25 years ago: Dec. 13, 2000

Tucker Conrad and Jesse West are pictured taking some letters to the post office to mail. They are participating in a class project in which second grade students of Sarah Kettler and Gail Kiefer are writing letters to senior citizens. Kettler said the students will write one letter each month from now through May. At the end of the school year, the students will invite their senior citizen pen pals to a classroom party.

Winter storm ices the area. A snow advisory was in effect from Tuesday night through midday today, with a snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches expected, according to Greg Koch, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Today’s high will be about 20 degrees with a low in the teens. Thursday should be mostly sunny and warmer with a high of 30.

It was a bitter winter morning. Temperatures hovered at 25 degrees and winds ruffled the gray waters at the Leavenworth State Fishing Lake. But to Steve Collins, a tall, burly man who operates a fish hatchery in Dent, Minn., and who was delivering a load of 1,000 walleye to the lake, the weather was balmy. Dressed in insulated coveralls and lined rubber gloves, Dent said he’d left at home the woolen mittens his 86-year-old mother still knits for him. It was cold in Kansas, but not that cold.

50 years ago: Dec. 10, 1975

Two years ago, girls basketball invaded Tonganoxie High School. As things turned out, the invasion was not too successful if judged only by the won-lost columns. The girls failed to win a game that season. The 1974-75 season came along and the won-lost column looked much the same as the previous year. The won column looked exactly the same. Looking at things in that light, Monday night was a historical event in the records of Tonganoxie Girls Basketball. The girls won their first game ever by defeating Osawatomie 36 to 33. Looking back on the two winless years of competition one would have to admit that the girls deserved this victory and a few more. Many of the girls have played since they were freshmen and have devoted many hours to attain this victory and hopes of others. At any rate, the team and coach, Miss Barb Booth, all felt pretty good about their first victory.

The location of Fourth and Bury has been decided upon as the location for the Gifts-A-Plenty Christmas drawing. Buster Quisenberry of the Action Auction will be in charge of the proceedings. Prizes will be given away by 15 Tonganoxie businesses.

The present bridge over Tonganoxie Creek in the east part of the city on Fourth Street will only allow one car at a time. Sometime in 1976 a new bridge should be built. The council received word from the county commissioners that the county would help finance the project.

Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Leimkuhler, 86, of Tonganoxie passed away December 9, 1975. She was the mother of Fred Leimkuhler and Hazel Metzger. Her husband, Mr. Louis W. Leimkuhler, passed away November 29, 1975. Burial for both is in the Quindaro Cemetery in Kansas City, Kansas.

75 years ago: Dec. 7, 1950

Well, winter has arrived with a vengeance bringing snow and a sleet storm from the north. The morning after the weather settled down gave us a coat of ice on roads and sidewalks. The thermometer zoomed to 2 and 4 below zero meaning that this icy layer will be with us for a while. Commuters caught buses into work and avoided driving on the pavement.

Cords of wood costs are up this year with prices ranging from $12 to $14 each. Better pull on the woolens to keep warm this winter. George Baker. postmaster announces that the post office will be open on Saturday afternoons until Christmas. This will help you get your packages and cards mailed.

A 19 year-old tradition was continued this week when the mothers of the football squad entertained their sons with a banquet. Boys were served a full turkey dinner with all the trimmings and seemed to enjoy every last bite. Next week, Foster Laming will treat the entire squad to a fried chicken dinner and the Royal Theater gave each member a pass good for any movie.

The Royal Theater has some great movies this week but one in particular will be a classic for years to come. “Sunset Boulevard” starring Gloria Swanson and William Holden is the fascinating story of Hollywood.  See what this city is all about in this first run film.

100 years ago: Dec. 10, 1925

Bazaar beginning at 10 o’clock at Zellner’s by the Congregational Aid Society. Get your beautiful and useful gifts for Christmas Saturday.

Tuesday evening the P.E.O.’s were delightfully entertained by the B.L..L’s with a seven o’clock dinner at the school house which was prepared and served by the Domestic Science class under the direction of Miss Genevra Adams.

125 years ago: Dec. 13, 1900

The City Council paid for the new arch culvert in the west part of town Monday night. The amount allowed was $266 but the township will refund half of it. An order was made for the construction of a brick crossing on Fourth Street east of the Union Pacific tracks. The crossing is to be of vitrified brick on a concrete foundation with stone curbing.

George Holder several weeks ago killed two foxes at one shot, while out hunting in Stranger bottom. He sold the hides in town this week, and they will be made into robes. Foxes are a scarce animal in this country, and the feat of killing two at one shot will probably never be repeated. Mr. Holder is an old and experienced hunter and trapper.

There will be a special meeting of the Library Association at the reading room on next Saturday afternoon. All members are urged to be present as a very important matter is to be considered.

Miss Volberg Wernsen, an excellent elocutionist, will give an entertainment in Laming’s Hall, Thursday, Dec. 6, under the auspices of the Christian Church. Music will be added and the programme promises to be most interesting. Come out and hear something exceedingly fine