Fred Lynch retired in 2018 after capturing 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.

Marquette School

Posted Wednesday, May 8, 2013, at 12:00 AM

May 18, 1959 Southeast Missourian

Marquette School, located at the city’s south side, held its annual play day event Friday and named a king and queen. The king, Wayne Ford, and queen, Janice Smith, wearing crowns, are seen standing just beyond the far corner of the school building, and the other pupils arranged on either side. Teachers are Mrs. R.C. Martin, at left, and Mrs. Elmer Thompson at extreme right. (G.D. Fronabarger photo)

The school opened in 1924 with 74 pupils of the Rock Levee school district, immediately south of Cape Girardeau.

In 1968 the Marquette school district was dissolved with its 40 pupils transferred to Cape Girardeau public schools.

Editor's Note:

In 1974, the building was bought by the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity of Southeast Missouri State University and used for social events. No one lived at the property the fraternity dubbed "Pike Lodge."

In 2013, the fraternity chose to sell the house because of high maintenance costs and disuse. It was bought by former fraternity member Quinn Strong who had plans to renovate the building into a home and have it listed on the National Register of Historic Places, but the structure did not pass the review process. The building was razed in December 2020.

Former Marquette School, Pike Lodge comes down

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After it ceased to be a school, it became the Pi Kappa Alpha Memorial Lodge. There were rumors that it was haunted by a little girl, Jessica.

http://www.capecentralhigh.com/cape-photos/does-jessica-haunt-pike-lodge/

The Pikes put the building up for sale recently.

http://www.capecentralhigh.com/cape-photos/southeast-missouri-state-university/p...

-- Posted by ksteinhoff on Wed, May 8, 2013, at 12:46 AM
Fred,

I attended Marquette School c. 1943--1948.

Can you post this picture to seek date or identification of teachers (probably 2)?????

I would guess from the age of the autos that it is late 1950s.

Remember the c. 1947 or 1948 article and picture of the tragic accident on Highway 61. I was on the Marquette bus on the way to school.

-- Posted by Elroy on Wed, May 29, 2013, at 9:55 AM

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