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: Oct. 25, 2000

A woman with nearly five years of experience in city government will start work next Wednesday as Tonganoxie City Clerk. The Tonganoxie City Council on Monday approved the hiring of Kathy Bard, who now is DeSoto’s assistant city clerk. In a telephone interview on Tuesday, Bard, 36, said she’s eager to begin work in Tonganoxie. The recently completed downtown project caught her eye when she visited Tonganoxie.

In an effort to provide better fire protection and lower insurance rates for some residents, Stranger Township Fire Department plans to construct a second station. The township encompasses the area bounded roughly by Hemphill Road, 211th Street, Dempsey Road and 171st Street. The area is about 50 square miles, 10 miles long and five miles wide.

On Saturday, most of us will turn our clocks and watches back an hour before climbing into bed for the evening. Others of us will wait until Sunday morning to say our goodbyes to daylight savings time. And, of course, some of us will forget entirely about the time switch.

Box elder bugs have begun to move into sheltered areas. In October and November, these bugs will crawl under shingles and into cracks and crevices to gain access to inner wall spaces where they will hibernate during the winter. They will not bite humans or damage buildings, furnishings, clothing or food. They are just a nuisance.

50 years ago: Oct. 16, 2025

Phil Sole of Kansas City, Missouri was assigned to cover Reno, Kansas for a Bicentennial project in his grade school. He wrote a letter which was received at the Tonganoxie Post Office. Postmaster John White turned the letter over to Herbert Pearson, a life-long resident of the Reno area. After a little thought Pearson went to Walter Bleakley, a grandson of one of the three founders of Reno. He provided the history behind the city. Reno was originally settled just after the Civil War by three brothers. They were George W., Bill and Jim Phenicie. All had been soldiers in the Union Army. The name of the town came from a Union Army general, General Reno. Another prominent figure was Samuel Kelsall. He was responsible for laying out the town. In about 1870, Reno was bigger than Tonganoxie. There were two grocery stores, a brick yard, a creamery, blacksmith shop, post office, stock yards, schoolhouse, railroad and telegraph stations. The end of the Civil War triggered the development and growth of Reno. Besides the Phenicie brothers, others settled in the town. Included in those were about 400 freed slaves. The path of Indian tribes being moved to reservations also ran through Reno, an overnight stop on the journey. Many Indian relics have been found near Nine Mile Creek, where it passes by the town. The last original business in Reno was Tony Hess’s grocery store. He was Justice of the Peace and he married couples for a charge of one cent. There is not much left in Reno to remind one of the more glorious days. The old school house is no longer in use but the Methodist Church is still used, a few houses and a popular tavern. There are a few dependents of the Phenicie brothers still in the area. Gordon Harman is the grandson of Bill Phenicie and Jim Phenicie is grandfather to Walter Bleakley and Margaret Sanders Leighty.

An attempted burglary at the home of Rodney Schubert resulted in capture at gunpoint of three Kansas City, Kansas persons. The three came to the front door of the house and received no answer but did awaken Schubert. They went to the back porch to take firearms when Schubert surprised them and held them at gunpoint until sheriff officers arrived.

A group of students from KU belonging to the United Ministerial Religious Group, painted the Reno United Methodist Church. This project was greatly appreciated by the church members. It was a real pleasure to see a group of young people working and having fun at the same time.

75 years ago: Oct. 26, 1950

With the warm autumn air our farmers have been able to surpass the record corn crop of 1949! Fifty bushels per acre is an ordinary yield and with the good rains and warm temperatures some are reporting 120 bushels per acre, 80 bushels per acre and some in the 65-75 bushel rate. 

As we reported last week the preparations are underway for the Halloween parade and dance this coming Tuesday night. The parade will start at the high school, proceed east to Main and west down Fourth Street. This is a wonderful town event and becoming a tradition for years to come.

Keck Electrical has the Hinman’s “magic hand” inflations on its Master Milker that will be more soothing to the cow. Even nervous cows respond and give more milk and butterfat. It’s gentle to udders. Ask Keck’s for free demonstrations.

Oakson’s will give prizes for the best ten ears of Funk’s Hybrid corn brought into the store. 

100 years ago: Oct. 15, 1925

John Cline while driving a Franklin Ice Cream Co. truck home from Kansas City last Tuesday night was hit by a Middle States bus. A little damage was done to the truck and the bus was scratched. John was hit by an approaching car, the driver of which was blinded by the bus lights, and thrown several feet receiving several bruises.

Card Party and Dance given by Catholic Ladies Friday, Oct. 16. Music by the Lacy Serenaders.

We will sell 20 pounds Best Granulated Sugar for $1 with purchase of $5 or more of Other Goods. The Zellner Merc. Co.

America has been branded the most careless nation in the world, in regard to accidents, by delegates gathering from over the world to the fourteenth annual Safety Congress, at Cleveland. It is pointed out that the accidental death rate for the United States is 76.3 fatalities for 100,000 population as against a rate of 33.6 for England and Wales. The safest country in the world seems to be Denmark where the rate is 20 accidental deaths for each 100,000 population. Some of the discrepancy in the United States can be accounted for, doubtless, by the fact that the United States has many times the number of automobiles possessed by any nation of Europe.

Work has been going right along on the High School building and it will soon be finished.

A neat new sign was placed above the door of the First National Bank a few days ago.

AM Huffman brought to this office last Saturday a twig off a cherry tree with blossoms thereon.

125 years ago: Oct. 25, 1900

A series of sermons are being delivered at the Methodist church, on the Ten Commandments. Next Sunday night the Fourth Commandment will be considered.

The Ladies Aid Society of the M.E. church will give a Hallow E’en social at W.L. McKeehen’s on cloths line evening, Tuesday, Oct. 30. The ladies will serve lunch.

The boys will not forget that next Tuesday evening is Hallow E’en but this will perhaps be a reminder to the old folks that all loose or moveable property should be chained down.

The Zoellner-Wark Mercantile Co. are putting up a lot of sorghum in labeled quart and gallon cans which are shipped out in cases to local dealers in other towns. Only the best sorghum is put up in these cans.

Next Sunday morning will be Old Folks Day at the Methodist Church. The service will be especially for the older people of the community. All are cordially invited, but a special invitation is extended to the older people.

The Henry Metz scale, which has been on Fourth Street so long that even the old timers cannot recollect when it was put in, was taken up last Thursday, and moved to a farm near Stanwood, owned by Richard Miller who purchased it.

One day last week, while Frank Zoellner was helping unload sorghum barrels from a car, some barrels from an upper tier fell down and one of them mashed the outer side of his left foot. No bones were broken but the injury swelled considerably and Mr. Zoellner has been compelled to use crutches.