HOMECOMERS WAS BIG ATTRACTION 85 YEARS AGO

The tinkling music of a merry-go-round and the tantalizing strain of United Exposition's new rides welcomed the crowds of early evening visitors to Jackson's 1992 Homecomers Tuesday. The side streets of Jackson's business district were lined with automobiles.

The five-day event, sponsored annually as a money-making project by Altenthal-Joerns American Legion Post 158, has attracted crowds since the first Homecomers was held 85 years ago to celebrate the dedication of the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse.

The Tuesday night air buzzed with chatter as old friends met and exchanged greetings just as visitors did in 1908, when a three-day event was held Sept. 24-26.

Jackson was proud of the new courthouse being completed. The committee that planned the celebration wanted former residents to return to Jackson and stage a large reunion; hence the name Homecomers.

Everything went off as the committee planned. The governor, Jospeh Wingate Folk, was invited and spoke at the dedication Sept. 24.

The Sixth Battalion of the Missouri National Guard also was invited as was the Sixth Regimental Band of Jefferson City. The band was directed by Cape Girardeau's Dr. C.E. Schuchert and the National Guard stepped lively to his music, delighting the crowd.

The parades assembled at the Old Jackson Military School parade grounds, and the first day marched in the morning to the north entrance of the City Cemetery. There, Col. Jeffers' monument was dedicated with the colonel's granddaughter, Annie Jeffers, and her two maids of honor doing the honors.

Not only did residents of Jackson and Cape Girardeau came to Homecomers in 1908, but folks from far ends of Cape County also came. The Cape Girardeau visitors came in wagons filled with straw so they could sleep in the wagons and have food for the horses. They brought food to last their stay, and obtained drinking water from a fresh spring that flowed from the hill on the east side of Hubble Creek a block north of Schaper's IGA. The spring no longer flows.

A hot-air balloon was one of the sensations of the 1908 event. For a small fee the public could climb into the basket and rise into the air to the length of its rope.

There were contests of many kinds, from the visitor who came the greatest distance to the oldest man and woman in attendance to the prettiest baby, and more.

The committee was headed by Edward D. Hays, a Cape County booster and a young lawyer. In 1903 he was a probate judge. Later he moved to New York and became a prominent lawyer and he also practiced in Washington, D.C. At the time the courthouse was proposed he was mayor of Jackson. F.A. McGruire was vice-president; Henry Puls, secretary; and Julian Miller, treasurer of the 1908 Homecomers. On the committee were: C.L. Grant, M.C. LaPierre, F.E. Kies, and John Putz.

St. Louis Carnival Co. decorated the streets. Although the first event went into debt $400 it was decided to continue.

Today people anticipate the fun. Year after year the same plan of entertainment has been followed, with a queen contest on Wednesday night, talent shows every night, and prizes furnished by the Jackson merchants. Much publicity is given to the event by both Cape Girardeau and Jackson newspapers. The spirit of a large family reunion prevails.

This year the city of Jackson laid a new Main Street fronting the courthouse where the stage on which the queen contest and talent shows are held. Band music will entertain the crowd every night and prizes will go to first-, second-, third- and fourth-place winners in the talent and queen contests. The final winners will compete on Saturday night. Winners will be given an opportunity to appear in the Memphis Mid South Fair in September. The fair will send a representative to view the winners on Saturday night, as they have done since 1960.

United Exposition of De Soto will provide several new rides for this year's event. They will be thrilling compared to the less drastic rides at the first Homecomers when James Patterson Rides thrilled the crowd.

Bill Poe and Tom Sperling are co-chairmen, as they have been for many years; Marvin Meier and E.P. Kurre head the talent show; and Mrs. Jim Schnurbusch is in charge of the queen contest. Every member of Post 158 will be participating for the five nights of Homecomers to make it a success because the proceeds, after all bills are paid, provide scholarships for students and philanthropic work of Veterans Post 158 throughout the year.

Join the fun ... Welcome to the 1992 Jackson Homecomers!