Editor’s note: To capture time accurately, language from the past generally is left unchanged. This may result in some antiquated or out-of-use language from time to time. We try to maintain the exact wording when possible, but edits are occasionally made for the sake of brevity or because such wording isn’t acceptable today.

25 years ago: Jan. 31, 2001

Rain fell Monday morning after a winter storm had coated sidewalks with about one-half inch of ice the night before. Because of the icy road conditions, school was dismissed for the day. Among those venturing out (and pictured) were Ursula Kissinger, who teaches at Tonganoxie Elementary School, and her children Bobbi Jo and Zeke, who walked in the shelter of their umbrellas.

Several months after unveiling plans for a casino near Lawrence, an Oklahoma Indian tribe has turned its attention to Leavenworth County. Dee Ketchum, chief of the Delaware tribe, was scheduled to talk with Leavenworth County commissioners, but the discussion was postponed to next Tuesday afternoon because of Monday’s storm.

Todd Brown, 11, (pictured) was among 20 volunteers who spent Saturday afternoon cleaning the good Shepherd Thrift Shop in Tonganoxie. Todd accompanied his mother, Jackie, who was one of several First State Bank and Trust employees who joined in the effort.

The former owners of the Ice Cream Parlor and Grill missed the business so much that they plan to open another restaurant in downtown Tonganoxie. Jesse Smith plans to open the L’il Mom and Pop Shop restaurant in early March at 628 E. Fourth. The new restaurant will feature essentially the same menu as the Smiths served at the ice cream parlor. The building at 628 E. Fourth was the former Tin Man building.

50 years ago: Feb. 4, 1976

The home of the Frank Kramer family, Route 1, McLouth was completely leveled by fire early Friday morning. The fire broke out in the basement about 4:30 p.m. “It was a close call,” said Mrs. Kramer. “I’m sure that we would have lost some of the kids if Jim hadn’t started coughing and woke up.” The Kramers were not able to save anything. Nothing was salvageable. The insurance adjusters said that it was the most destructive fire that they had ever seen. People who knew the Kramers or heard about the fire responded quickly and generously according to the Kramers.

Debbie Heisman has been selected as a delegate to the Miss U.S.A. State Pageant for the State of Kansas. Debbie is a 1975 graduate of Tonganoxie High School and is attending Kansas University.

Lee Smith and daughter Rhonda accepted an award for their two year old Quarter Horse, Flashy Go Moore, at the Annual banquet of the Northeast Kansas Quarter Horse Association. Flashy Go Moore was named Co-Champion Two Year Old Gelding in the Racing Division and had seven wins in 1975 and earnings of almost $20,000.

Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Pruitt announce the birth is a son, Jerry Richard, at Cannon Air Force Base Hospital in Clovis, New Mexico.

Mr. and Mrs. Larry Vestal announce the birth of a son, Jeremy Michael, at St. John’s Hospital in Leavenworth.

The Tonganoxie High School basketball team led by Coach Steeples took second place in the Annual Tonganoxie Invitational Basketball Tournament. They also won the Up From Under trophy and Jim Walker and Rick McPherson were selected for the all-tournament team. They had a lot of support from the student body becoming one big cheering section.

The Tonganoxie Drama Department is working on a children’s theatre production, The Great Cross Country Race. This is the story of the race between the tortoise and the hare and the race is run through the audience. The production involves more students than any play before in Tonganoxie High School.

75 years ago: Feb. 1, 1951

The Tonganoxie Community Club has a terrific ad in this week’s paper promoting our progressive suburban town. We have all the modern conveniences of natural gas, and waterworks, plus two miles of paved streets. We have a concrete pool, city library, grade and rural high schools. The Franklin milk plant is a plus, along with 50 business of various kinds. Twenty new homes were started or completed just last year. Boost your town and your town will boost you!

McLouth Schools have been closed for three days due to low gas pressure in their city. And, the temperature has been running about 8 to 10 below zero. Too cold for classes. Tomorrow is Groundhog Day and it looks like we’ll have six more weeks of winter. Seems like the little woodchuck should stay buried for quite a while.

The new appliance situation is getting grim as the government has put restrictions on installment buying due to the Korean War. Material goods for civilians are being cut more and more for defense orders. We want to advise our customers of the changing picture, reports the REA Voice. New gas ranges, refrigerators and stoves are limited.

Well, winter has arrived with our first real snowfall of the season. We received about three inches, but farmers everywhere are thankful for some moisture.

100 years ago: Jan. 28, 1926

Last Friday evening the Commercial Club held a very interesting meeting, with a good attendance of representative citizens. Dr. Mott, president of the club, presided in the chair and called on several of our older citizens to tell those present of the growth of our city. This was interestingly done by Mr. S. J. McNaughton, Frank Zoellner, E. C. McNerney, and Mayor, Wiliam Heynen. The guests of the evening were Mr. Reames and Mr. Apollonio, expert advertising men of the Kansas City Star. The gentlemen from Kansas City told us that we had something to advertise, and that Tonganoxie was fortunately located to attract suburban home owners; that we needed more good sidewalks and more mudless streets. The experts from The Kansas City Star will submit an advertising program to a committee, appointed by the chairman. Mr. E. R. Rodgers of Seattle, Washington was a guest on the occasion and made some pertinent and interesting remarks in regard to our city and the Commercial Club. It is hoped that the enthusiasm ingendered at this meeting will continue.

Several Tonganoxie fans attended the Kansas-Missouri basketball game at Kansas University last Saturday evening and witnessed Kansas’ victory with a 24 to 16 score.

Wednesday of last week Dr. L. C. Cox, had installed in his dental parlors an X-ray machine, and has been taking a number of pictures with excellent results. This is a valuable addition to the town and community and much credit is due Dr. Cox who is endeavoring to bring to our midst an up-to-date method of finding the defects that they may be more readily corrected.

Last Tuesday Isaac Poole sold his pool hall to Roy H. Johnson of Lawrence, Mr. Johnson has had years of experience in the pool hall business, and will immediately make extensive improvements in the hall, and assures the patrons that he will maintain an up-to-date Billard Parlor and soft drinks emporium. Mr. Johnson is a cousin of C. E. Johnson of this place.

125 years ago: February 7, 1901 

Final services were held over the body of Victoria at St. George’s chapel Windsor Park, Saturday afternoon. The funeral party entered the church at 3:15 o’clock and at 4:10 the services were over. 

JW Staley who lives four miles southeast, reports that one of his cows gave birth to twin calves Monday night and all the animals are living. This is the third pair of twins the cow has had. Mr. Staley raised nineteen calves from seventeen cows last year. The head of his cattle herd, a Shorthorn, was the parent of three pairs of twins last year. 

Frank Lawrence started cutting ice yesterday, and what he is putting up is from eight to ten inches thick. He is packing it in the Creamery ice house which he has rented, and wil also fill his own building. 

Seth and William Warner, of the Jarbalo-Standish neighborhood, were in town yesterday. The former expects to move his family to Fairmount and the latter will locate his family in Tonganoxie. Messrs. Warner expect to make the race for a homestead when the Kiowa-Comanche reservation is thrown open. 

A little fire scare was created in the south Pleasant Street neighborhood Monday evening, by a burning chimney. Things were hot for awhile but no damage was done. R.B. Wilinson’s home is the one that had a narrow escape.