He started his career at Tonganoxie Junior High School before some of his teachers were born – back when the Beatles were turning American culture on its ear by radio and vinyl records. At the end of the 1996-97 school year, Marvin Pine is calling an end to his career in the Tonganoxie school system. At a youthful 55 years of age, Pine will have been in the district 31 years, one of the most venerable instructors.

The Tonganoxie High School Forensics Team took third place in the 1997 state competition at Augusta High School on Saturday.

Four of the twenty Tonganoxie High School art students who attended the Highland Community College Art Show on Thursday April 24 were pictured. These four, who won awards were, Jeff Stewart, Joel Bogart, Melody Pryor, and Sean McWilliams.

50 years ago: May 4, 1972

One down and one to go as the first home has been demolished and the second will go shortly to make way for the construction of the new B and J Thriftway Grocery to be located at Third and West Streets. Bill Seymour and Jim Gambrill are the owners. The new facility will be several times as large as the old store and will have adjacent parking. Target date for opening is August first of this year.

Connie Swain received a gold medal and a first-place rating for her clarinet solo during the annual Kansas State High School Music Festival held on the Ottawa University campus, Ottawa, Kansas.

Imagine over two hundred boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 14, participating in a sport as old as the weapon itself, target shooting. The Tonganoxie Jaycees, under the direction of Russ Kimberlin, State Shoot-Off Chairman, are hosting the Kansas State BB Gun Shoot-Off at the Tonganoxie Junior High.

Fire Chief Gene Nelson is the man that runs the control center during the weather watches in this area. He uses the radio to talk with one of his spotters and plots storm activity on maps. All members of the Civil Defense Unit are volunteers. Mike Vestal is head of the CB Communications Unit.

The Tonganoxie Chieftains picked up three firsts, one second, one third, three fourths, and two fifths on their way to a fourth-place finish in the Holton Invitational track meet. The Chieftains totaled their highest output of the season with 33 points in the non-league meet won by Washburn Rural. Those who placed first were Ed Zellner, Bob Turner, Larry Huebner, Bob and David Turner.

75 years ago: May 1, 1947

Another annual Alumni Dinner was held this past weekend with 230 guests in attendance. This year, the class of 1922 was honored as this is their 25th anniversary. Four of the graduates of the ’22 class were present. Claude Winslow, Arthur Turner, Olive Cox and Leila Myers represented the class and shared a few remarks after the dinner. The oldest living graduate of Tonganoxie Rural High School is Fred Angell who graduated in 1903, forty-one years ago.

A second important anniversary is that of the city’s decision to pave our principal business street. Tonganoxie was one of the very first small towns in Kansas to pave its main street which allowed businesses and institutions to thrive. Will Ridgway who was the operator of the town’s horse-drawn dray was a familiar sight on the street. It’s reported that Will had a good sense of humor and ready wit. That helped him deal with the many complaints he received about wet, sloppy, and muddy streets before the 1915 paving.

The Federal Communications Commission has granted permission to WREN radio station to move from Tonganoxie to Topeka thus ending over 20 years of broadcasts from here. The move will increase reception in Central Kansas and increase the watts from 1000 to 5000. 

100 years ago: May 4, 1922

Mrs. Cora Wellhouse Bullard was a passenger to Topeka last Sunday evening, going to Lawrence on the Sechrest bus line from Tonganoxie.

Merle Ridgeway, who began working at a tailoring shop in Lawrence last week, makes the trips daily via the convenient Sechrest bus line.

Stranger – Little Anna Mary Doege and brother Albert Joseph are spending several days with their grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Jos. Eble.

Few industries have shown more development within a century than that of making fireworks. The fireworks makers have not only made important contributions to the art themselves but have taken advantage of many discoveries and refinements made by other in chemistry and mechanics.

The colors given to fireworks are produced mineral salts. Copper produces green and blue; barium green; sodium yellow; calcium red; and strontium crimson. These salts are arranged in combination with gunpowder and the recipes for star compositions, rockets, squibs, roman candles, and the like are almost without number. Among the set pieces are portraits, lettered designs, fixed suns, fountains, palm trees, mosaic work and ships.

125 years ago: May 6, 1897

Dr. Coe has rented two of the rooms over Grist’s drug store for an office.

Leslie McKeehen and Roscoe Vantine, while delivering evening papers yesterday, fell from the pony they were riding because of the saddle slipping, and the former was thrown over a wire fence on Sixth Street. For a wonder, neither was scratched.

The G.A.R., at its meeting last Saturday, appointed committees to observe Decoration Day. A definite programme will be arranged the Saturday before.

Col. Lewis Hanback, well known in Kansas, will be the prater of the day, and will speak on Monday, May 31, at 1 P.M. Rev. L. A. Burr will follow with an address. A programme of music will be arranged by the ladies. The band will escort the post and speakers from the hall to the Christian church before the ceremonies. The graves of old soldiers will be decorated by committees for the different cemeteries.

Rev. Barr will deliver a memorial sermon on Sunday, May 30th, at 11 o’clock, and the G.A.R. post will attend in a body.

Col. Hanback, who will deliver the memorial address, is one of the most prominent old soldiers in Kansas. He enlisted in the service in April 1861 in the 10th Illinois. He was on the staff of General Sheridan in the battle of Mission Ridge; afterward he was on the staff of General Harker and following the death of General Harker, he served on the staff of General Bradley. He came to Kansas in 1867, locating in Topeka. He has held the positions of justice of the peace, probate judge, assistant chief clerk of the Kansas house of representatives, assistant secretary of the senate, assistant United States attorney for Kansas, receiver of the United States land office at Salina, and member of congress. Until recently he has been a clerk in the office of the adjutant general. He will have charge of the G.A.R. headquarters at the state house, under his recent appointment a G.A.R. adjutant of Kansas.