Excerpted stories in Crawford County newspaper archives
100 years ago
May 21, 1926
Its great golden jubilee now a matter of history, recorded there as one of the most striking events in its half century of existence, Pittsburg was back to normal today. Pittsburg and Crawford County pioneers, trail blazers of the early days, returned to the old train of existence, due honor having been accorded them. It was a great day of rejoicing for the city and for the county. The 50th anniversary celebration. broadened to become countywide in its scope, was the occasion yesterday for a day of jubilation such as the progress of the city and county merited.
Clifton Cain was shot at 4 o'clock this afternoon by Patrolman P. E. Pickard near the corner of First and Smith streets, after the man levelled a rifle at the officer and later fired a shot which missed Pickard. Cain. mortally wounded, died after arrival at the Smith clinic. Cain's home is at 1011 West First Street. Patrolman Pickard had rushed to the scene, along with other officers, in response to a call that Cain, with a rifle, was creating a disturbance in the neighborhood.
Pittsburg's largest crowd attended the city's birthday party yesterday. Ross Armstrong, veteran chief of police, who has handled some tremendous crowds on various occasions, has no reservations when he describes the size of the crowd. "It was the largest crowd I ever saw in Pittsburg." Chief Armstrong said, "I believe that there were more than 30,000 persons watching the parade on Broadway." The police force handled the crowd without difficulty. Not an arrest was made during the day.
50 years ago
May 21, 1976
Pittsburg's Centennial Parade will either be a very unique and dramatic event Saturday, or else a massive pileup at Fourth and Broadway. The parade will be going both north and south on Broadway at the same time, from Second to Sixth, and will form a unique cross at Fourth and Broadway by each side of the parade turning east or west on Fourth and going one block before turning around and rejoining the parade back at Broadway. The parade will begin at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. A special, if short, Frisco train will start the proceedings by delivering the Pittsburg High School band to Camp '76 in two coal cars.
The Pittsburg couple charged with seven counts of felony theft of area livestock and stock equipment were released on signature bond from Crawford County Thursday and placed under the authority of Wilson County where they are confined in default of $25,000 appearance bond each. John and Roxanne Steffens, 28 Fourth Street Circle, probably will be charged with at least two and possibly four other felony thefts in this county, bringing the total estimated value of the property stolen in the past two months here and in neighboring counties to more than $12,000, Crawford County Sheriff Jim Sellars said.
Thursday's dedication of the Little Red School House at Homer and Ford! was the culmination of a dream-come-true for Don Porter, principal at George Nettels Elementary. Porter had been working on bringing the schoolhouse from McCune since last winter. The school, actually the Green Elm School, built in 1885, was found by Mrs. Eugenia Davis, 310 E. Lindburg, during a period last year when 50 such schools were being looked at. "The reason for the idea was to find an old school to save," Porter said Thursday.
25 years ago
May 21, 2001
Across Crawford County this weekend, graduating seniors and their families heard messages of hope and congratulations. Commencement ceremonies took place at Northeast High School in Arma, Southeast High School in Cherokee. Girard High School and Pittsburg High School. Pittsburg High School held its 113th commencement Sunday at Pittsburg State University's John Lance Arena. Nearly 170 students made the trip across the stage to accept diplomas from members of the USD 250 Board of Education and congratulations from their principal, Diane Spicer.
The top-ranked St. Mary's-Colgan baseball team received the No. 1 seed and will take on Ell Saline in a Class 2-1A state tournament first round game at 1:30 p.m. Friday at Soden's Grove in Emporia, where the Colgan softball team will be on the north side of town as the No. 6 seed taking on Elk Valley at 7 p.m. at the Trussler Sports Complex. The Kansas State High School Activities Association finalized its state baseball and softball pairings on its Web site Sunday, and the 2-1A state baseball tournament is not for the weak.
UNIONTOWN - Four students from Uniontown High School found out that it pays to do your homework. The students, senior Sabrina Coons, freshman Janice Underwood, and sophomores Megan Stewart and Elizabeth Camber, have turned their project for History Day 2000 into a globetrotting mission to save a forgotten hero. It all started last school year, when the girls were sorting through their teacher's cutting files for some ideas for the annual History Day competition.
