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Saturday, November 7, 2009
Fire destroys Hotel Idan-Ha
Posted Monday, November 2, at 2:18 AM
from Southeast Missourian, June 29, 1968:

Predawn Blaze Damages Hotel

A general-alarm blaze early this morning destroyed the main section of the

65-year-old Idan-Ha Hotel which had been vacated only two weeks earlier

after being declared unsafe.

The fire also destroyed a dress shop and restaurant beneath as well as badly

damaging the hotel's remaining sections and some of six other nearby

businesses.

No serious injuries resulted. The 110-room hotel had been closed only two

weeks earlier by state officials, mainly because of the fire hazard.

Numerous elderly residents had made it their permanent residence beforehand.

The cause of the fire, which spread rapidly, is not known, Fire Chief Carl

J. Lewis said.

The blaze destroyed the northeast section of the hotel, Milady's Shop, and

the Rainbow Coffee Shop. All are located just west of the southeast corner

of Broadway and North Fountain.

Fire dispatcher Paul Mills took the first report from an unidentified

passer-by at 1:40 a.m. Mr. Mills said he had just gotten another call and

the men were awake.

Apparently just after the first report, police turned in a report also.

Ptlm. James A. Crites reported he discovered the fire after making a check

on smoke seen in the area. He said the fire was well undeway in the

midsection in the top floor above the lobby. Jack Burris, a night watchman,

had seen the smoke at Lorimier and Broadway and reported it to Ptlm. Crites.

Firemen found the hotel blazing out of control. Station No. 1's truck

arrived first. Chief Lewis arrived about two to three minutes later. He

ordered all trucks but one to the scene, and all men called on duty. Seven

trucks were used to fight the blaze. However, firemen said employees had

been fogging inside for insects.

A strong wind from the south and southeast fed the blaze and blew smoke

swirling down between buildings on Broadway. Heat from the fire below was so

intense spectators could not stand on the northeast corner of North Fountain

and Broadway.

Power had been turned off in main lines near the hotel and affected about a

four-block area surrounding the area. Missouri Utilities crews were here to

handle power and keep live wires from falling on firemen or spectators.

Smoke was intense but much fire could be seen and lighted the immediate

area. "It was just like daylight," one spectator said.

Firemen fought the blaze with three pumpers, and numerous hoses winding down

Broadway. An 80-foot aerial ladder truck is credited with putting out much

of the blaze. Firemen dept pouring water on from both beneath and abovek but

water from above was most effective.

Firemen who fought the blaze on the aerial lader at times could not be seen

because of intense smoke. Firemen switched at intervals. At some points,

flames licked over the upper edge of the five story structure into the

firemen's faces.

Mearlin Allen, 24, suffered minor burns on his shoulder from heat which went

through his raincoat and clothing. He was not seriously injured and remained

on duty. No other injuries were reported.

Spectators, estimated at 200 to 300, lined Broadway to watch. They thinned

out at times and few were left as dawn broke. They presented no serious

problems to the firefighting.

Extra police were ordered out at 4 by City Manager Paul F. Frederick in case

a crowd developed as the sun rose. Lights came back on at 4:45.

At 5:30 Vernon Nations, 525 South Sprigg, came to open up the coffee shop.

He had been remodeling it about the past three weeks. Today was to be his

opening day. He found the restaurant in ruins.

"I didn't know it until I got down here," he said. He estimated his loss at

$2,500. He did not have insurance, he said. No other damage estimates could

be obtained.

The ruins continued to smolder this morning and are expected to for several

days. A shell only remains of the front section. Rubble is stacked up at

ground level where floors had fallen through.



Hotel Idan-Ha
Posted Monday, October 26, at 2:04 AM

This picture of the Hotel Idan-Ha shows a three-story hotel at the southwest corner of Broadway and Fountain that was built in 1908-09 by A.J. Flentge of Cape Girardeau. A five-story structure to its south was apparently built in 1912. The Hotel Idan-Ha was opened to the public on March 8, 1909...



Harris Motor Car Co. 1930s
Posted Monday, October 19, at 11:50 AM

A 1937 Ford approaches Lorimier Street in the flash-flooded 200 block of Broadway during the late 1930s in Cape Girardeau. The building is the Harris Motor Car Co., Cape Girardeau's agent for Dodge cars. Our librarian, Sharon Sanders, found some information about the business in the Southeast Missourian archives...



Broadway pre-Hirsch Tower
Posted Tuesday, October 13, at 2:17 PM

Frony stepped outside the Southeast Missourian building and made this picture of flash flooding in the 300 block of Broadway during the early 1950s. The Marquette Hotel was tallest building on the street at that time. The 13-story Hirsch Tower would be constructed about 15 years later. It became the home of KFVS television after a topping out ceremony in December, 1967...



SEMO Homecoming 1957
Posted Thursday, October 8, at 3:00 PM

Crowds watch the homecoming parade for Southeast Missouri State College on Broadway in this picture taken on Nov. 2, 1957. The float is a giant typewriter with the student newspaper, Capaha Arrow, announcing the score of the homecoming football game with Southwest Missouri State of Springfield...



Mule Racing
Posted Monday, October 5, at 9:47 AM

Many people around here know about jumping mules. It's an annual event at the East Perry County Fair at Altenburg, Mo. But what about mule racing? Not so much. We have photographic evidence that such a race took place in Cape Girardeau, possibly in the 1950s...



Remember Park-N-Eat?
Posted Tuesday, September 29, at 3:02 PM

Remember Park-N-Eat? I am only familiar with Choctaw Park, where the Jaycee Joyland is presently located on the site of the drive-in restaurant that opened July 8, 1940. Our librarian, Sharon Sanders, found this information in the Southeast Missourian archive that was published July 9, 1940:...



Remember Wimpy's?
Posted Thursday, September 24, at 5:10 PM

Remember Wimpy's Drive-In? I found this old photograph taken June 22, 1968. It shows Wimpy's located at the northeast corner of Kingshighway and Cape Rock Drive in Cape Girardeau. What looks like a flashing red light hangs over the intersection across from Arena Park. Cape Rock Drive looks under construction...



Past Pics
Ronald Reagan visits Cape Girardeau in 1979

Posted Saturday, June 6, at 4:31 PM

Former California Gov. Ronald Reagan arrives at the Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport on a campaign stop for Missouri Attorney General John Ashcroft on June 6, 1979...



Past Pics
SEMO Commencement 1984: graduates hear Judge Limbaugh predict life in 2000

Posted Thursday, May 7, at 2:57 PM

The 1984 spring graduating class at SEMO State University was given a glimpse of predicted life in the year 2000, and then was advised to rely on traditional values to help cope with it...



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f/8 and Be There
Fred Lynch
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Fred Lynch has captured images for the Southeast Missourian since 1975, in that time moving from black-and-white to color, from film to digital and to video. The blog title is a nod to an earlier era of news photography and the 4x5 Speed Graphic: It's more important to be there for the shot than to worry about technical details.
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Remember Park-N-Eat?
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Fire destroys Hotel Idan-Ha
(2 ~ 9:32 AM, Nov 6)

Hotel Idan-Ha
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Harris Motor Car Co. 1930s
(0 ~ 12:12 PM, Oct 19)

Broadway pre-Hirsch Tower
(0 ~ 2:24 PM, Oct 13)