Oh no. I am not one of the superheroes.
I wanted to set the stage with a pictorial introduction to Tonganoxie Kansas, taken in the sunflower fields of the Grinter farm. I decided to write about this town because of my friend, who is a superhero lives in Tonganoxie. She is 70 years old and was just deployed on a Disaster Relief team to Louisiana to help, only days after Hurricane Ida decimated the region.
I began to realize this is a haven for champions soon after I arrived. I went to the historical museum, and learned about John McKone.
John is on the left of the cover of Time Magazine. His plane was shot down in 1960 during the Cold War. He was taken to Moscow, where he lived in the dreaded Lubyanka prison for 208 days. What type of fortitude does it take to endure that? A biography was written about his experience, and titled after the tiny mascot the crew carried with them. I found a copy of the book in the lobby of the First State Bank: “The Little Toy Dog”. I hope John’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren get to see their hero grandfather honored around town! I would be thrilled to find one of my ancestors in a museum.
This museum also houses the historical society. I got to meet Kris Roberts, the society’s president, and Laurie Walters, the museum director. We sat down and chatted. They are both so full of information, I couldn’t out-question them. When you are researching your ancestors, talk to the local historians. They are the most valuable people in town for finding answers. They house great archives in this museum: letters, personal memorabilia, life journals, oral histories on DVDs, etc. Their holdings are donated from all over the country. Important to note: when a relative passes away, donate items to their town museums, historical or genealogical societies. Oftentimes, families will discard these, but they are prized by historians and future descendants. And whatever records you own or find in your research, please share them with the world on Ancestry.com and/or FamilySearch.org.
In lieu of a coffeeshop in Tonganoxie, I stopped by Flashbacks Cafe, where the owner, Charlie Conrad is renowned to “know everything about the history of the town”.
Charlie has vintage town photos lining every wall of his restaurant. You never know where you may find a picture of your ancestor: the lobby of a bank, the town cafe…. That is why a genealogical themed vacation can be so exciting. It involves old-fashioned detective work. It is a good thing I am an extrovert. I love interviewing the locals. So just choose the extrovert in your family, and cut them loose! They can take the lead on the project.
After sleuthing for history in Tonganoxie, I decided to mosey around town and be a tourist. I am always fascinated by murals. They represent the symbolism of a town. Here are two. The one on the right is painted on the wall of the old Doc Steven’s office. Do you see him peering down the hall at his little patient?
This mural shows the town beauty queen, Danni Boatwright, who was also on the t.v. show, Survivor. Wouldn’t you love to be painted into your town mural? I can’t even imagine how that would feel.
I had lunch at the 1866 Bar and Grill.
A young man, Alberto Yaluk, owns it, and has created a cozy ambiance. The menu theme is a blend of California and Midwest cuisine. No wonder I liked it so much. I am a lifelong Californian (San Diego) who moved to Kansas 6 years ago.
Just outside of town, is the Kane Family Farm, which brings in amazing bands every weekend. I go often, because there is no better way to relax then by watching the sun setting in the fields, while listening to live music.
Besides the purity of nature, I believe that music and art are the highest form of beauty. Tonganoxie must believe this as well. Keyta Kelly told me all about the upcoming Plein Air Art Fest. I will definitely attend. I just subscribed to their Tonagnoxie Arts Council Facebook page. Keyta is the president. The page also shows the artwork hanging on the lamp posts I noticed as I walked around town. A great town supports its local artists.
As I was finishing up my day in Tonganoxie, I randomly drove down a road that houses the fire station. Look what I saw on the lawn:
I had to stop in. It happened to be the Chief’s birthday. Talk about superheroes! Who runs into a burning building?! Everyone else runs out. These people have courage beyond compare. There are superheroes amongst us. In every town. Tonganoxie has some special ones. Happy birthday, Firefighter John Zimbelman.