- A third steamer Cape Girardeau was christened 100 years ago (3/26/24)
- Cape Girardeau christens its namesake (3/19/24)
- The humanist philosophy of Lester Mondale (3/12/24)1
- Cape Osteopathic Hospital opens its doors (3/5/24)
- 8 killed and a million dollars damage done in 1924 tornado (2/27/24)1
- Jackson's militant priest, county recorder at odds over marriage licenses (2/20/24)
- Streaking fad comes to Cape (2/13/24)2
Mapping the original 'white way'
A Nov. 2, 1911, map published in The Daily Republican newspaper, forerunner of the Southeast Missourian, showed Cape Girardeau's downtown business district and the proposed locations of almost 50 light posts. They would be the city's first "white way" street lighting system.
Here's the diagram, along with the brief story that accompanied it.
I love maps and found this one quite interesting. Not for the locations of the lamp posts, but for identification of each business or property owner along Broadway, Main, Themis and Independence streets. (Apparently, no thought was given to lighting the levee or Spanish Street. Curious.) Because the names can be difficult to read on the map, I've transcribed them below, along with a note or two off the top of my head.
Main Street, between Independence and Broadway, was -- of course -- lined with stores. Beginning at Independence and moving north on the west side of the street were:
L. Houck (railroad man, entrepreneur, attorney, Normal School regent and -- best of all -- historian)
Peironnet
M. Fischer
Al Jaynes (ran the ferry between Cape and Illinois)
Whitelaw
D.A. Glenn (yeah, that Glenn, of Glenn House fame)
K. Doyle
Caldwell-Sherman
E. Gramling (St. Charles Hotel)
(Themis Street intersected)
Sturdivant Bank
J. Jaeger
Dempsey
J. Garonski
R.G. Whitelaw
First National Bank
L.J. Albert
A.E. Huey
E. Osterloh (books and stationery)
Rodenmayer
William Bryan
Whitelaw
Main Street on the east side between Independence and Broadway:
R. Carroll
G.W. Bahn estate (hardware)
L. Houck (him, again)
Henry Huhn estate (Prescott Hotel)
S. Marchildon
Albert & Leuer
B. Bahn estate
Miss Allers
S. Hirsch
Schivelbine estate (not the music store -- that came later. This was the Arcade Saloon -- the wettest spot in Cape)
(Themis Street intersected)
L.B. Houck (Louis's nephew; big-time property owner)
J. Meystedt
Joseph Jaeger
R.B. Oliver & J. Horrell
J.F. Vogelsanger
A. Oertel
Dempsey
H.C. Phelps (Terminal Hotel; burned in 1916)
L.B. Houck
Properties on the south side of Independence, west from Main:
(Planters) Mill property (blocked Main Street from going south of Independence)
E. Maul
Vogt
Miller
Houck
St. Avit (grocery)
Properties on Themis, west from the levee, on the south side of the street:
K. Doyle (Port Cape)
Schivelbine estate (Arcade Saloon)
(Main Street intersected)
E. Gramling (St. Charles Hotel)
Elks (fireproof clubhouse built in 1906; burned in 1938 -- not so fireproof after all)
Mrs. M.A. Grissom
Themis on the north side of the street from the levee:
J. Meystedt
L.B. Houck
(Main Street intersected)
Sturdivant Bank
B.F. Davis (attorney; drowned in 1918)
Mrs. Doyle (hat shop; one of the longest-operating retail businesses in Cape's history)
Broadway properties, west from the levee, on the south side of the street:
L.B. Houck (burned in 1916; later location of Buckner-Ragsdale store)
(Main Street intersected)
Whitelaw
O. Burkhardt
M. Hendricks
Masonic (hall; moved there from the old Opera House)
Broadway on the north side of the street from the levee:
P.R. VanFrank (Riverview Hotel; burned in 1916)
Hempstead estate
James Reynolds
(Main Street intersected)
E. Rodney
R.G. Whitelaw
E. Rodney
R.G. Whitelaw
C.G. Wilson estate
F.A. Kage (livery stable)
Many of these names will be familiar to students of Cape Girardeau history, or to casual readers of the "Out of the past" column. It's like a "who's who" of Cape Girardeau's business leaders at the turn of the 20th Century.
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