With the date of exodus for occupants nearing, the situation at Sturgeon’s Wheel Estate is speeding to an end. Occupants still residing at the trailer park have all made plans to relocate by June 1. The city plans to start demolition by June 6, then proceeding to turn the property at 107 N. Main, into a recreation area and parking lot.

Rusty Ehart is pictured on page A11 with a morel mushroom which has thirteen bodies sprouting from one stalk. Rusty and his dad, Russel, recently found the fungus near Jarbalo by Stranger Creek. Rusty’s family recently sold ten pounds of the mushroom for $10 a pound.

What would keep you working at a greasy dirty job for almost 50 years – Bob Lenahan knows. Upon selling his garage to Jack Cronemeyer, Lenahan had been in the auto repair business for nearly half a century. “I started out in 1948, went to work for my brother Francis, Lenahan explained. He left to work at Benets Aviation in Kansas City and then left for the Korean War in 1950. Returning two years later, he worked for his brother and then bought him out after 25 years. A photograph on page A4 shows a view of Lenahan’s shop and Coca-Cola sign.

50 years ago: May 6, 1971

Master Charge’s large advertisement in the Mirror listed local businesses that accepted the new credit card.

The pilot walked away from an agricultural spray plane crash shown on the front page of the Mirror with no injuries.

The newly installed weather warning siren was tested this week.

IGA in Tongie was advertising 6 cans of orange juice for $1.

Sutton-Kolman Ford had started offering leasing on new cars and trucks.

Murray Pharmacy advertised Mother’s Day specials and gift sets with free gift wrapping. 

75 years ago: May 2, 1946

The Tonganoxie Reading Club is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary this week with an afternoon tea. A group of four women began this club in 1886 with the sole purpose of informing, educating and entertaining like-minded women of the area.  Once again, some of our nation’s most famous individuals had connections to this literary club including, Mrs. [Henry] Shelby Bullard, daughter of the “Apple King” of Kansas and Mrs. Kate Brown, grandmother of the famous movie actress, Jean Harlow. This club became a part of the national club federation which helped give them access to more programs. One member remarked, “…these were the horse and buggy days. We had no radios, movies or phones.” A reading club seemed just the perfect way to keep women informed about the world and literature.

Mother’s Day is just around the corner and with it comes some great ideas for gifts. How often Mother has thought that she would like something that she could use. Find clothes hampers, step stools, medicine cabinets and more at Rumsey Quisenberry Furniture Store in Tonganoxie. She will certainly be pleasantly surprised with a good sturdy useful gift.

Get the Rite Way Milker at Tonganoxie Electric Service and give your hands and wrists a rest. You can milk two cows in the time it takes for one, plus you protect the milk against barn odors by using the vacuum sealed pail. You can put your cows on a time schedule and have more hours in the day for yourself.

100 years ago: May 5, 1921

Miss Grace Schilling entertained about thirty guests last Saturday evening with a May Party. Games and music were enjoyed and a delicious lunch was served, each guest receiving an individual box, or May basket, daintily shaped and trimmed containing their delicacies.

Mrs. Robt. Jarrett and children visited her father, Frank Nelson, at Reno Wednesday and helped to celebrate his 44th birthday anniversary.

Grand Chapter of the O.E.S. [Order of the Eastern Star] will meet May 11 to 14 at Wichita. Mrs. W.E. Simison, Worthy Matron of Rinda Chapter of the Eastern Star, is a delegate to attend. Ottawa had asked for the Grand Chapter meeting this year, but the new temple has not been completed as planned. Salina may ask for the meeting next year as the Masons are building a new $1,000,000 temple. Preparations are being made to entertain 4,000 delegates from all parts of the state to the forty-fifth session of the Grand Chapter at Wichita. Those in charge of the session will be Mrs. Ura Feeley, Grand Matron, of Jennings, Kansas; Mrs. George Pogson, Grand Patron, of Pittsburg, Kansas; and Mrs. Della Bennett, Grand Secretary, of Topeka, Kansas.

125 years ago: May 7, 1896

The Creamery Association was chartered last week, by the secretary of state. The board of directors held their first meeting Monday afternoon, and elected H.V. Needham president, E.Q. Cox vice president and Jonathan Winslow treasurer. W. Laming Jr. consented to serve as secretary temporarily. By the way, the latter has gone into the creamery project so enthusiastically that he is training a herd of cows, and they say that some blisters he has on his fingers are caused by learning to milk.

It was decided to make a call for the first payment of 25 per cent on stock subscriptions, and the balance will be payable monthly until paid. Solicitations will also be made for more subscription to the stock.

A tract land 134 feet in depth with a front of 105 feet on a street and about 160 feet on the alley has been offered the Association as a donation. Tonganoxie Creek runs through on corner of this tract. It is about 400 feet north of the exact center of town.

It is not expected to have the creamery running before September 1st, as it will be some time yet before work can be started. The funds must first be forthcoming, then plans must be made for the building and bids solicited for the building and fixtures.

The farmers in the vicinity of Tonganoxie are taking a great interest in the creamery enterprise and many of them have signified their intention of bringing milk. The encouragement that is being received in the new enterprise betokens a grand success, and a successful creamery is a wonderful help to the farming community about it.