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: Nov. 29, 2000

At a special meeting tonight, Tonganoxie City Council will dig into details about the city’s sewer system. According to the city administrator Chris Clark, the city must devise a plan to prevent water from entering the sanitary sewer system. At times, storm water gets into system and older pipes in the city could have cracks that would allow water to seep into the sewer pipes. The problem then is that the sewage plant is treating clean water, is taking a toll on the plant. “It’s fairly close to capacity,” Clark said.

Despite recent wet weather, work is progressing on an addition to Tonganoxie’s Christian Church. The Rev. Ben Saathoff hopes the construction project on the east side of the Washington Street church will be completed by late next summer. The addition to the church has been necessitated by growth in recent years. “Our Sunday school classes, in particular, are maxed out,” Saathoff said. In 1975, when Saathoff took over as pastor of the church, an average of 90 people attended Sunday worship services, while Sunday school attendance hovered around 80. Today, about 350 people regularly attend Sunday morning services, while about 270 participate in Sunday school.

Work is underway on an addition to Tonganoxie’s B&J Apple Market. New construction on the south and west sides of the store will add more than 12,000 square feet of space. In addition, the grocery – at Ridge Street and U.S. Highway 24-40 – will undergo extensive remodeling. “The whole store is going to change,” said owner Jim Gambrill.

50 years ago: Nov. 26, 1975

Although the city crew cleared streets all night, we awoke Wednesday morning to find out it was a losing battle. More snow had fallen. This was the first snow of the season that blanketed the area.

The grant to help pay for the remaining ground not owned by the city but owned by Junior Thorne on the same block as the swimming pool has not come through as expected. The matching funds grant would have helped complete city acquisition of the entire block for park and recreational purposes. The park board had planned to provide parking and park facilities for use in coordination with summer swimming.

Joan Martin, Dorothy Adcox and Dwayne Logsden were winners in their grades in the Friends of the Library Children’s Book Week Contest. A poster was made by Dorothy for the book that she read, Indian Horse Story.

A special series of gold banded Commemorative plates featuring the image of Chief Tonganoxie will go on sale at the First State Bank and the Leavenworth Mutual Savings and Loan. The attractive, buff-colored chinaware, featuring an authentic likeness of Delaware Chief Tonganoxie will each be sold for $3.50. Proceeds from the sale will benefit the Chief Tonganoxie Bicentennial Memorial Site Committee.

Fifteen people will be receiving free Christmas presents from local stores and businesses participating in the Mirror’s Christmas Gifts-A-Plenty campaign. The Christmas presents are being offered by the local merchants who are involved in the campaign. Tonganoxie shoppers may register for the drawing. The merchants are doing more than giving away free gifts. They are stocking their inventories and offering services that will make it easier for Tonganoxie residents to do the bulk of their Christmas shopping in Tonganoxie this year.

75 years ago: Nov. 26, 1950

Once again it is the annual Thanksgiving game between Kansas and Missouri. Reports say that most people will listen to it on the radio.

Eight thousand mailboxes in Leavenworth county will receive Christmas Seal letters in them this week. The president of the TB Association says 74% of the money that is received in this county is used for tuberculin tests and other health issues. Consider donating to them.

A recent Tonganoxie resident who came here from Holton was arrested on a charge of intent to kill. The individual, who shall not be named, recently purchased the upper pool hall, drove to Topeka and drew a gun on his ex-wife. He was disarmed before he could shoot her.

An extension home management specialist attended a National Outlook Conference in D.C. She reports that we can expect a situation somewhat like we had in WWII. We have a three million man army who will take first priority so credit clamps are in place. This includes on car purchases and home building. She states that there will be a big jump in steel, metals and fabrics prices as these are used in the military. Wool stock piles will be scarce and high. Food exports are lower due to improved food production abroad.

A continued feature introduces us to one of our teachers, Mrs. Jeanne Knox. Mrs. Knox is the mother of Carol Dee and Janice and lives on a dairy farm south of Tonganoxie with her husband Alfred. She graduated from Stephens College and taught in Kansas City and Honey Valley School (editors note:our local one room schoolhouse at the museum site). She teaches third grade in the public school.

100 years ago: Nov. 26, 1925

The Inter State Stage Lines Co., have placed five new large busses on their run from Kansas City to Topeka. They arrived in the city last Friday just in time for the heavy traffic to the Missouri-Kansas football game on Saturday.

Sunday afternoon fire was discovered in the rear of the W. McAlexander poultry house. The alarm was quickly answered and only a small amount of damage to egg cases stored there and the breaking of a couple of windows was the result. The origin of the fire is unknown but was probably caused by an overheated stove pipe. The O. Davis Coffee Shop was filled to capacity for several hours last Saturday, more than, 1,000 being served there during the day, The biggest rush being in the evening as the football fans were returning home from the big game at Lawrence.

The First National Bank has purchased the building occupied by S. T. Jones as a general store, with the expectation of erecting a bank building on that corner in a few years. The building purchased was among the assets of The Farmers and Merchants State Bank.

Orders for 1-2 million motor car tags in Kansas for 1926 have been placed by Frank Ryan, secretary of state. Officials, according to L. A. Daugherty, deputy license inspector, anticipate one hundred and fifty thousand new cars in the state next year. That figure will put the total beyond the 1-2 million mark, Mr. Daugherty said. The new license tags will be blue back-ground with white letters.

Paying monthly on your home in The Tonganoxie Building and Loan Association requires but little more than rent money, and in a few years, you own the place. Paying rent does not get you a home. The Association also provides a means of saving, so you later can make the first payment down on a home.

125 years ago: Nov. 29, 1900 

The public school takes the usual Thanksgiving holiday today and tomorrow. 

The next teachers meeting will be held at Leavenworth a week from next Saturday. 

The hog cholera northeast of town is abating, but many of the farmers are taking no chances and are rushing big and little hogs off to market before the plague can do them any damage. 

Lee Baker, a prominent young colored man of Stranger Township, will be united in marriage this evening with Miss Bertie Drews at the bride’s home four miles south of Leavenworth. 

The Jayhawker Quartette of the Kansas State University will give an entertainment in Laming’s Hall Monday evening, the admission price to which will be 15 cents. Some of the papers give the young men flattering notices. 

The place a new street crossing is needed worse than any other is across Pleasant Street going to the Northwestern depot. Provision was made for a street crossing at that place about six weeks ago, but the contractors failed to put it in. Arrangements ought to be made for another crossing before the freeze comes. 

“Ye Deestrick Skule of Ye Olden Time:” This ludicrous farce will be presented in Laming’s Hall by local talent next Saturday evening. The laugh begins when the curtain raises and will be continued indefinitely. If there is any attack of the blues it will not exterminate, the money will be refunded cheerfully. The admission fee of twenty cents charged at the door, goes to the support of the library.