A LOOK BACK AT JACKSON

25 years ago, 1975

Cape Girardeau County's future federal revenue sharing entitlements would continue even should County Court decide not to build jail on 23-acre County Farm site in Cape Girardeau; that's word from federal revenue-sharing analyst in Office of Administration at Jefferson City, who said that although $75,000 in federal revenue-sharing money county will spend on excavation of site is "blatant waste of money," it won't effect future entitlements if jail isn't built there.

Pageant, parades, exhibits of historic items and dances are some of suggestions made for celebration of America's bicentennial; celebration is being planned by Bicentennial Committee of Jackson Community Betterment Association; committee members have suggested that observance begin July 4, and continue through end of 1976.

Three-story County Courthouse will be remodeled this year in effort to make offices frequented by public more accessible and to afford more usable space for Magistrate and Circuit Court facilities on top floor; there is included in 1975 budget $29,000 in federal revenue-sharing funds for work.

Jackson City Council has come out as opposed to building new county jail on five to seven acre tract of land northwest of Interstate 55-Highway 61 interchange, which Cape Girardeau business man has offered to donate to county; council has said it would also oppose possibility of site being deeded to city of Jackson if County Court were to build controversial jail on acreage offered by Charles N. Harris.

Cape Girardeau County's narrow and rough roads and obsolete bridges may be getting more attention than some county residents realize, when compared to similar conditions in other counties of state; recent survey shows that school bus accidents in Missouri increased 11.5 percent in 1973, compared to average number of accidents that occurred during each of preceding five years; survey blamed some of accidents on driver error, but blamed many of them on dangerous road and street conditions; Cape Girardeau County's roads, most of which are in good shape when compared to other Missouri counties, have caused few accidents in recent years.

Legal opinions on possibilities of Cape Girardeau County accepting gift of land as site for new jail or trading county property for alternate site owned by city of Jackson have been asked of Prosecuting Attorney A.J. Seier; County Court doesn't know whether it can legally build jail on site outside Jackson or Cape Girardeau; it also questions legality of accepting proposal to trade Jackson property for county-owned land.

50 years ago, 1950

City Council has posted public notice that beginning this spring there will be street paving under way; petitions asking for paving work will be accepted until March 1; paving is done at expense of property owners through special tax bills.

County judges met with commissioners of Byrd Special Road District Monday to iron out proposition for improving Greens Ferry Road; there will be job of securing dozen or more pieces of right of way, which commissioners will undertake in next two weeks; project will be under King road act, improvements for milk, school bus and mail routes; County Court favored going along for its part of estimated expense for stretch of roadbed lying in county, with Byrd Township taking care of part within township, and state paying a part.

Forty merchants and business men of Jackson attended Chamber of Commerce dinner and first meeting of year Monday night; on agenda for year, men discussed proposed new community building; every effort will be made to construct spacious building with large auditorium and dining room this year at City Park.

Plans are going forward this week for project of lighting courthouse with flood lights; merchants were engaged Tuesday taking public subscriptions for project, to which County Court is expected to contribute; it is estimated that it will take at least $600 for project.

In effort to deal with slippery streets left by ice storm Tuesday, city workers have scattered ashes on all hills about business district in Jackson, making all streets passable; for time on Tuesday it was impossible to pull Mill Hill, on West Main Street.

Number of farm homes in vicinity of Jackson have been without heat because of shutoff of electrical current; ice storm downed numerous power and telephone lines in area; Joe Henderson family on Priest farm and Edwin L. Kies place south of town have been heated from kerosene stoves and fireplaces; at Kies home there was no power for cooking.

Pocahontas School closed Wednesday afternoon because of icy conditions of county roads; Mrs. Raymond Godwin is teacher and resides in Jackson; unless weather abates, there will be no school until Monday.

75 years ago, 1925

Reuben W. Conrad, who lives few miles northeast of Jackson, reported to his landlord, Postmaster J.G. Kies, that on night of Jan. 29 someone raided meat house or smokehouse on farm and purloined 10 hams and shoulders, four sides of bacon and large amount of sausage; tracks were found leading from main road to smokehouse and back again; it appears thieves had car into which they loaded stolen meat.

W.C. Bahn of Cape Girardeau was in town Friday concluding deal with Mrs. Roxie Fulenwider of Jackson, by which Bahn became owner of property on First East Street, generally known as Will Wagner property; in exchange Fulenwider acquired some Bahn property in Cape Girardeau, 10-room dwelling on Bellevue.

Mrs. Anna Caroline Elizabeth Milde, wife of Frank Milde, farmer living three miles south of Jackson, died at her home Feb. 1 following illness of several years; born in Germany March 1, 1842, she married Charles Guenther before coming to America; he died shortly after they moved to Cape Girardeau County; in 1872 she married her surviving husband; she also leaves four sons and four daughters.

County Court has appointed George Seibert of Jackson to office of probation officer and superintendent of county welfare.

Dr. S.Y. Morgan, 55, for 30 years physician of Cape Girardeau County, died at his home in Shawneetown Feb. 5 of pneumonia; born near Neelys Landing, Feb. 2, 1870, Morgan was only son of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Morgan, pioneer residents of that community; he is survived by his widow, who is in Arizona, two daughters and two sisters.

Nothing has been done so far to organize public dedication of memorial to World War soldier dead, which stands in courthouse yard; Judge C.A. Vandivort of County Court has taken lead in gathering data regarding names of county boys who died during conflict, either on field of honor or in camp; these names have been placed on bronze plate on memorial.