25 years ago: May 3, 2000

Next week, a cornerstone of the Tonganoxie businesses will be honored for a century of work. Calvin Quisenberry, owner of Quisenberry Funeral Home, will accept the award given by the Kansas Funeral Directors Association in Wichita. “A lot of the time, I spend as much time talking to the families as I do in actually making arrangements,” said Quisenberry. “A lot of times, they need to talk about their loss.”

A circus is rolling into town on Tuesday and has scheduled two performances, at 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., at the Leavenworth County Fairgrounds.

Bo Himpel, 80, who has lived in Tonganoxie for most of his life, does indeed seem to be a permanent fixture at the VFW Park. Sunday morning, bright and early, Himpel arrived at the park to meet a couple of other VFW members wo were overseeing the brickwork on the shelter house columns. Himpel takes care of the lawn at the VFW Park. He said it didn’t take much time. “Just eight or nine hours,” he said, “And then I come back to trim it.”

50 years ago: May 15, 1975

May 25 has been set as the opening date for the Tonganoxie Swimming Pool. Season tickets are $10.30 per person or $36.05 per family. Senior citizens over 65 will be admitted free. Wayne Turner and Jim Grems have painted the pool and other fixtures a coat of blue paint.

The Miller Iris Garden, 5 1/2 miles northwest of Tonganoxie on K-16, will open for public viewing.

Memorial Day Services will be held at Reno Methodist Church May 25 and everyone is welcome.

Representative Martha Keys will host a reception to mark the opening of her Leavenworth Congressional office at the Federal Building. The reception is open to the public and members of the press. Mrs. Keys has offices in Manhattan and Topeka. She said of her new office, “My highest priority has been to maintain strong communication with and service to my constituency. I am opening the Leavenworth office to expand my accessibility and responsiveness to the needs of those whom I represent.”

Commencement activities for the Tonganoxie High School and the Tonganoxie Junior High School will take place this week with 114 junior high graduates and 93 high school graduates. This year’s valedictorian is Venice Lohman. Mrs. Ann Durham and Mr. Steve Hughes were this year’s senior class sponsors.

The 1975 alumni banquet met for a dinner and dance. There were 328 Alumni and guests in attendance. The class of 1925 were the honored guests having been out of school fifty years. Roy Yates introduced the class and their sponsor, Mrs. Anna Bell (Echols) Kelly of Kansas City, Mo. The class of 1950 hosted the banquet, and nineteen of the twenty-six classmates were able to attend.

The City Council adopted two resolutions to involve the city in the National Flood Insurance Program. This program would make flood insurance available to homeowners within the flood plain at a much lower rate.

75 years ago: May 11, 1950

Class of 1950 Tonganoxie Rural High School photos grace the front page of the Mirror this week. Among the graduates are John McCone, Wilma Jackson, Harry Gallagher and Jerry Baker. Congratulations to this first class of the new decade. Mr. Tom Beatty is the principal.

Also this week is the Annual Alumni Banquet, featuring a roll call from the class of 1903!

The Mirror starts its 70th year in publication by introducing an automatic press, much faster than a hand feed press. Seems like everything is up to date in Tonganoxie.

Almost all businesses in town are offering some sort of nice Mother’s Day gifts and specials. Cox Jewelers has wrist watches, pearl necklaces and earrings. IGA is calling all mothers with a pledge to assist you in every way to feed your family within the bounds of your food budget. Weaver’s in Lawrence has beautifully styled atomizers in gold and silver with a matching silk netted bulb. Fill one with her favorite scent and let her spritz away the cares of the day.

Royal Theatre is showing “Border Incident” starring Ricardo Montalban.  

100 years ago: May 14, 1925

It pays to have your shoes repaired. New ones are expensive. The old ones will give lots of service when repaired by E. G. Bullock, City Shoe Shop. First door east of Post Office.

Miss Vivian Harling, who works in Kansas City, now stays at home and makes the trip to and from the City each day on the convenient bus service. She rides on the Orange and Green Bus Line.

Good Music will be enjoyed at the Catholic Ladies Club Card Party and Dance at the Tonganoxie State Bank Hall this Thursday evening, May 14th. Meet your friends there and enjoy a social evening.

Last Saturday afternoon Rumsey Brothers of Tonganoxie and Lawrence bought the Farmers and Merchants State Bank building of E. F. Bollinger, assistant receiver of the bank, for four thousand dollars, cash. It is not known just what will be done with the building as yet, but they will fix it up with new decorations, etc., in the near future.

The Rumsey brothers, consisting of C. B. Rumsey and J. C. Rumsey of Lawrence and H. C. Rumsey of Tonganoxie have a fine funeral home at Lawrence, and a large furniture store and undertaking business at Tonganoxie. The three brothers believe in Tonganoxie and sometime in the future they may fit the building up as a funeral home and furniture store.

125 years ago: May 10, 1900

If the city council adopts the recommendations of the street and alley committee next Monday evening, something like a mile of brick sidewalks and crossings will be constructed before the ground freezes in the fall. The plan contemplates the construction of brick walks between the Union Pacific tracks and Northwestern depot on the south side of Fourth street, and from Zoellner’s corner to the Congregational church walk which is to be widened a foot.

Sidewalks are to be constructed running north from Fourth street as follows: Along the west side of Main to the Creamery; along the east side of Delaware to Second; along the east side of Bury to Third thence on the west side to Second; along the west side of Shawnee to the schoolhouse. A walk is also contemplated from Delaware to the schoolhouse on the north side of Third. Vitrified brick crossings are to be run across the streets from sidewalk to sidewalk. What is proposed will add wonderfully to the appearance of the town, though it is expected there will be some opposition. The majority of the people affected can afford to make the improvements, and the terms of construction ought to be made as easy as possible for those who are hardly able to stand that much expense at one time. The town needs the walks purposed, and the people ought to support the efforts the administration puts forth in the matter.

The assessor of Tonganoxie township was the first to file his report with the county clerk and he reported a loss in the township’s population over the last year of 242. The town of Tonganoxie shows a loss of 112. Last year its population was 931 and this year the assessor was able to find but 819 persons in the town. The country districts last year had a population of 1,474 and this year 1,344. The total of the townships for the year is 2,163 and last year was 2,405.