60 YEARS AGO
1950
The Kiwanis Club held a big square dance and almost 300 people attended. Jesse Cox and his band provided the music and George Stafford did the calling.
A Groundhog and Butterfly supper was held at the Union hall.
New signs went up in the downtown district -- no parking from 2 a.m. until 6 a.m., which would allow city workers to use the new street sweeper.
50 YEARS AGO
1960
Rolla Clymer, editor and general manager of the El Dorado Times, was named Kansan of the Year by the Native Sons and Daughters of Kansas.
The 1959 traffic flow survey by the State Highway Commission reported that between 11,000 and 12,000 vehicles converged on the intersection of State and 7th on a daily basis.
40 YEARS AGO
1970
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Stanford were selected as King and Queen of the annual Mardi Gras at St. James.
Residents near Clark and State were complaining about a pack of dogs causing a nuisance.
Phone numbers had become all numbers and no longer contained letters. It was a step toward standardizing the number system across the county.
30 YEARS AGO
1980
Michael Roosevelt won the Pinewood Derby for the second consecutive year. Scott McCalla was first runner-up.
AHS students swept the Iola Forensic Tournament.
City Council set April 1 as the time to vote on more fluoride in the local water system. The issue had become a hot topic.
20 YEARS AGO
1990
The only two Kansas wrestlers to win medals in the Little League Wrestling Tulsa Nationals were Augusta’s own Chris Saferite and Luke Carey.
The total makeover of the Great Beginnings salon in the 600 block of Walnut by local architect William Morris and local contractor Mark McCollom, earned the building national recognition. It was a winner in the Renaissance competition sponsored by Remodeling Magazine. The building had once been the town blacksmith shop.
Debbie Lucas, owner of Augusta Floral, was presented the “Woman of Distinction” award by the local Soroptimist Club.
10 YEARS AGO
2000
After serving the City of Augusta for 38 years, Raedine Crandall retired. She had served as secretary to 5 of Augusta’s 7 city managers and numerous mayors.
Theresa and Kelly Modlin had opened Augusta Rental at 6th and Walnut.
The Gazette was beginning the 107th year of publication.
Augusta, Kan. —
