25 years ago: Jan. 28, 1998

Damon New, Leavenworth County Key Banker of the Kansas Bankers Association and representative of the First Satte Bank and Trust of Tonganoxie and Basehor, today announced the winners of the Leavenworth Soil Conservation and Windbreak award for 1997. Soil Conservation Awards go to Lee and Virginia Wake of Leavenworth, Harold and Audrey Irick of Mission, and Robert and Jane Sexton of Lawrence.

The Tonganoxie Debate team went to the 4A State Championship in Lawrence. This year’s squad is the first one Steve Harrell has coached since they were freshmen. This longevity is one of the reasons Tonganoxie has done so well. Mark Dean and Carol Folsom are pictured holding the trophuy for Two Person State Champions.

50 years ago: Jan. 25, 1973

Another car went swimming at the state lake one evening last week. Net results were one wet wife, one irate husband, and a very damp automobile. The water was cold too.

Roger Brandt of Basehor was named The Outstanding Young Farmer for 1972-73 for the Tonganoxie area by the Tonganoxie Jaycees. Nominees for the Outstanding Young Farmer award were Roger Brandt, Tom Norman, Mike McGraw, Bill Murr, and Ron Lindel.

The Tonganoxie Housing Authority has been notified by the Department of Housing and Urban Development of the status of its housing for the elderly project application. It is indefinitely halted.

James S. Watson, manager of Leavenworth-Jefferson Electric Cooperatives, Inc. has been elected a director of Leavenworth Mutual Savings and Loan Association. A native of Paola, Mr. Watson joined his present company in 1947, after serving in the army. He has been manager since 1951.

There have been many suggestions as to how to solve the overcrowded conditions of U.S.D. 464. Some suggestions appear on the surface to be the ideal solution. However, when all costs factors are applied, they appear less ideal. Some of the solutions include a new kindergarten through Grade 3, a new junior high building, a new senior high building, a new kindergarten through Grade 6, or an addition to the present high school. The U.S.D. 464 has an assessed evaluation of $9,156,345.00 at the present time and has consistently increased each year for the last several years.

75 years ago: Jan. 22, 1948

We got some snow this past weekend and with it came skidding cars. The first was on 40 highway just south of Reno when two cars put on the brakes and crashed into one another. One driver received a head gash with three stitches and the other sustained a broken leg. Just as this driver was being moved from the car to an ambulance, a cattle truck came around the same curve, put on the brakes and sideswiped the damaged car. Four highway patrolmen gathered to straighten out the mess just as another car collided with a new driver. The first car, from Kansas City flipped over and began to burn. To top it off, another car came along a few hours later and skidded in the same spot and also flipped over. In total, there were four damaged cars hauled to Salmon’s Garage with a total of $4000 in repairs. That does not include the hospital bills that were racked up in these accidents.

Billy Salmon was on the scene getting ready to tow in one smashed car when he looked up and said “Here comes another one.” Sure enough, there was another pileup with Salmon on hand to fix it.

Hap Evans of Evans Real Estate Company reminds us that accidents are expensive. You can easily avoid financial loss by planning an adequate insurance program. Stop into the office to get details about property damage, bodily damage or collision coverage.

A healthy debate has begun in Washington on the so-called Marshall Plan. The Mirror believes that debate is a good thing and that perhaps the government will listen to the people.

Skaters are enjoying Oak Tree Lake just northwest of Tonganoxie on the 24-40 curve. The Inn provides a place to get warm. First casualty of the year is Mrs. Arthur Young who broke her left arm above the wrist while skating.

100 years ago: Jan. 25, 1923

Senator Gray has introduced in the senate a concurrent resolution to permit the people of the state to determine whether they desire to build roads on a statewide plan. The resolution provides for the submission to the people, at the election in 1924, of a state system of highways approximating seven thousand miles. This would include the system already approved by the government for federal aid and such additional roads as might be determined by the people as needed.

The people also would vote on an issue of 60 million dollars in bonds to pay the state’s share in the construction of these highways, which would connect every county seat and all the market centers which are not county seats. The system would give four highways across the state from east to west and a cross highway from north to south. The roads are all to be connected so that anyone can go anywhere in Kansas without driving more than a few miles from a permanent highway. The system, as planned, puts a permanent roadway within five miles of 80 percent of the population of the state.

125 years ago: Jan. 20, 1898

A few years ago, some of the Tonganoxie property owners were allowed to put down cinder sidewalks in place of the wooden ones which the ordinance calls for. These sidewalks would be better than walking through mud if they were kept up, but in most cases, they have been neglected and are now nothing but a mixture of mud and cinders. The attention of the city authorities is called to these, for it is as necessary that they be repaired as the defective plank walks which are now so numerous over town. If any effort at all is to be made to improve the condition of the town walks, it should be a general one. Singling out a few spots will not eradicate a disease.

Several places where no walks have ever been ordered constructed need them badly, and some of those stone walks put down a few years after the war need to be replaced with something of public service. New sidewalks leading north and south from Fourth street should be ordered before the mucky late winter and early spring weather sets in.

Mayor Dreisbach thinks the building of vitrified brick sidewalks should be encouraged, and lately has been figuring up the expense of laying them. They will go for years without needing repairs.