Editor’s note: To capture time accurately, language from the past generally is left unchanged. This may result in some antiquated or out-of-use language from time to time. We try to maintain the exact wording when possible, but edits are occasionally made for the sake of brevity or because such wording isn’t acceptable today.

50 years ago: Oct. 17, 1974

The First State Bank of Tonganoxie is celebrating their 40th Anniversary with an Open House. The new building is completed, and they are inviting all customers and friends to come and view their new quarters on Sunday, October 20th. Their Directors include: Riley Burcham, Harold K. Champion, Lamuel C. Evans, Thomas C. Laming, C. Hervey Quisenberry, and W.J. Stephenson, Jr. The Bank Employees include: Betty Nelson, Norma Hunter, Norma Van Dyke, Connie Swain, Theresa Dempsey, Marilyn Haas, and Doyle Van Dyke. The Bank Officers include: W.J. Stephenson, Jr., C. Max Pittman, Bill E. New, James S. Watson, Betty L. Stephenson, Geraldine Salmon, and Delores White. Their Motto is “Whoever you are, whatever your needs, we are here to serve you.”

Robert G. Hilton, a 16-year-old junior at Basehor High School, died of injuries suffered in a car accident that occurred on Highway 32. He was the son of Rev. and Mrs. Robert Hilton.

Charles Saladin, local trash collector, received leg injuries in an accident with the trash truck. Due to his accident the trash pick-up may be irregular for a short period.

Another rainy Homecoming has come and gone. Mariann Crawford was the Homecoming Queen. The Tonganoxie Chieftains were disappointed at their Homecoming, losing to the DeSoto Wildcats, 14-8.

Tom Norman and Mrs. Joe Calovich, both of Tonganoxie have been elected to the Executive Board of the Leavenworth County Extension Council.

Highway work is nearing completion on 24-40 at the north edge of Tonganoxie and the junction with K-16. A new approach is being completed from 24-40 onto North Main (K16) with an access or frontage road, with one exit on 24-40 on the west and another on the east on North Main. Several businesses as well as the High School will be offered greater safety.

75 years ago: Oct. 13, 1949

Another heavy frost occurred last evening which should end our gardening possibilities.  

Tonganoxie has a spiffy high school band along with two tiny majorettes, Judy Book and Joyce Baker. There are older majorettes as well who performed at halftime of the football game. 

Homecoming Week is in full planning mode as the Junior Class prepares for this event. Queen candidates will be introduced at the weekly assembly, there will be a pep rally, and we will burn an effigy of our opponent in the bonfire on Thursday evening. The Homecoming game is Friday followed by a dance on Saturday evening.

Several youngsters from the Congregational Sunday School classes received perfect attendance pins, including John McKone, Jerry and Larry Deaton, and Billy and Barbara McGee. Congratulations to these steadfast individuals

We have more and more television sets being offered in appliance stores around town. Seems like everyone is jumping on the bandwagon for this new form of entertainment.

100 years ago: Oct. 19, 1924

This fall, for the first time in our history, ALL women will be eligible to vote. In 1920, women in Georgia and Mississippi were barred from the polls by their State Primary Laws. Twenty-seven million women eligible to vote! More than the entire vote of 1920 men and women together!

What are we going to do about it? Are there still women who believe they have done their duty by their families when they have fed them and sewed on their buttons. A paid housekeeper can do that. We are more than housekeepers now: we are citizens.

Some of us are not in touch with Leagues of Women Voters; some of us are far from classes on citizenship, by the way whoever heard of men being trained to vote? And now that women have the right, how they do rush in to train us.

Funny isn’t it so we look thru our magazines and newspapers and begin to understand what it is all about. Here we read that over 4,000,000 illiterates are entitled to vote. Organized, they could control the balance of power in the United States. Here we read that less than 50% of the voters in our country, vote.

I feel a patriotic thrill in standing to sing the national hymn, or in helping to hang out the flag on a holiday, but I feel the most patriotic when stepping up to an election board, and I give my name (in loud clear voice) and ask for a Republican ballot. And when that ballot drops into the box, I go home, exalted to think not another woman in the whole country, even if she weighs 200 pounds, and is worth a million dollars, has cast a vote that carries any more weight or influence than mine.

If we have taken this opportunity as seriously as we should, we have studied it all out before hand and know exactly where and why we are going to make our little cross marks. Don’t we women go window shopping? Don’t we borrow all our neighbors fashion magazines and catalogues and expend much gray matter, before we buy hats or furniture? Then why should we step into a voting booth and mark x after just any of the names, thinking it doesn’t matter much anyway? Upon those names depends the welfare of this great United States.

Here’s to the new woman.

She still rocks the cradle,

But she doesn’t rock the boat;

And on Election Day,

She goes tight out to vote.

125 years ago: Oct. 12, 1899

Troop K Sixth Cavalry, in command of Lt Fred Buchan, is expected to camp at Tonganoxie soon. This will be the first opportunity our people have had for several years of seeing soldiers in marching order.

Troop K is going on a week’s practice march. They will go from Fort Leavenworth to Kansas City, thence to Lawrence, thence to Tonganoxie and then back to quarters.