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: Oct. 17, 2001

The bridge over Stranger Creek in Linwood is still standing but, weather permitting, will come down next week. Beginning Monday, Leavenworth Excavation and Equipment Co. will start to disassemble the 94-year-old bridge that was damaged by June floodwaters. Leavenworth County fair board officials are hoping to salvage portions of the bridge. Removal will cost an estimated $62,450.

More than 100 second-graders took a field trip to Quaker View, the farm owned by Fred Leimkuhler just north of Tonganoxie. He is now nurturing native prairie grasses on land that he used to crop. The grass is fluid and graceful in the breeze and the afternoon sun. “They tell about the people on the prairie who would become seasick watching the grass waving,” Leimkuhler said. His love of botany and nature was evident as he pointed out a walnut tree that he had hybridized to produce a single-lobed walnut. The walnuts are unique in that they come out of the shell in one piece.

The students were learning about American Indian heritage from Jan Morris. Jan, a KU graduate in journalism works as a photographer for the Associated Press, but is passionate about sharing her heritage and greeted students. She answered their questions about her traditional clothing, all of which she made. At another spot, Susie Ross explained the art of making American Indian clothing, stressing how the Indians used everything in nature to make what they needed. At other stations on the field trip, student learned about artifacts and arrowheads, traditions and dress of the American Indians, how to draw, how to make pottery, how to string bright pieces of pasta into colorful necklaces, and how to sit still during face paintings. The children ate lunch at the farm on blankets spread on the ground.

50 years ago: Oct. 20, 1976

Due to health reasons, Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Korb have decided to disperse of their dairy herd and milking equipment located two miles north of Tonganoxie. The auctioneer says this is an outstanding herd of high production Holstein Dairy Cows so plan to attend the auction on Friday, October 29.

Mrs. Ruth Evelyn Putthoff, 52, passed away. She was the wife of Donald Putthoff and the mother of Kathryn, Susan, Stephen, John, Thomas, and Gregory Putthoff.

The Christian Church sponsored a group to the Johnny Cash Youth for Christ Super Rally in Kansas City, Missouri. Over fifty attended this event. Rev. Saathoff reported that the bus broke down before they left town, but everyone managed to have a ride in someone’s car and everyone enjoyed the evening of entertainment.

The First Baptist Church is celebrating their 108th anniversary. They will have a guest speaker and a dinner following.

The Tonganoxie Kiwanis Club has scheduled the annual Halloween Parade for October 30.

Mr. and Mrs. Bill DeHoff are the new owners of the Tonganoxie Floral and Greenhouse. Bill, a Tonganoxie High School graduate, was recently discharged from the Air Force where he served in aircraft maintenance. They are the parents of two girls, Kim and Miza. They took over from Mr. and Mrs. John Church who operated the greenhouse for fifteen years.

Midwest Construction has made much progress in recent weeks in the building of the new bridge over Fourth Street.

Mrs. Bert Yates celebrated her 96th birthday at her farm home with her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and friends.

The Leavenworth County Planning Board approved the final plat of Cedar Crest Estates, a subdivision located east of Tonganoxie, being developed by Tom Laming. The subdivision is composed of 12 lots on 40 acres and provides for 10-foot utility easements on each side.

Tonganoxie Junior High recently elected their Student Council officers for the 1976-77 school year. Those elected were John Evans as President, Lisa Woodford as Secretary and Missy Boudreaux as Vice President.

75 years ago: Oct. 18, 1951

Readers may not be aware that our present rural high school, population is rapidly growing out of its space.  Enrollment has grown from 100 to 146 in the last three years.  This may not seem to be a lot, but divide the number by 8 instructors and you will note that we are above the state average of students to teachers.  Important to note is that schools of this size should be offering more classes such as foreign language, shop and music education.  Therefore, the school board has voted to explore options much like other crowded schools are doing. The answer is the quonset hut, a rounded metal building offered as a “temporary” facility to house classes such as agriculture and shop.  Of course, these structures must be fireproof and movable.  The board will consider a bond issue.

The high school band, numbering 55 attended KU Band Day last Saturday.  Reports are that we made a splendid showing in the parade.

Childless married men are the first group to be ordered for pre-induction exams for the armed forces.  The area number is 29, the largest to be drafted since World War II.  

Check your prices, folks as Zoellner’s has 1 pound packs of bacon for $.39 and IGA is selling a pound for $.49.  Thanksgiving will be here soon, so stock up on cranberries for $.25 a pound, potatoes $.63 for ten pounds and canned pumpkin for $.23 each.

100 years ago: Oct. 21, 1926

A couple of Williamstown Rodeo boosters visited the Mirror office Tuesday evening, and waxed strong in telling the editor about the big rodeo scheduled for Williamstown next Sunday afternoon. There will be broncho busting, steer riding, steer driving, bulldogging, roping, and a wild cow milking contest. They also promise that there will be good music, and plenty of excitement for everybody. They have secured twenty wild horses from the plains of Wyoming, and a bunch of Brahma cattle, the kind that grow in India. No doubt Tonganoxie people in goodly numbers will witness this rodeo, which has been held each fall for several years.

Mound Community Club will give a Halloween party and social at the school house Friday evening Oct. 22. Usual ghosts, appropriate games. Refreshments at reasonable price. Prizes for costume. Everyone come and be young.

The Indians from Haskell descended upon our fair city last Wednesday morning. There were few cries of warning and instead of running for a stockade as was done in the brave days of old, everybody gathered on Fourth Street to welcome them. They were on a booster trip for the big doings, to be held at Haskell Institute next week. They came enticing the populace with twentieth century music, entertaining and it is rumored some of the Indian boys even made goo-goo eyes at several local pale-face maidens. However, it was all in good nature and Tonganoxie was glad to welcome them.

“Speaking of dirty looks,” says Charley Townsley, “watch a woman after she has bumped into a car driven by a man who is obeying traffic rules.”

Miss Edith Himpel is working at the Topeka Flour Milling Company for a few weeks and will return here again after finishing her work there.

125 years ago: Oct. 24, 1901

A Dangerous File

As the result of a scrap Monday, between two women, Drs. Coe and Gladman took two stitches in a scalp just above the forehead of one of them. Mrs. Woods, whose age is near 70 years, and Mrs. Clark, much younger, had some difficulty in the Union Pacific cut east of the depot. The former struck the latter with a file, inflicting the wound mentioned above. Both parties were arrested, but no complaint was lodged against them and they were turned loose.

One Strike and Out–of A Job

Without a word of warning fourteen apple pickers at the Wellhouse orchard struck Monday noon for an increase of wages from $1.50 to $1.75 per day. The Wellhouse’s have picked apples for 20 years, have always paid $1.50 per day and never had a strike till this one. The striking pickers were paid off, and pickers to fill the strikers’ places were brought from Miami county. The strike reduced the number of pickers about one-half, until new help was secured. It is expected apple picking will be finished next week.

Injured by A Bicycle

Hazel, seven-year-old daughter of Chin McInerny residing four miles southwest, met with a peculiar accident last Friday, which resulted in having her left limb broke in two places between the knee and the ankle. She was walking backward up a hill near her home and did not observe a young man named McKone approaching her on a bicycle. The young man was riding down the hill and when near the girl jumped off the wheel, but not in time to prevent a collision. The breaks the girl sustained were bad ones. Dr. Coe was called and set the broken bones.