The paper this week included a supplement about the 1996 Leavenworth County Fair.

Don Waterman commented in his column – Read the other day where congress won’t be getting rid of the penny real soon anyway. Our opinion may not be worth a cent, but we still think it’s better to make change to the penny.

Those working in the vastly more spacious Leavenworth 4-H Food stand will have one man to give extra thanks this year. The name is Earl Parsons – the same name which the food stand will bear for the duration of its existence. Earl said he was apt to donate his time and effort to organizations like 4-H because he “simply enjoyed doing it.” He isn’t selfish with his time when it comes to pitching in around the Good Shepherd Thrift Shop. “I’m not just one of those that stand back and let everyone else do the work.”

50 years ago: July 22, 1971

Leavenworth County Fair Books were made available at local banks this year due to increased postal cost.

Walt Neibarger’s 10 day trip through seven states and two Canadian provinces was documented in the weekly Comment about This ‘N That column. “Canada is over-run with U.S. hippies” was one of many perspectives given.

Korb Electric’s twenty years in business sale included a large ad with owners Ed and Frances Korb listing white, gold and avacado colored kitchen appliances starting at $319.95 for a refrigerator.

Bill Seymour’s weekly grocery ad included 6 ears of sweet corn for 39 cents.

Photo day at Hunter’s Restaurant included a 5×7 photo for 99 cents. 

40 acres of clear land was listed at $400/acre by Evans Real estate only a 1/2 mile north of town. 

75 years ago: July 25, 1946

Our breaking news information is that we have another state polio scare with patients connected to our community. All three children of the Emil Freienmuth family are patients in Topeka. The children are ages 3, 5, and 7 and seem to be responding well to treatment, although their three year old child was in critical condition. A 22 year old medical student at the University of Kansas was taken ill with the virus and has died. There is no vaccine at this time, so preventive measures are important. Keep children out of crowds and public places, get plenty of rest and good food.

The scenery around town is changing in a big way, and fast. With huge mechanical vehicles, large swaths of territory are being flattened and redirected. Long ago, Chief Tonganoxie and bushwhackers roamed about and now, a major super highway is being cut through the once prairie lands of a century back. Most of us have been used to the sounds of bull-frogs as they serenade their mates. Now, we hear the sounds of heavy machinery grinding away the earth.

Restaurants are full and the stores are selling goods. That is going well, but the housing shortage is the worst it has ever been here in Tonganoxie. With all of the construction workers, REA and engineers, all that’s left is a nice green tent pitched in a backyard.  

IGA has stocked all your home canning needs and at a good price too. A dozen pints of Mason Regular Zinc Cap are on special for $.59. Six packages of red lipped jar rings is $.25. Start the pressure cookers and be ready for the winter months ahead.

100 years ago: July 28, 1921

Manhattan, Kansas. What is the matter with Agriculture? The farm bureaus of Kansas, during the past week, have been finding out for the benefit of the congressional commission which has been appointed to find out what is ailing the farming business.

Most of the counties have sent in results of their hearings to Kansas State Farm Bureau, which has just finished compiling the results. Their testimony is that the main thing the matter with agriculture is the low price of farm products, produced at high costs, while freight, interest rates, taxes and manufactured goods, such as building materials and machinery, which the farmer must buy remain as high or nearly as high as before.

A multitude of factors are assigned as causes for these low prices. Chief among these are the restriction of credit and high interest rates which force liquidation, gambling and speculation in food products, reduced foreign buying power with low exchange rates, high taxes, high freight rates, and the fact that producers are not organized to bargain effectively in marketing their products.

It was shown in the hearings that the prices of wheat, corn, hogs, cattle, and other farm products are practically the same as in 1914, while the prices of machinery are fully 100 per cent greater than in 1914. Farm labor has advanced from $25 per month to $40 per month. Transportation costs are practically double what they were in 1914. Clothing prices, such as shoes, overalls, etc., are twice as high as they were seven years ago. Building material prices, as well as carpenters’ wages, are from 2-1/2 to 3 times what they were in 1914

125 years ago: July 23, 1896

A Week from today occurs the annual school meeting. The Mirror sincerely hopes that those who want to say something mean about somebody else will stay at home and let those who are disposed to transact business without quarreling attend to the business. Much business will need to transacted at this gathering, and if ever there was a time to have peace at school meeting, that time is now.

The school house will be too small to hold all the children who are of school age, and provisions must be made for another room. The question of building a new school house will also be discussed, and some action taken one way or the other.

Care should be taken to have a good businessman elected to the board, regardless of whether he is a farmer or merchant. The new member will hold his office three years and, in that time, if the district decides to build a new school house, there will be matter come before the board that require good judgment.