02/05/2026
There was a Tombaugh family in Smith County, about a mile north of HOME ON THE RANGE. And some where over the years I read there was a connection to Clyde. But the biggest info about the family was their large cedar tree Forrest, they sold the trees to homesteaders. There was only big trees along the creeks and N Solomon River. So if you see an old homestead with ancient cedar tree, they could have come from Tombaugh’s farm.
Clyde William Tombaugh was born 120 years ago today (February 4, 1906).
His family came to Burdett, Kansas in 1922. When a hail storm ruined their crops, he was unable to attend college, but built several telescopes by himself. His observations impressed the staff of the Lowell Observatory and he went to work there in 1929. He was the discoverer of Pluto and later earned bachelor's & master's degrees from the University of Kansas.
