25 years ago: Oct. 15, 1997

Russell Plashka, Agribusiness teacher at Tonganoxie High School, and his horticulture class worked Monday morning on refurbishing the school’s greenhouse. About 16 students are helping rebuild it.

Back in 1994 when the state drained Leavenworth County Lake and pumped in 300 gallons of rotenone to kill the remainder of the fish population, it looked bleak for anglers around here. Open again since March of this year, reports are that the fishing’s pretty good. Biologist Richard Sanders says if is only going to get better. The state just took samples for the fall fisheries assessment and there have been some pleasant surprises, including that the black crappie population is better developed with adequate numbers of fish 10″ in length.

50 years ago: Oct. 12, 1972

Application has been received by the city for construction of 33 units in the newly annexed area on the southwest edge of Tonganoxie.

We are gratified to learn that Edward Nixon, Richard Nixon’s brother, will appear at Leavenworth along with Charles McAtee, candidate for Congress in the Second Congressional District at the Hotel Cody on Oct. 17. Mr. Nixon and Mr. McAtee will make a tour of the district and will make an appearance at Topeka, Atchison, and Leavenworth that day.

The Tonganoxie Football Team fell apart at the seams last Friday when the Osawatomie Trojans delt Tongie their worst defeat in 3 years with a 44-13 thrashing.

Girl Scout Troop 465 met Monday at the Methodist church. The Granny Gossipers had the opening, which was a play of good posture, social maturity and courtesy.

Ratliff Pharmacy as requested has magazines and pocketbooks and a fresh shipment of Russell Stover Candy.

Zoellner’s has the All-Girl Man Shirt for $8.00.

Lenahan’s Hardware has 3,000 new Glidden Paint colors to choose from to brighten your home.

Ronnie Coffman and Kenneth Jeannin attended the K-State game at Manhattan Saturday and spent the weekend with Phillip Jeannin at Herington.

Sutton-Kolman Ford Sales says, “We figure the odds are 5 to 1 that you’ll never make a better deal anywhere than today at Sutton-Kolman Ford Sales.”

According to the Leavenworth Jefferson Electric Cooperative it doesn’t take much of a man nor any particular skill, to win a shoot-out with an insulator. It’s a wasteful, irresponsible act, and an obvious offense. It can’t be shrugged off as kid’s play. Anyone old enough to shoot a gun is old enough to respect its use. Insulator shooting can knock out electric service, costing untold losses to farmers, businesses, and families. It could even be vital to the medical well-being of someone. If you see anyone shooting at insulators, report the act to your county sheriff. You’ll be helping in a crackdown on crackpots.

75 years ago: Oct. 9, 1947

The Kansas City Star has printed an article about the storm of protest surrounding John Steuart Curry’s painting, “Baptism in Kansas.” The writer of the article complained about realism in art, claiming that the work was “heresy” in depicting baptism in a stream. The Whitney Museum purchased this painting in 1930 and has no problem displaying it. Three works of Curry have launched his regionalism to fame.

[The Mirror also reprinted this Letter to the Editor of the Kansas City Star -In a recent article in The Star, a writer tells about the storm of protest caused by John Steuart Curry’s “Baptism in Kansas.” If people object to realism in art, they should confine themselves to paintings of bunnies eating peaches. Curry had witnessed such country religious services. When the painting was purchased by the Whitney Museum in 1930, it was helpful in launching his regionalism to fame. Since John Stueart Curry was reared in the area not far west of here and is remembered in Tonganoxie and nearby towns more as an individual than a famed artist, it may be stated that his other baptismal painting, “Baptism in Big Stranger Creek,” is considered more representative of regional painting than the first. – J.L. Simpson, Kenna Farm on Big Stranger Creek.]

Tonganoxie High School band has been invited to participate in the band day at Lawrence. They will parade downtown and then be guests at the University for the South Dakota game.

A woman evangelist, Mrs. Marlene Drobnic of Oklahoma has been holding revivals at the Stanwood church. Accompanying her is Miss Reed, who is a chalk artist and will lead in evangelistic singing.

Miss Mary Louise Miller and Mr. Gordon Hurlburt were united in marriage at the bride’s home. Her parent’s lovely garden was the setting for the outdoor wedding. Guests from across the country attended and were serenaded by the Kansas City Philharmonic classic string quartet. The couple will honeymoon at the groom’s summer home in Michigan and live in Waterbury Connecticut.  

Union Pacific Railroad encourages you to “Take it Easy” and travel by train in air-conditioned comfort. Enjoy carefully prepared meals, move around as you please and arrive at your destination completely refreshed.

100 years ago: Oct. 19, 1922

Mr. and Mrs. John Papenhausen are the proud parents of a son born Saturday, October 14th, at Cushing Hospital in Leavenworth.

A stranger in town Wednesday took a leather coat from the Zellner Mercantile Co. store, but the man was overtaken at the outskirts of town, brought back and in Judge Needham’s court admitted his guilt and was sentenced to spend thirty days in jail.

S.A. Evans, of Bethany, Missouri, came Tuesday evening to visit his aged mothers, Mrs. Lem Evans, along with other relatives and friends.

125 years ago: Oct. 14, 1897

The city council held a short session Monday evening, and not much business was transacted. City Marshal Moody called attention to the fact that all the ordinances published this year were null and void, and he cited the statutes to support his position. The members of the council were satisfied tha the ordinances were not published according to law and ordered them published again.

It is too late, however, to again publish the tax levy ordinance, the levy of 1897 is therefore null and void. As long as the Mirror was the official paper of the city no such dilemma confronted the council. Last spring, because the Mirror would not meet a budget cut that does not pay the cost of composition, another paper was named official paper of the city.

The paper named is a little publication printed in this city of four pages of four columns each and even if published in conformity to law it is extremely doubtful whether a publication therein is even legal.