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.

Dennis Scivally Park in 1930s

Posted Friday, June 4, 2010, at 7:30 AM

This early photograph by G.D. Fronabarger shows adults playing a ballgame at Dennis Scivally Park in Cape Girardeau. The date is unknown. Frony began taking pictures for the Southeast Missourian in the middle 1930s.

From the Southeast Missourian, Dec. 31, 1936:

One of the features that has marked development of the Cape Rock Drive, also known as the Outer Drive, is Dennis Scivally Park. Purchased and developed by the Cape Special Road District, it quickly sprang into popularity as a place for family gatherings and picnics on warm summer evenings. Fitted up by the road district, it has ample facilities. It gets its name from the chief engineer of the road district, Dennis Scivally.

Editor's Note:

The people are standing in the area which is now a children's playground. The photo is looking to the north. The gravel lane behind them connects with the present Brookwood Drive to the left. The background is now a residential area.

Here is a picture of Dennis Scivally, circa 1957, and his professional background.

Here are pictures of Dennis Scivally Park in 2010.

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First off, nice photos of the present-day park.

Dennis Scivally owned a lot at Kurre Lane and Kingsway Dr., right next to our house. It was completely overgrown with brush and saplings.

Dad started to go over and thin out the underbrush a little bit at a time, always afraid that Mr. Scivally would get mad.

Finally, he approached Mr. Scivally and told him that he knew how much he appreciated nature and parks and asked permission to clean up the lot so that the desirable trees would have enough space and light to grow.

Eventually, he sold us the lot.

Here are aerial photos of the neighborhood, including Cape LaCroix Creek taken around 1966.

http://www.capecentralhigh.com/cape-photos/kingsway-dr-kurre-lane-neighborhood/

-- Posted by ksteinhoff on Fri, Jun 4, 2010, at 9:24 AM
My family was lucky enough to live right next door to Dennis Scivally Park for many decades, with my mom selling the property a few years ago when she remarried and moved out of state. My entire family loved sitting on the screened porch at the back of the house in the spring, summer and fall, watching the squirrels and rabbits roam around the park (and sometimes even a deer or two), people having picnics, children playing and laughing. I remember playing football and baseball there with my church youth group. It was always fun to see wedding parties having pictures taken on the bridge, including my sister and brother-in-law's wedding. When I married and moved away to Florida, I always came back for a week of vacation in late October just to see the changing colors of the leaves in the park and around town. I have always thought that Dennis Scivally Park was the best-looking park in town, and having lived elsewhere (and moved back to Cape twice); I really appreciate the city having created this truly beautiful park.

-- Posted by abbynormal on Mon, Jun 7, 2010, at 6:25 PM

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