Visit Historic Cape Girardeau

G.D. Fronabarger made this picture of an early tourism billboard for Cape Girardeau.

March 6, 1951 Southeast Missourian

As a part of a community project started by the Rotary Club, four attractive highway signs inviting motorists to visit Cape Girardeau are being erected on arterial routes to the city. Also a part of the overall project will be the marking of community historical sites with bronze plaques, and having maps printed of the city with these sites designated. The latter will be for the benefit of tourists, the maps to be available at filling stations and other places doing business with traveling people.

Two of the highway signs are already up, on Illinois Highway 3 two miles south of the Highway 146-3 junction and on Highway 61 west of Wedekind Park northwest of the city. The other two, to be up in 10 days or two weeks, will be on Illinois Highway 3 near McClure, and at the south intersection of Highway 74 and Highway 61. Cooperating with the Rotarians in the highway sign undertaking are the Lions Club, Junior Chamber of Commerce, Coffee Drinkers Friendship Club, Optimist Club and Kiwanis Clubs.

On the highway sign committee are Wm. J. Kies, chairman, L. J. Blattner, James Moorehead, M. E. Leming and Joe M. Lesem. On the historical committee are F. E. Snider and Vinson Rueseler.

It is expected that the historical markers will be up in the spring, and the maps of the city will be available at that time.