25 years ago: March 4, 1998

Liz Cronemeyer, fifth grade instructor at Tonganoxie Elementary School has been selected as one of seven teachers in the state of Kansas this year to receive the Master Teacher of the year Award.

First State Bank and Trust held the ground-breaking ceremony for its new location on Highway 24-40. The new 6400 square foot facility will house a full-service retail banking center. First State Bank and Trust was chartered in 1934 and is locally owned with an emphasis on community banking.

50 years ago: March 1, 1973

After over thirty years with the Tonganoxie Fire Department, Billy Salmon is retiring. The department presented him with a plaque in honor of his service to the community.

Martha Wiles, THS Votech student at the Tonganoxie Mirror is fast becoming an excellent TTS operator and has thousands of feet of tape to prove it.

Late night activity at parking lots around the city have prompted the city council to take steps that will allow the lots to be placed off-limits at night. At the request from the United Methodist Church, which has been a popular late-night gathering place for youths, the council directed the city attorney to draft an ordinance that will empower any parking lot owner in the city to post hours for the lot.

The local Camp Fire Girls have approached the State Highway Commission for permission to establish a memorial marker to Chief Tonganoxie on U.S. Highway 24-40 southwest of the city.

Recognition of outstanding students in the Graphics and Design classes at the University of Kansas was made based on class performance and academic standing. Students also submitted entries which were judged by a committee of professors. Mark Milleret was the second-place winner and received a cash reward and a walnut desk name plate.

The Tonganoxie Community was saddened by the death of Walt Denholm at the age of 73.   Mr. Denholm was the type of person that contributed to his family, his community, and his country. He and others like him make this a good community in which to live.

75 years ago: Feb. 25, 1948

The new highway south of Victory Junction was the scene of a road smash-up this morning. Heavy fog obscured vision on the road where a truck loaded with feed collided with a Chevrolet coupe. Both vehicles were badly damaged and both men were hurt. 

Another medical miracle reported from Ratliff pharmacy tells us of the use of a South American snake’s poisonous venom to stop the spasms of polio. This drug, Intocostin, was first used in 1945 and is another example of a healing remedy.

An oil field east of McLouth has started pumping oil. According to reports, it is anticipated that it will produce at least twenty barrels per day. Hope some of the payoff ends up with Tonganoxie merchants.

Greever Allan, former Tonganoxie postmaster and postal inspector was on hand in Topeka for the postmasters meeting. Greever lives in Washington DC and rubs elbows with many of the higher ups in the Democratic National Committee. He was on hand to answer inquiries from postmasters across the U.S.

100 years ago: March 1, 1923

Everybody is ready to advocate town improvement – and it is a good thing to do, too. But why not advocate country improvement, also?

The farmer is the backbone of every community. Without him there would be no cities or towns nothing to eat or wear, nothing to do but do nothing. The farmer needs better roads. He needs better school facilities for his children. He needs more social and recreational diversions for his family. He needs to be more in contact with that large volume of life which he alone can sustain.

Boosting our town is commendable, but let’s boost the farmer, too, and make our act doubly commendable.

Stanton and Sons having the lowest bid and being under the engineer’s estimate were awarded the contract for laying the concrete and building the shoulders on the fills on the Fort to Fort Road between Tonganoxie and Stone Station. The bid was $150,812.42. There were three bids submitted on the work. When questioned by the commissioners, Mr. Stanton said he would have the road finished by the first of August. The work to be finished on this road is laying all the concrete between Tonganoxie and Stone Station and a spur of a mile running into Basehor. Stanton’s will have a gang of men here now building rock and sand bins on the old Northwestern switch track which will be used as a stock yard.

125 years ago: March 3, 1898

Reno had a sensation Monday that was the first of its kind in the history of the village. The sensation was conducted with as much neatness and dispatch as if done in Kansas City or Chicago, and the bold foot-pad who was the author of it made himself considerably richer by it.

William Sly, who keeps a store at Reno, closed at the usual time Monday night, at nine o’clock or later, and started to go home. He went along the Union Pacific railway track and seeing a man coming towards him stopped, in the thought that the man was on his way to the store to make a late purchase. When the man got close to him, Mr. Sly was looking down the barrel of a revolver and heard the command to march in front of him. The bandit compelled Mr. Sly to go away from the vicinity of the houses, and then relieved him of $40. Cash. The footpad wore a mask, and so far has escaped capture.

Sealed bids will be received up to 12 o’clock noon, Saturday, March 26, 1898 for building a bridge across a branch of Jarbalo creek on the S.B. Casebier road on ½ sec. 13, township 10, range 20, Tonganoxie township. A second bridge will also be built across a branch of Tonganoxie creek near and north of Mrs. Hillock’s house on sec. line road between sections 10 and 11, township 10, range 20, Tonganoxie township.

Copy of specification at Mirror office. For specification and particulars see J.C. Alexander, F.A. Schenck, or J. Duncanson. J.Duncanson, Feb. 19,1898 Township Clerk