Man crosses Cape off list of places to visit

Pennsylvania native Philip Gergen visited Cape Girardeau last week, but his trip was no ordinary summer vacation.

When he was in middle school, Gergen decided to visit every city larger than his hometown of Mount Carmel, Pa., as listed by the 1940 U.S. Census. Cape Girardeau was the last on his list of 569 cities to visit.

Gergen, now 78, drove from his home in Mount Carmel, Pa., south through Memphis and Jackson, Tenn. He hit Paducah, Ky., and then stopped in Cape Girardeau to finish.

"Each one has its own characteristic," its own story, he said.

Gergen joined the U.S. Navy and crossed off several cities that way. He spent 21 years in the Navy. His favorite opportunity, he said, was being stationed in San Diego and marking it off the list.

For several years he traveled by himself, then with his wife Joan. They had a son, Robert, and a daughter Susan and continued to work their way down the list of towns in no particular order.

Gergen took his grandson on some trips and finished the journey with his second wife, Elaine.

In 1940, Mount Carmel had 17,780 people, according to the Census. Cape Girardeau had more than 19,000 residents. According to the 2010 Census, the Pennsylvania coal town has around 10,000 and the Southeast Missouri city on the river has 37,941.