, Kris Roberts And Billie Aye - | Mar 24, 2021

Tonganoxie Community Historic Site, 201 W. Washington St. near U.S. Highway 24-40.

25 years ago: March 27, 1996

On Monday, March 18, the Tonganoxie Township Fire Department battled a brush fire at 252 and Leavenworth Road, which was reported to have consumed 140 acres of 2-foot tall grass. The call came in around 2:15 p.m., and the township called in for support from the Tonganoxie City Fire Department and the Union Township Fire Department.

The firemen fought the fire for four hours before bringing it under control as it pressed n the bordering edges of the Leavenworth State Lake property.

The Farmer’s Cooperative Association, at 407 Pleasant St., advertised a truckload sale.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the U.S. Highway 24-40 construction is scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday. Everyone is invited to be on hand near the EMS station at the east city limits for the occasion, which has been a long time getting here.

50 years ago: March 25, 1971

An unexpected spring snow has left motorists unhappy around Tonganoxie.

The front-page photo showed Captain Kent Morey receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross for co-piloting a landing of a disabled C-141 in Australia.

The Tonganoxie school menu for Wednesday was goulash, green beans, cherry kolaches, applesauce, and milk.

Mallonee Mobile Sales had a half page ad for an Open House that included modular homes that included sunken living room, fire place and stereo.

A University of Kansas student’s Volkswagen bug ended up north of the overpass off the Tongie-Leavenworth road following a tire blowout.

KPL was advertising the benefits of having an all-electric home in this week’s Mirror. A 1- pound can of Hy Klas coffee was 59 cents on special at Bill’s Market.

75 years ago: March 21, 1946

The Harlan Milling and Cabinet Co of Kansas City, Missouri has made arrangements with Dale Rawlings Feed Store to use a store room on the north end. All of this is temporary at the moment with leasing on a month to month basis. The company produces lockers, mouldings, crates, boxes and aircraft parts. At least twenty men could be employed in this business. Which means jobs for men in our community.  

Although building materials are in short supply due to the post war situation, Hunter Lumber might have just the thing you need. Give them a call and see if they can help you.

Nothing is prettier in the spring than an apple orchard in full bloom. The Leavenworth Times had an editorial about the beautiful apple orchards in and around Tonganoxie that are since gone. The Wellhouse orchard north of town was described as a “lovely sight in acre after acre of pinkish-white blossoms filling the air with fragrance.” Missouri Valley and Andrew Jones orchards are also gone, but the old Freienmuth orchard still remains. Nothing like a beautiful valley full of green grass and assorted blossoms.

100 years ago: March 24, 1921

Last Monday as per call for a mass meeting published in these columns last week, a number of citizens met at the Royal Theatre and nominated a Mayor, five Councilmen and a Police Judge. At this time, it is a question as to whether there will be another ticket in the field. The above is a good ticket of representative men who are capable of handling the affairs of the city in a manner to the best interest of all.

125 years ago: March 26, 1896

Another one of those large orchards which are making Leavenworth county famous and wealthy, was set out this week by Fred Wellhouse, on the farm recently purchased by him northeast of town. The method of setting out the new orchard was no different than that of the previous ones. Furrows are plowed 30 feet apart and a marker is run across the furrows every 16 feet, making the trees 16×32 feet apart. After about twelve years where not a sufficient number have died to thin them, every alternate tree is cut out.

Everything works like clock work when the Wellhouses plant an orchard. Tuesday morning, the first tree was set out and yesterday noon the 140 acres were finished. Nearly 12,000 trees had been planted in a day and a half. Fifteen men did the planting, taking six rows across the field at one time. Three of these take the trees from the wagon, and distribute them at the proper places.

Two men come along the row, one to hold the tree and tramp the dirt around the roots and the other to shovel the dirt to the roots. Eleven teams hauled trees from the nursery rows, and seven men were digging up the trees and loading them on the wagons. After the planting, four different plows throw more dirt to the trees and into the furrows, and then three teams follow with large plows.

Three generations of the Wellhouse family were assisting in the planting of the new orchard. Fred Wellhouse, the head of the family, superintended the digging of the trees, Walter Wellhouse, his son, superintended the planting, and Fred and Walter, the grandsons, were the water carriers.

The new orchard has nearly 3,000 each of the Jonathan, Gano, York Imperial and Missouri Pippin varieties. Theoretical horticulturalists may be shocked to learn that the apple trees are five years old, but Mr. Wellhouse has planted six year old trees with good success. Another thing that is not strictly according to the generally accepted idea that trees should not be set out in sod, is that thirty acres of this orchard are set in sod. The ground, however, was first pulverized before planting. Horticulturalists claim that the Jonathan will not bear well when set in blocks, but the Wellhouses say there is no truth in this theory so far as Leavenworth county is concerned. All their Jonathans are in blocks and they bear as well in the center as on the outside.

The first five years the trees are pruned, and then the pruning knife is laid away. H.S. Bullard will have charge of the new orchard, making 440 acres of orchard under his supervision.