Excerpted stories in Crawford County newspaper archives

100 years ago

June 10, 1926

Girard, June 10. - Property tax assessments upon public service corporations operating in Craw-ford County as assessed by the state tax commission were reduced $37,794 this year over last, report of the assessment by the state commission to Ray N. Hardin, county clerk, received here yesterday, shows. Assessment of the Joplin & Pittsburg Railway Company properties in the county was reduced $270,825 this year over last, which accounts for the reduction in public utility property valuations in the county.

Girard, June 10. - Petitions of three candidates for county and state offices at the August primaries were filed with Ray N. Hardin, county clerk, here yesterday. C. O. Smith of Arcadia filed for the Republican nomination for county commissioner from the first district. Dr. W. S. Swart of Girard filed for the Republican nomination and reelection to the office of county coroner. No other candidates have announced themselves as candidates for coroner on either ticket.

Fred W. Henry, 76 years of age, veteran Pittsburg merchant and resident here nearly half century. died at 2:30 o'clock this morning at Mt. Carmel hospital, where he was taken recently for treatment. Death was due to complications caused by his advanced age. He was born in Fredricktown, Mo., in 1850 and married Miss Mary Reeves there in 1876. Mr. Henry became ill about three years ago when he suffered from neuritis in his right hand. He was in the hospital for several months at that time.

50 years ago

June 10, 1976

The Kansas Democratic party, and to a lesser extent, the Republican party, is having trouble lining up candidates to run for seats in the Kansas Legislature from Southeast Kansas' 5th District, legislative campaign directors from both parties said Wednesday. The filing deadline is June 22. "That's correct," Gordon Garrett, legislative campaign director at Democratic Headquarters in Topeka said.

Jailers and prison guards have become increasingly liable for emergencies that result in danger to inmates, John C. Hazelet, deputy secretary in the Kansas Department of Corrections, said Wednesday at the first of a two-day jail seminar in Pittsburg. Hazelet spoke to about 35 law enforcement officials at Schlanger Community Center in the keynote address of the seminar, co-sponsored by the Pittsburg Police Department and the Crawford County Sheriff's Department. "The liability aspects have become greater on the individual.

The Unified School District 250 1976-77 school budget, in its first form, should be ready for school board approval sometime in mid-July, Dr. Jack L. Reed, superintendent of schools, said Wednesday. The formulation of a school budget is a continuing, year-long process, Reed said. The budget is the prime responsibility of C.L. McIlvain, district administrative assistant for business services, he said.

25 years ago

June 10, 2001

Pittsburg was just an adolescent in 1892 when William Lanyon - a member of the Lanyon family instrumental in the city's founding 16 years earlier - plopped down $1,650 for a deed to the property at 609 N. Elm. Since then, the ornate red-brick house with the distinctive turret at the corner of Seventh and Elm streets now belongs to Crawford County after county commissioners earlier this month agreed to pay Covenant Harvest Church $175,000 for the structure which the church now uses primarily for storage. Plans are to salvage the woodwork, stained-glass windows and other items and demolish the structure to allow more parking for the Crawford County Judicial Center building now under construction next door at Sixth and Locust streets.

FRONTENAC - It was hot enough to fry hamburgers on the streets of Frontenac Saturday during the annual Frontenac Homecoming. At least John Brooks thought so. Of course, Brooks was manning the grill for Pickled Pete's, so maybe his perspective was a little off. "It's sure been hot around here!" he joked. Paul Mendicki, however, agreed. Mendicki was also selling burgers in front of Pickled Pete's, which is owned by his brother, Matt Mendicki.

ARMA - Selection of a new police chief and a new laborer will be the focus of a special Arma City Council meeting at 7 p.m. Monday. A council subcommittee interviewed five police chief candidates Wednesday and whittled the list to two or three, City Clerk Bette Lessen said. Interviews for the nine persons applying for the laborer position were being conducted Friday. The full council will vote on the subcommittee's recommendations Monday night.