25 years ago: Dec. 24, 1997

Tonganoxie Elementary School students enjoyed the Christmas All-School Sing-Along last Friday, Dec. 19. Over 800 children participated, filling the floor and the balcony bleachers.

The Good Shepherd Thrift Shop was featured on the front page. Dorothy Korb and Delbert Felts were pictured. Dorothy noted that the mortgage on the thrift shop, which has been housed in the old Christian Church since 1987, was paid off recently. She said, with a smile, “that’s one more expense we don’t have anymore.”

A Kansas Christmas tree – In the days before electric lights, candles often lit Christmas trees. Harriet Adams recalled a holiday in the 1870s when she was just seven years old, and her family was living near the Little Blue River in north-central Kansas. “On the bluff nearest our home was a scattering growth of cedars,” she recounted. “Father carried an axe and selected the tree…Then Father set it u[ securely in the center of the living room and found a piece of tin and made candle holders.”

After breakfast on Christmas morning, the family marched around the tree, which was decorated with ribbons and gifts, as well as the usual strings of popcorn and cranberries. Adams remembered, “There was the most delightful odor of scorching cedar, and Father would keep walking around and around the tree smothering every smoking stem to keep the candles burning safely.”

50 years ago: Dec. 21, 1972

The children and grandchildren will entertain in honor of the Golden Wedding Anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. William D. Denholm, Sr. with a reception at the Masonic Temple, December 31, from two to four. All relatives and friends are invited. The children of the couple are William Denholm, Jr., Donna Ruth DeHoff, Harold Denholm, Byron Denholm, Wilma Gillespie, and Barbara Greer. There are ten grandchildren.

Mr. And Mrs. John E. Wise of Linwood, announce the engagement of their daughter, Karen Suzanne, to Steven Ray Aeschliman, son of Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Wm. Aeschliman, of Centralia, Kansas. A summer wedding is planned.

John T. Rohl was honored with a dinner dance at the George Meyn Community Center. Three hundred of Mr. Rohl’s friends and relatives came to celebrate his retirement after over forty years with Southwestern Bell Telephone Company.

The Tonganoxie Planning Commission asked the city council to pass a resolution granting the commission power to regulate growth (subdivisions and mobile home parks) within a three-mile radius of the city limits, and urged the council to pass a uniform building, plumbing, and electrical code for the city. The council said building codes are hard to enforce but the matter will be taken up at the next council working session.

The slickest street in town was on East 8th in front of Ernie Korb’s. Howie Koerth should think so because he skidded and struck two other cars Saturday night. City Officer Larry Smith worked the accident.

County Deputy Sheriff Wayne Turner and Officer Larry Smith were parked in the Curve Inn parking lot at 3 a.m. Sunday, when James A. Reed of Kansas City, Kansas steered to the right of the police cars thinking they were on the roadway. He drove into the parking lot skidded on the icy surface and struck Turner and then struck the Tonganoxie police car which struck a third car. Turner was taken to the hospital and released.

75 years ago: Dec. 18, 1947

Former Friends Church pastor Reverend Eli Wheeler was killed in a hunting accident while in the Belgian Congo. He, his wife, and two children have served as missionaries in this country for two years.

A brand-new best seller, “The Egg and I” has been met with much acclaim. Might not have been so popular if it had been published under its original title, “Life on a Chicken Ranch.” 

Good advice from shopkeepers is to shop locally and you’ll find our stores are full of all kinds of Christmas items and selection is good. There are high prices in city stores and our merchandise is more moderately priced.

Christmas greetings are published in the paper this week. One from Paul and Frank Siegert, owners of West End Lunch. You’ll recall that they lost their son, Creighton in the skies over Europe a few years back. Creighton was on his first mission and was killed.

And for those of you looking to restore your hair color to its natural shade, there is Buck for Gray Hair. It stops hair from turning gray and restores color to gray hair. Plus, it works on dandruff too. Look young and spiffy for the new year.

The Home Economics class at the high school has been busy making Christmas gifts. Each young lady has made several gifts of their own choices, including luncheon sets, skirts, negligees and twelve or more different styles of aprons. These young women will be wonderful housewives for any young men looking to marry!

100 years ago: Dec. 21, 1922

Several of the Tonganoxie Radio Bugs numbering about sixteen in all got an idea of giving Christmas cheer to little Irene Lloyd, who is confined to her home. To give her pleasure every day of the year, the group completed and installed a radio set in her home.

The pupils of Pony Creek School and their teacher, Miss Olive Skaggs, will give a short program with a tree Friday afternoon, December 21.

The Royal Theatre advertised the showing of Harold Bell Wright’s Wonderful Book, The Eyes of the World on Christmas night.

Last Saturday, Dec. 16, a birthday party was given for Helen Kock, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. L.W. Kock, celebrating her 12th birthday anniversary from 1 till 5 o’clock.

Chas, Bury moved his Fix-It shop into the building of L.W. MeKeehen, which had formerly been McKeehen’s barber shop, before the new adjoining building was completed.

125 years ago: Dec. 23, 1897

The Mirror has definitely ascertained the first teacher in this school district. She was Miss Elma Coltrane, now Mrs. Wheeler and her present home is at Columbus, Kansas.

The new school house at Easton was opened last week.

Mt. Olivet Musings – Fred Thornburg, of Easton, is a frequent caller at our school. It must be that some of our school girls are very attractive.

Jarbalo Jottings – The Jarbalo Creamery Co. is putting up some very nice six-inch ice.

The Friends Academy departed from a time-honored custom in giving its entertainment in Laming’s Hall, but the added conveniences made it much pleasanter for both performers and audience. The programme was excellent, and the audience was well pleased both in the selection of the pieces and their rendition.

There was not a failure on the programme. Misses Rosa Gish and Grace Newby, and Ailan Gish and Malcom McNaughton with their selections from Shakespeare did well for such difficulty recitals; Miss Alta Burke and Malcom McNaughton gave evidence of considerable thought on their orations; Miss Grace Jackson’s recitation merited commendation, as did also that of Arthur Jones; Bert Smith, Aug. Wartzack, Clyde George, and Erich Schoenau brought down the house with their funny selections and paragraphs. The music, both vocal and orchestral, was above the average and pleasing to the audience. The proceeds of the entertainment go to the library of the school.