25 years ago: June 13, 2001

Many say that golf is a lifetime sport. Tonganoxie junior John Bretthauer would like to see it be a lifetime sport offered at Tonganoxie high School. At Monday night’s school board meeting, Bretthauer expressed his desire to bring golf to the district. John Lee, high school athletic director, provided the board with some other information such as financially what it would take. Bretthauer brought a petition to the board meeting which had been signed by 14 from the incoming junior class. He said that nine teachers have been supportive.

The Alexandria Fire Association is putting on an evening of family fun this Saturday. The good times start at 5 p.m. at the fire station in Springdale. Food will be served and the Henry Leavenworth Car Club will display their automobiles. Members of the Alexandria Fire Department will demonstrate their new Jaws of Life by cutting up a vehicle. Admission to the event is by donation. Proceeds will be sued to purchase fire equipment and gear for firefighters.

Tonganoxie High School sports programs always have followed a no-cut policy. Any students interested could participate in any sports they wanted. But the THS athletics director and several coaches want that to change. At Monday night’s board of education meeting, John Lee, athletics director, proposed that THS implement an athletic cut policy, starting with the 2001-02 school year. “It’s saying there’s a tryout every year and it’s saying that the head coach will make the cuts.”

50 years ago: June 16, 1976

Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Dyster (pictured) go for a test ride in preparation for the Basehor Bicentennial Parade. “The donkey and cart are sort of Elmer’s hobby,” said Mrs. Dyster. “The Basehor Bicentennial is one of the biggest happenings in the history of Basehor,” said Sherrie Magaha, chairman of the Basehor Bicentennial Committee.

Just about the time you think you can make both ends meet, somebody moves the ends.

Members and friends of the Tonganoxie Christian Church broke ground for a new church.

The School Board of Unified School District 464 decided to increase the substitute teachers pay to $30 per day and $35 per day after five consecutive days of teaching for the same teacher.

Mayor Lee Mark noted at the council meeting that the city would probably face a water shortage problem this summer. Mark said that the water level in the city’s wells had never recovered from last summer’s low point. The council has been investigating possibilities to increase the water supply. Mark told the council that an increased water supply was going to be costly. The city may need to drill new wells south of the city in an area known to produce water but this would be a temporary solution to the problem. A source close to a river is the only real answer. A study by Black and Veatch Engineers approximated a cost of over $550,000 for water from the Kansas River.

Through the generosity of the Kansas City Royals baseball team, approximately 70 Cub Scouts of Pack 3075 and their families attended the Royals game against the Baltimore Orioles. Rain during the day threatened to cancel the game, but at game time the sky was clear and bright with a full moon rising over Royal Stadium.

Lee A. Smith of Tonganoxie has nominated a three-year old Quarter Horse to the world’s richest Race Derby to be held during the All-American Quarter Horse Congress. The purse for this stake with 55 entries, has an estimated value of $30,000. The Quarter Horse has grown to be the country’s largest breed of registered horses.

75 years ago: June 14, 1951

Wow, this is a bargain! Get a “bushel and a peck of fine groceries and Idaho potatoes” when you buy the best American washer.  Thor wringer washers are the top value machine in the country and available at Tonganoxie Electrical Services.

Mr. Damon Freeman petitioned and was granted a permit for a taxi service here in Tonganoxie.  That will certainly be a nice service for those who have no car and wish to travel into the city.

Here’s a way to settle a tie-flip a coin!  Two candidates for Leavenworth County Soil Conservation Supervisor each received 40 votes.  The contest was arranged by the local administrative office in Leavenworth.  The two candidates were Lester Shoemaker and Cloyd Heim with Lester taking the win.  Quick and easy way to end a run-off vote.

A local birder gives some information about bluebirds and sparrows which are fierce enemies of one another.  The bluebird is a timid thing and can be killed by sparrows who then build nests right on top of the victim.  In addition, sweet little wrens will peck holes in bluebird eggs to prevent them from hatching.  Couple all of that with bull snake and black snake attacks and it’s a wonder that our feathered friends survive at all.  The expert man is Foy Brown of Lawrence, Kansas who has built over 300 bluebird houses and sold them.  His work can be seen in Douglas, Leavenworth, Johnson and Jefferson counties.  He frequently sets up bluebird houses in cemeteries where it’s nice and peaceful. 

100 years ago: June 17, 1926

Ed McNerney and Lou Koch are opening a lumber yard in the old Hamilton barn. They have fixed up an office in one corner of the building and after doing some repairing, grading and painting will have a very convenient place for the stock of lumber they propose to carry. They solicit the business of their friends and will try to merit the consideration of all.

We are authoratively informed that the Tonganoxie Mill and Elevator will be opened for business soon. We will be able to give more particulars next week. Our farmers will have a local market for their wheat and at the best price possible to pay here. We know that this will be good news to our readers.

Tuesday evening, June 22, there will be a social on the lawn at the Congregational church. A program consisting of music and pictures of travel will be given in the church. Ice cream and cake will be served by the ladies of the Missionary Society, and the proceeds will be used to help defray church benevolences expenses. Come and spend a social evening. Everybody invited.

Last Saturday evening some of our merchants were given bad checks. In every instance the checks being for about twenty dollars and after purchasing a few small items received the balance in cash. It seems there was a man and a woman working together in the fraud and their whereabouts have not been learned.

The Tonganoxie Swimming Pool is going over big. In fact, the patronage of the pool is more by far than was expected so early in the season. The pool was open Saturday, May 29, and there have been seventeen hundred and fifty-six single admissions sold up to the close of business Sunday evening June 13, and there have been several days and evenings especially, that were really too cool to enjoy swimming. Last Sunday there were nearly four hundred in the pool.

125 years ago: June 20, 1901

The State Bank block had a narrow escape from fire early Sunday morning. Laming’s Hall was discovered to be on fire at five o’clock, and an alarm was at once given. W. Laming was the first to get into the hall and found the fire to be in the southwest corner. Water was carried up the stairs in rubber buckets, but later on the fire engine did good service and threw a good stream. The scenery and the piano were destroyed. The stage is a wreck but the floor of the hall is not burned much except in the corner where the fire originated. All the window lights in the hall were cracked or broken, and some of the window casings were burned through. Several persons were smoking at the Fourth of July committee meeting Saturday evening, and it is supposed a lighted cigar carelessly thrown down into a sawdust spittoon started the blaze. The only place where the floor was entirely burned through was where the spittoon stood.

Lightning struck the telephone wire in the east part of town yesterday morning. A loud crash was heard in the telephone booth, but no damage was done.