Excerpted stories in Crawford County newspaper archives
100 years ago
May 20, 1926
A throng estimated at 5,000 persons, recruited from practically all major organizations, institutions and industrial concerns which have had a part in the growth of the city, formed the largest parade in the history of Pittsburg at noon today as a feature of the golden jubilee celebration. The mammoth pageant was two miles long, and depicted scenes of the city’s history from the days of the stagecoach activity to the present time. More than 3,000 rail employees of the four railroads - Frisco, Santa Fe, Kansas City Southern and Missouri Pacific-participated in the demonstration.
The owners of old-time relics and antiques of Pittsburg and Crawford County turned out in full force with articles for display in the various store windows of the Pittsburg merchants this week. Antique collectors would find a paradise for their efforts in most any of the twenty or so windows trimmed with the objects from olden days, some of which date back into the fifteenth century. Crowds on the streets for the past two days have been swarming around the various windows, where the displays have helped to create ran interest in the other numbers on the jubilee celebration program.
Tribute to the builders of Pittsburg and Crawford County is being paid in magnanimous manner today. All other activity in Pittsburg practically is at a standstill while modern Pittsburg and its surrounding vicinity stops for the day to go back 50 years and comingle with the pioneers of the city and Crawford County in celebrating gigantic golden jubilee on the 50th anniversary of the birth of Pittsburg in a wild expanse of prairie and at wilderness on the Kansas frontier a half century ago today.
50 years ago
May 20, 1976
This Pittsburg Centennial Edition of The Morning Sun contains more than 10,000 inches of news space devoted to the history of the Pittsburg area. Dozens of volunteers helped research and write the histories of events, people and institutions. Hundreds of photographs were reviewed, and many selected for publication in the edition. John Hay, a reporter for The Morning Sun until his retirement in December, 1974, coordinated the research and writing for the section. Hay started on the project during the 1975 summer. Most of the stories without bylines in the edition were written by him.
Pittsburg, Kansas, is now officially 100 years old! Pittsburgers have been preparing for this celebration since December 1973. A celebration that has spanned two years of block parties, theatrical productions, fireworks displays, reconstruction projects, parades, sporting events, ethnic food fairs, and thousands of people. With so many successful accomplishments to boast of, one can hardly imagine how the Centennial Committee might out do their own record. It looks as if they will. Today people throughout the area will be given the opportunity to participate in Pittsburg's birthday celebration.
25 years ago
May 20, 2001
Many Kansas sheriffs and school districts are doing a better job of providing information that is open to everyone under state law, a survey by 14 state newspapers found. But three-quarters could not meet their legal duty to provide brochures telling Kansans their rights when requesting public records. The survey in April checked four school districts and 29 sheriff’s departments that denied similar requests in September 1999. It sought a copy of an accident report or a high school principal’s salary. All but four offices complied.
Crawford County residents can now begin to see some tangible results from the half-cent sales tax they passed two years ago to build a new judicial center in Pittsburg. And perhaps no one is happier about it than Tom Ragonese, Crawford County project manager. "We haven't had any major surprises, and everything is really coming along pretty decently," Ragonese said during a tour last week of the construction work taking place at the former Safeway building at Seventh and Locust streets.
