History

While on one of my lunch-hour trips down to Annie Laurie’s antique store a few weeks ago, I came across a unique photograph. The mounted image appeared to date from around the turn of the last century and was found among a group of known Cape Girardeau items. ...

It is difficult to imagine a school district sans a moniker, without a name to identify it beyond its location. For that reason, virtually every school, be it public, private or parochial, has such an appellation. Notre Dame Bulldogs, Oak Ridge Blue Jays, Delta Bobcats, Scott City Rams, Kelly Hawks, Nell Holcomb Hawks, Jackson Indians, St. Vincent DePaul Indians, Perryville Pirates, to name but a few...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A few impressive streaks stopped for the Jackson Indian football team yesterday at Plaster Field, and a less glamorous streak began; Jackson's eight-game win streak came to an end with a 20-19 loss to Camdenton, Missouri, in the Class 4A title game; playing in the championship game for the second straight year, the Indians once again saw their dream of the school's first state football championship fall painfully short...

Cynthia Andrews of Cape Girardeau and her daughters, Cassi, 7, and Hydi, 12, put on some gloves and mixed gallons of coleslaw Thanksgiving Day in the Salvation Army's kitchen; the Andrews family was among the many volunteers and guests who turned out for the Salvation Army's annual community Thanksgiving dinner; every year 400 to 500 guests are served at the Salvation Army or through home-delivered meals...

Thanksgiving. A "Harley Harley Christmas" is the theme of the Christmas window display at Sample Floor Covering at 401 N. Clark Ave.; this is the seventh year the store has created an animated holiday window display; likewise, Hutson's Fine Furniture reveals its annual animated Christmas window display at 43 S. Main St., featuring electric trains and elves putting the finishing touches on the "Santa Wall of Fame."...

For less than 20 cents a pound, a family can feast on a Thanksgiving turkey; but the entire holiday meal could cost as much as $40 if you buy it prepared; the birds range in price from 12 to 19 cents per pound with an additional $50 purchase at area grocery stores; otherwise, they cost up to 69 cents per pound...

The 1902 election for the Missouri House of Representatives for Cape Girardeau County pitted Robert Burett Oliver (Democrat) against John D. Porterfield (Republican), George C. Thilenius (Independent Republican) and Thomas H. Jenkins (Progressive). Oliver won with a 633-vote advantage over Porterfield: 2,149 to 1,486. ...

The Cape Girardeau City Council will decide Dec. 4 which amendments to the city charter will be placed on the April ballot; Charter Review Committee members urged the council yesterday to put eight measures on the ballot, covering such changes as an ethics committee, establishment of an emergency reserve fund and term limits...

A Cape Girardeau County landmark has been chosen to represent the state on a U.S. Postal Service stamp commemorating Missouri statehood. The Postal Service unveiled several 2021 stamps this week, and among them is a stamp marking Missouri becoming the nation’s 24th state, which occurred Aug. 10, 1821...

When the shiny old 1903 Studebaker wagon starts from Capaha Park down Broadway to Main Street Sunday, the driver will hold the reins to more than eight tons of raw horsepower; the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales, representatives of Anheuser-Busch for more than six decades, will be harnessed and hitched to the famous red beer wagon for Cape Girardeau's annual Christmas Parade of Lights; although the Clydesdales will be the big draw for the annual parade, more than 60 entries already have been received for the parade.. ...

Southeast Missouri State University needs to improve how it governs itself so it can act on issues rather than beat them to death in countless committee meetings, says the school's interim president; Dr. Bill Atchley says the university should examine its entire governing structure, including the Board of Regents, the Faculty Senate, vice presidents, deans, Student Government -- and even the president's office; in a letter to faculty, Atchley says Faculty Senate criticism over his handling of a recent campus proposal demonstrates a "serious flaw" in the current governing structure.. ...

One of Southeast Missouri State University's major financial donors, Rosemary Crisp of Marion, Illinois, has been named Philanthropist of the Year by the St. Louis Chapter of the National Society of Fund Raising Executives; Crisp was presented the award on Wednesday at the 16th annual awards luncheon and celebration of National Philanthropy Day in St. Louis...

Tonight's Lorrie Morgan and Daryle Singletary concert at the Show Me Center has been canceled; the decision to call off the show was made yesterday morning by the promoter, Wisconsin-based Starshow Presents; fewer than 1,500 tickets had been sold. An associate circuit judge from Stoddard County is named to the Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District; Robert S. Barney is appointed by Gov. Mel Carnahan to fill the vacancy of retiring Judge George M. Flanigan...

The world became a lot smaller March 21, 1850, when the first telegraph message was sent between St. Louis and Cape Girardeau. Thanks to the miracle of Morse code, Cape had immediate access to news from St. Louis and the major cities of the East Coast...

WYATT, Mo. -- The Royal Casino Group of California has entered into a 25-year docking and franchise agreement with Wyatt officials to establish a riverboat casino and entertainment center on the Mississippi River near the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers; the site, which has been annexed by Wyatt, is near the Bird's Point area and is visible from Interstate 57, a main north-south artery from Chicago to New Orleans and U.S. 60-62...

Cape Girardeau's Convention and Visitors Bureau wants new offices, but Mayor Al Spradling III doesn't think the City Council should rush ahead with plans to build a $250,000 building for the CVB; the budget has earmarked money for the project, but Spradling says the council will have to approve any design work before the project can proceed...

FORT BELVOIR, Va. -- A sword from the defense of Fort McHenry in the War of 1812. A stopped wristwatch recovered from the wrecked E-Ring of the Pentagon on the Sept. 11 attacks. The Sherman tank that first broke through enemy lines at the Battle of the Bulge in World War II...

Information about Jackson’s historic architectural survey will be available to the public during an open house from 5:30 until 7 p.m. today at the Jackson Civic Center. Attendees may come any time during the event, walk through exhibits explaining the survey process, and speak to representatives of the city and the consulting firm of RDG Planning and Design, which the city has engaged to perform the survey...

For Cape Girardeau parks and recreation director Julia Jones, Tuesday’s ceremony marking the addition of a new roof on the old American Legion building at Fort D had a special meaning. “I’m proud my great-great-grandfather was Col. G.C. Thilenius who helped oversee the construction of the Civil War forts around the city,” she told a group of about 50 people who had gathered not only to celebrate the new roof, but also the recent addition of Fort D to the National Register of Historic Places...

It is cheaper to fill up your tank in St. Louis or Charleston, Missouri, than in Cape Girardeau; gasoline prices in the Cape Girardeau area on Friday were about 17 cents higher than in the St. Louis and Charleston areas; while gas is selling around 87.8 cents a gallon there, in Cape Girardeau, regular, unleaded gasoline is selling for $1.05.9 cents at most stations...

Cape Girardeau observes Veterans Day with a parade and commemorations; events kick off with a parade from Capaha Park heading east on Broadway to the downtown area; following the parade, a re-dedication of the Confederate monument takes place at the Cape Girardeau Common Pleas Courthouse; the 1931 memorial to Confederate soldiers from Southeast Missouri was moved recently to the courthouse grounds; a Veterans Day ceremony follows...

A ribbon-cutting in observance of the new roof on the American Legion building at the Fort D historical site in Cape Girardeau is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. today. Fort D is located at 920 Fort St. on Cape Girardeau’s south side. The site is Missouri’s only surviving “V-shaped” Civil War-era earthworks fort and was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 2019...

Cape Girardeau students considering dropping out of high school have another choice: an alternative school program; the new program, aimed at keeping students in school, could start next week if all goes as planned; applications are available for students at the high school office...

Either of two blocks on the north side of Broadway would be acceptable for a new federal courthouse, says a government official involved in the site selection; the two sites are the 400 block of Broadway, which includes the Himmelberger-Harrison Building, and the 300 block of Broadway, which includes the vacant Marquette Hotel; both blocks are just north of the Federal Building, which would continue to house government offices after a courthouse is built...

LOS ANGELES -- Alex Trebek, who presided over the beloved quiz show "Jeopardy!" for more than 30 years with dapper charm and a touch of schoolmaster strictness, died Sunday. He was 80. Trebek, who announced in 2019 he had advanced pancreatic cancer, died at his Los Angeles home, surrounded by family and friends, "Jeopardy!" studio Sony said...

A Cape Girardeau Central High School student was arrested on Monday after drug-sniffing dogs led police to her car; the 17-year-old student was charged with felonious possession of LSD, misdemeanor possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia; drug dogs have been randomly searching the high school parking lot for a couple of years, but Monday was the first time a search led to an arrest...

"Cape Girardeau's Most Satisfactory Clothing Store Worthy of the Name." Thus was the first advertisement in The Daily Republican on Nov. 21-22, 1907, for the new Buckner-Ragsdale Store, a landmark on North Main and Broadway. The story begins when William "Buck" Ragsdale came to Cape Girardeau to acquire a buggy at Kage Livery Stable. ...

The Cape Woods Conservation Area is a 37-acre, state-owned tract of bottom-land forest and grass that borders Osage Park; surrounded by ever-expanding urban growth, the area is home to deer, turkey and other wildlife; the city of Cape Girardeau plans to improve this pocket of nature so it will be accessible to the public...

The Rev. John S. Goff is the new pastor of Cape Girardeau Church of God, 624 S. Ellis St.; his new post was effective Sept. 18; a native of North Carolina, Goff attended York College of York, Pennsylvania, and received a bachelor of arts degree in psychology from Lee College of Cleveland, Tennessee; for the past 28 years Goff has served churches in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Tennessee...

Tri-Con Industries Ltd. is leaving Cape Girardeau; the manufacturer of automobile seat covers, which began operations in Cape Girardeau a dozen years ago, is moving to Mexico; a U.S. subsidiary of Tokyo Seat Co., Tri-Con issued the mandatory 60-day notice of closure yesterday, saying it will end operations here Jan. 3, 1996; Tri-Con employed as many as 500 people during its peak operation here and was employing 233 in the middle of 1994, when workers voted to be represented by the ACTWU...

Travelers driving past the Anhueser-Busch campus just off I-55 in St. Louis might look at the buildings and think, "That's a lot of brick!" Southeast Missourians can drive by and be proud knowing thousands of bricks for those buildings came from the dirt of Jackson, Missouri...

Friends of U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson say he will fight his recently diagnosed lung cancer the way he fights for constituents and issues: head-on with a positive attitude; the eight-term Republican from Southeast Missouri's 8th District disclosed yesterday that he has lung cancer and plans to begin a series of treatments Friday at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C...

President Clinton has threatened to veto the GOP budget bill so often that he probably will reject the bill "just for the heck of it," U.S. Sen. Kit Bond said yesterday; if the president vetoes the bill, Bond predicted Republicans will be willing to work with him to reach a compromise budget plan; the Missouri Republican spoke at a press conference at Cape Girardeau Regional Airport to discuss the Senate's approval early Saturday of its version of a budget bill; the House approved its version Thursday.. ...

Kiefner Brothers Inc. has been named the general contractor for the new Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce headquarters building to be constructed at 1267 N. Mount Auburn Road; bidding for the job was limited to members of the chamber; the 4,800-square-foot building is expected to be completed by the summer of 1996...

Among the extinct towns of Cape Girardeau County is one very close to Cape Girardeau. In fact, the town of Decatur was inside the current city boundaries. Today it encompasses Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus, formerly the St. Vincent Seminary and College...

In 1920, a grotto in honor of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal was dedicated in Perryville, Missouri, after two years of construction amid a World War and worldwide illness. Next month, the 100th anniversary celebration will take place on the grounds...

Sen. Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, of the 27th Senatorial District, is recipient of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce's Spirit of Enterprise Award; Kinder accepted the award recently during the chamber's 23rd annual Legislative Action Seminar at Lake of the Ozarks...

The third annual Reformation Fest is held in the afternoon at Old Hanover Lutheran Church; Dr. Charles T. Knippel, professor emeritus of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, is guest preacher; hymns are played on the old-fashioned reed pump organ in the church; Old Hanover School, a museum of Lutheranism, is open after the service, and a coffee and punch reception also follows the service...

Historic architecture in Jackson is about to get surveyed. Unlike traditional surveys, which measure property and locate property boundaries, this survey is a visual evaluation to determine the number of historically significant buildings and properties in the uptown area, according to a city news release...

A member of the Scott City Board of Education unexpectedly resigned from his position last month, saying, "I decided there weren't enough hours in the day"; the school board accepted Tom Anderson's resignation at last week's meeting. A train engineer was slightly injured and a load of soybeans destroyed yesterday after a truck owned by B&J Trucking was hit by a Burlington-Northern train; the train was traveling north about 9:15 a.m. ...

An agreement allowing Cape Girardeau County to house jail inmates at The Gibson Recovery Center is nearly final; inmates could be moved to the center at 1112 Linden in Cape Girardeau as early as mid-November; a contract with Gibson would alleviate overcrowding at the jail in Jackson; jail capacity is 65, and when the number of inmates reaches into the low 70s, they must be housed elsewhere...

Reductions in the size of the U.S. military have paid a dividend for regional law enforcement; taking advantage of a program to get rid of surplus equipment, the Stoddard County Sheriff's Department recently picked up two military helicopters free of charge; the department becomes the only law enforcement agency in Southeast Missouri to have its own aircraft...

Cape Girardeau's historic African-American faith communities organized around two traditions: African Methodist Episcopal (AME) and Baptist. Both congregations held regular revival meetings to renew the spiritual journey of the faithful and to attract new believers. ...

A public hearing next month could prompt the federal government to steer clear of historic homes in choosing a site for a U.S. courthouse in downtown Cape Girardeau; significant opposition from property owners and residents would lead the federal government to look at alternative sites downtown, says Jim Ogden of the General Services Administration's regional office in Kansas City; Ogden also says federal budget cuts could halt the project; however, an aide to U.S. ...

After more than 30 years of helping the community, Les Crump has been recognized for his volunteer work; Crump was one of 10 people who received the Governor's Adult Leadership Award at the Missouri Community Betterment Conference; he was nominated by the Scott City Community Betterment Club...

A sales tax case involving the Southeast Missourian will be heard by the Missouri Supreme Court next month and could have a major impact on the state's newspaper industry; the case, Cape Girardeau Southeast Missourian and Concord Publishing House vs. Director of Revenue, involves an appeal of a sales tax ruling; it will be argued Nov. 2 in the Supreme Court Building in Jefferson City...

A painting by American artist Jacob Lawrence that has not been seen in public for 60 years has been found and will soon take its designated place in a 30-piece exhibit of Lawrence's work, officials at the Peabody Essex Museum in Massachusetts said Thursday...

Dr. George W. Westlake Jr. is the guest speaker at First Assembly of God Church as part of the church's 75th anniversary; Westlake was pastor at First Assembly from 1964 to the early 1970s; under his direction, the congregation relocated from South Sprigg Street to 750 Mount Auburn Road...

Allied Waste Management has been given the OK by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to close the former Jackson landfill and open a transfer station in town; DNR approved the closure of the landfill last week, clearing the way for Allied and Jackson to finalize a real estate deal that will enable the proposed transfer station to be built near the Jackson Industrial Park...

Some things may get better with age, but not school buildings; replacing Cape Girardeau's aging elementary schools and constructing new buildings were top priorities at a Vision Planning meeting last night; about 30 people attended the meeting at the Junior High School; it was the sixth community meeting conducted by the Vision Planning Committee...