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.

25 years ago: May 31, 2000

Repair work on the Leavenworth County Fairgrounds should get underway in a few days. On Monday night, members of the Leavenworth County Fair Board selected Bowden Contracting, Kansas City, Kan., to handle the work. Buildings at the fairgrounds sustained more than $350,000 in damages from the May 11 tornado. Bowden will handle numerous repairs to the show barn, the hog barn, two cattle barns and the office area of the administration building, according to David Todd, president of the fair board. “He will also be erecting a new sheep barn.”

Elementary school teachers found soggy schoolbooks at the elementary school. Immediately after the May 11 tornado ripped the roof off parts of the grade school, rains soaked eight classrooms. Merrilee Cooper, who teaches third grade in the school’s original wing built in 1955, will long remember her first visit to the classroom after the storm. “It was strange,” she said. “You knew that a tornado had peeled the roof off over your head, but nothing in the room had been moved around. And everything was soaking wet.”

Services for John W. “Jack” Kelly, Sr., 83, rural Tonganoxie, were held Saturday, May 27, 2000 at Holy Angels Catholic Church in Basehor.

50 years ago: June 12, 1975

Tonganoxie’s newest enterprise, the Peppermint Q, is a family style snack bar and game room which is open 7 days a week. It has pool, air hockey, foosball, tennis pinball, driving skill and lots of music and conversation. The Q is featuring the original genuine submarine sandwiches plus pizza, cold soft drinks, delicious coffee, donuts and sweet rolls. Andy Johnson, Russ Kimberlin and Dean Rains developed the Peppermint Q for the youngsters of our community. They wanted the name to denote red and white because those colors seemed symbolic of the town and school.  The Q relates to a pool cue.

Mark Trieb, a 17 year old Tonganoxie High School graduate, drowned last Saturday night when he went swimming in a farm pond. Trieb was attending a party with some friends when the accident occurred. Others present told sheriff’s deputies that Trieb had arrived at the party on the Bill Plake farm at about 8:00 p.m. and about 11:00 p.m. he went under the water and friends were unable to find his body until about 15 minutes later. Dr. Phillip Stevens, acting coroner, pronounced him dead at the scene. Efforts by members of the party to revive him were unsuccessful. Mark was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert P. Trieb. He had lived in Leavenworth County since birth and was working as a carpenter.

If your pet goat has pneumonia, you may have a career ahead as a veterinary assistant. Penny Anton took her pet goat to Dr. Watson. The good doctor stayed with the goat during the evening instead of attending an athletic event he had planned on seeing. She started working for Dr. Watson during her senior year of high school and worked summers and long school vacations while attending Kansas State.  She is presently studying agriculture but will be applying to the school of veterinary medicine.


Mr. and Mrs. Jack M. Wolfe are proud to announce the approaching marriage of their daughter, Deniece, to Patrick Wakeman, son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Wakeman of Wathena, Ks. Both are presently employed by USD 464 . Deniece teaches first grade and Pat teaches High School Science. The wedding and reception will be Saturday, June 21, in South Park, Lawrence, Kansas.

75 years ago: June 8, 1950

Twenty-five acres of ground have been acquired for a new high school. That property just got moved off the city tax rolls.

Dr. Druley’s new home on 4th street is the latest new residence in this area. The basement is currently being dug.

Something in the pipes caused the pool water to turn swimmers red this past week, so the oasis was drained and refilled. This will be a special spot for the hot summer months as the state lake is not allowing swimming there this summer. The lake will be open for fishing on July 1 at high noon. The concession stand will be improved with an electric line, boat house, and docks.

A four-inch rain flooded all the nearby streams this last Friday for the second time in two weeks. That’s a total of eight inches, folks, for an area that was predicted to be pretty dry.

Harry Gallagher and his buddy, George Lynn took physicals in Kansas City as they process into the Army Air Force. Basic training will be in San Antonio.

“Twelve O’Clock High” starring Gregory Peck is showing at the Royal Theatre this week. It’s an airplane picture and sure to be a good one with him as the lead.

100 years ago: June 11, 1925

Next Sunday the Big Annual Picnic of the Postal Employees of the Post Offices at Kansas City, Mo., Kansas City, Kansas, Leavenworth, Lawrence, Topeka, Ottawa, Atchison, and St. Joe, Mo., and all other small offices within that territory, together with their families will meet with the Tonganoxie postal force at the beautiful Klan Park west of town for a basket dinner and picnic with lots of amusements. One feature of the entertainment in the afternoon will be a ball game between the postal employees of Kansas City, Kansas and those of St. Joe, Mo.

Several cars with Indians of the Quapaw tribe, who have been attending the commencement exercises at Haskell school at Lawrence, drove through town Wednesday. The Quapaws were guests of honor at the Indian school. This tribe of Indians are very rich on account of their oil holdings in Oklahoma.

Last Monday Sheriff G. M. Stringfellow and his deputies Woodson and Love, went to the Alex Kemberling farm southwest of town where a still, two barrels of mash and several quarts of corn whiskey were found. The Sheriff destroyed the mash and took possession of the still and the whiskey. The men who are said to have been running the still are Alex Kemberling and Jesse Powers. This will probably make it harder for our bootleggers to get the booze to carry on their nefarious trade.

Pleasant Prairie Community Club will meet at the home of Mr. and Mrs. T. C. Davis Jr. on Friday evening, June 12th. This will be in the nature of a “Kid Party.” Each one come prepared to take some part in the program. Everyone not dressed as a “Kid” will be fined.

Last weekend the water from the heavy rains at the source of Stranger Creek reached here and caused the water to reach a high enough stage to be over the wagon road north of Ernest Lewis’ home and was out on some of the low-lying fields. Fishing was the sport for a couple of days and sone report big catches.

125 years ago: June 7, 1900

A petition has been presented to the school board for a special school meeting to vote on the question of making the Tonganoxie public school a graded one. The board will call the special meeting as soon as the necessary blanks arrive. Under a graded system the annual school meetings will be held the latter part of June instead of July, thus giving the new board a better choice of teachers.

There will be two new members of the school board to elect this year. Frank Zoellner’s term as treasurer expires this year, and S.W. McNaughton who is serving by appointment can only hold the office until the next school meeting after the appointment.

Later: A special election has been called by the school board to be held on Wednesday, June 13th, between the hours of eight and five o’clock. It will require 202 affirmative votes to carry the graded school proposition, consequently all stay-at-home voters are against it.

The eclipse of the sun brought inquiries for the use of the Academy telescope. The inquiries revealed the fact that the telescope was stolen some time ago. It was first missed in March, and no trace of it has been discovered since. The instrument cost $75. No clue to the thief has been discovered.

Rev. C.E. Taylor preached a memorial sermon to the G.A.R. in the M.E. church, and there was a good attendance. In the afternoon the graves in both Maple Grove and Hubbel Hill cemeteries were decorated, the band furnishing the music before the procession started and at the latter cemetery.

A good-sized audience assembled in Laming’s hall in the afternoon, to listen to the exercises. A.J. McNaughton read Lincoln’s Gettysburg address, A.M. Jackson delivered a suitable address and R.C. Callaham made some remarks. Some of the patriotic Tonganoxie ladies assisted with songs, and there were some cute exercises by the little children.

Every year the G.A.R. takes the initiative in the memorial exercises, but each time their ranks are thinner and the locks of those who remain are grayer. It will not be long before younger men must take charge of the sacred and patriotic observances of Decoration Day.