Commercial and residential construction is happening in Southern Leavenworth County. Plans are for more, like development that will be built across the highway north of the Tonganoxie High School. New roads and new businesses are coming. We are in a growth area where change is constant and part of our lifestyle.

Western Wyandotte County is also seeing change. A Holiday Inn and other businesses will be built near the Turnpike entrance and exit at Bonner Springs soon. And near the intersection of highway 24-40 and 7 the old café and gas station have been torn down and in all probability will be replaced with something new. There is still talk of a Wizard of Oz theme park which would indeed add to the growth pattern of this area.

June Teasley, an assistant regional administrator for the U.S. Small Business Administration, Region 7, spoke to various classes at the Tonganoxie Junior High. She encouraged kids to think about small businesses as a way to work and make a living. “Working with kids accentuates learning skills. It’s a real life situation when they think about the businesses downtown on “Main Street” or who owns the drug store.”

50 years ago: Sept. 30, 1971

Mr. and Mrs. William Oelschlaeger of Dafer Community west of Bonner Springs, will hold open house Sunday, Oct. 10 at their home from 2 until 4:30 in the afternoon to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary.

The annual Ulrich family reunion was held at the St. Joseph of the Valley Hall Sept. 26.

There was a phot of Bill Owens and the Copperhead snake he killed just a few yards from his home northwest of Tonganoxie.

Mr. and Mrs. Bill McGraw and family have moved into their new home on RR2, Tonganoxie (on the Jarbalo Road).

Jarbalo – Mrs. Rosa Moses and Mrs. Ella Moses attended the 50th wedding anniversary Sunday afternoon of Mr. and Mrs. John Smelser, McLouth.

75 years ago: Sept. 26, 1946

The Tonganoxie Community Club met this week and has a new focus for our citizens. A field speaker for the Kansas TB and Health Association is recommending that better health comes through better food. She detailed how one school started distributing oranges at recess and that discipline problems had practically disappeared. She stated that a lot of argumentative, sour, unproductive employees could change their attitudes with a better breakfast. A coffee and doughnut will not provide the necessary vitamin B benefits that make for healthier, happier workers. 

An 11 year old student in our grade school has come down with a case of cerebral polio. As we understand it, this is not as harmful as the neurological form and that he will be better soon. However, he is listed as being seriously ill.

We have had some cool, crisp temperatures for the last week or so and shot up to 90 degrees today just to remind us that summer is still around.

Our local FFA chapter, along with Mr. Welton, their advisor will attend the Future Farmers of America Leadership School in Lawrence. The high school reporter will present a three-minute speech at the convention.

Ratliff’s Drug Store has a full supply of Silque Cream Shampoo on the shelves. It’s for “good looking hair, that will become a feminine favorite and will meet with masculine approval.” It gives abundant foamy lather and lustrous shine. Only $1 per jar.

Wow! The Royal Theatre will be showing “Incendiary Blonde Ziegfeld Follies of 1946.” Sounds like a hot one. Don’t miss it.

100 years ago: Sept. 29, 1921

Mr. Phelps, a state engineer, Mr. Brown, a federal engineer and Mr. McCorkle, the resident engineer, were over the Fort to Fort road inspecting culverts and laying of the slab last Wednesday.

These engineers, who are employed to see that taxpayers get what they are paying for on this road, are wide-awake fellows and seem to know their business.

Mr. Brown the federal engineer, had some very complimentary word to say about Mr. Fred F. Eberhardt.

Mr. Eberhardt and his foreman, R.D. Fink, have had great obstacles to overcome in getting things in shape and making the progress shown so far. With the rainy weather and the trouble in getting material as needed they surely have been having their troubles.

Several hundred feet of the concrete have had to be laid with reinforced steel which has made the work much slower.

Mr. Fink says that when they get the slab laid to the stockpile they will move the mixer to the point of beginning near the Honey Valley school house, and work from there south to the switch near the Woodward place about three miles out of Tonganoxie, after which they will move back and finish the gap into town.

125 years ago: Oct. 1, 1896

There were 2,389 veterans in the Home Saturday morning.

The waiters in the main dining hall now wear white jackets and caps.

Because an old soldier is convicted of a crime, he does not forfeit his pension. There are some convicts in all penitentiaries now drawing pensions.

The bids for building Amusement Hall and insane ward were opened at headquarters Friday. E.V. Kelly, of Leavenworth, was awarded the contract for constructing the insane wards but the bids for Amusement Hall being too high they were all rejected, and proposals for the same will be again advertised.

Several of the old boys are earning an honest penny these days by going out in the woods, gathering baskets of persimmons, bringing them to the Home and peddling them out to the other members at a nickel a basket.