25 years ago: April 22, 1998

Residents of the Tonganoxie Nursing Center were treated to a special Easter surprise last Saturday when Aimee and Jacob Ostermeyer took four, 3-week-old lambs to the Center for the residents, as well as Easter egg hunt attendees to enjoy. Aimee is in third grade and Jacob I in kindergarten at Tonganoxie Elementary School. Both are members of Happy Helpers 4-H club with sheep, of course, being one of their projects.

Businesses in Tonganoxie took out a full-page ad to advise prom goers to “Make your Prom a night to remember…Not a nightmare to forget – Don’t Drin and Drive.” Also on the page was an order form to “Order Your Prom Video Today!!!” The After Prom Steering Committee has hired a professional company to film and edit a 90-minute-long video, which will be available for $12.

50 years ago: April 19, 1973

A police officers nightmare happened last Saturday night. A Missouri car ran off the highway into a parking lot. The result was five persons injured, none seriously, but eight cars were damaged, four totally. What a mess!

The basic feature of the new school finance plan is a “power formula,” which means that the local tax effort is the same as that of other districts which have the same expenditure per pupil, regardless of the relative wealth of the district. Equalization is achieved by greater state support for districts with low wealth per pupil. School districts in Leavenworth County are far below the state average wealth per pupil. The new formula will make it possible for our children to have some of the advantages long enjoyed by those in richer districts.

The Tonganoxie Ministerial Alliance and merchants are co-sponsoring a community Easter breakfast this Easter Sunday. The breakfast will be served at Hughes Hall in the Methodist Church beginning at 6:45 a.m. The board of the Children’s World Preschool will be cooking and serving. Everyone is invited and a free will donation will be received.

Nearly 60% of the property owners on three blocks of Fourth Street have said they will pay to pave its downtown length. The improvements would be an asphalt overlay on Fourth Street from Green to Pleasant Street.

A Bonner Springs appliance store owner, Donald W. Speakman, aged 50, died Monday as a result of an accidental gunshot wound apparently received while cleaning a handgun at his home.

75 years ago: April 15, 1948

Three big city crimes occurred here in the last week and one being grand theft auto! First, two individuals arriving on a bus went into Zoellner’s to pilfer some merchandise. This was a man and woman team with the man wearing a large overcoat and using crutches. The woman engaged the store clerk while the man grabbed three women’s dresses and two pairs of men’s shoes, shoving them under his coat. The shoplifters were apprehended and charged with grand larceny.

Next, three dope fiends came into Cain’s Drug Store, located what they wanted and pried open a cabinet. The clerk was occupied with a customer as the three, a man and two women left by the back door. No trace of them has been found. The final crime occurred Sunday night when Jack Berentz’s new Ford car was stolen from in front of his parent’s home on Second street. It was found at The Cliffs, minus tires, wheels, generator, a leather jacket, and a camera. 

Miss Colene Slawson, Elmwood teacher, and Miss Selma Lohman, Faulkner teacher, sponsored a school trip to the capitol building and other points of interest in Topeka. The students were accompanied by several parents on their trip.

Shop at The Gas Service Company and see the new automatic gas dryer that will dry your wash in a hurry without any extra work. No heavy clothes to lift to a line, no waiting on the weather to cooperate, no more soot and dust blowing on clean clothes. Check us out.

100 years ago: April 19, 1923

The Commercial Club will see to it that signs are up detouring traffic east of town. Stanton and Son have the road east of town closed to traffic, and there is a detour on the road to Bonner Springs. The best road out of here to Kansas City should be selected and well-marked.

The Fred F. Eberhardt Paving Co., who have the contract to construct the concrete paving on Main Street, unloaded their equipment last weekend. Mr. and Mrs. R.D. Fink and daughter, Barbara, arrived Thursday afternoon. Mr. and Mrs. Fink made a host of friends when they were here a year ago. We are glad to welcome them back to our town again. Mr. Fink is the engineer and construction manager for the paving company.

Mr. Fink is making arrangements for using local rock on this job, and the work of crushing the rock will begin at once. Mr. Meegan, who has the subcontract for the grading, has a large force of men and teams at work on Main Street at this time.

125 years ago: April 21, 1898

The city council had an adjourned meeting Friday evening. The committee on streets, alleys and bridges reported favorably on enlarging the sewer pipe on Fifth street near the west end of town, and on putting Second street in good condition in Hollingsworth’s subdivision.

Marcus Peterson urged the continuation of Pleasant Street so that farmers coming into town from the North will not be compelled to go east to Lawrence’s icehouse. The committee on streets, alleys and bridges was instructed to consult the township board, and county commissioners.

The committee on schools reported that they had consulted some parents about sending their children to school and asked the reason why they had not done so. They made various excuses, the main one being their inability to buy books.

The committee on ordinances was instructed to bring in an ordinance fixing the marshal’s salary and defining his duties to embrace lamp lighting and custody of city property. The committee was also instructed to bring in an ordinance providing for working of the city prisoners on the streets and rock pile.

The committee on jails was instructed to look into the expense of building a shed and pen for a rock pile on which to work city prisoners.

City Marshal Lawrence recommended the appointment of the following subordinates and Mayor Moody made the appointments: John Evans, assistant marshal, and Lewis Carper, policeman. Both appointments were confirmed by the council.

Acting upon the recommendation of the committee on streets, alleys and bridges Mayor Moody had purchased a new road plow for the city.

The Mirror was made the official paper for the ensuing year.