A LOOK BACK AT JACKSON

25 years ago: 1974

A $70,000 grant pending before Farmers Home Administration might be only salvation for construction of water district to serve Gordonville, Dutchtown and surrounding area; Wesley A. Deneke, president of Gordonville Water District No. 4 of Cape Girardeau County, says that bids totaling more than $62,000 over estimates of three years ago has forced district to apply for supplemental FHA grant.

Jackson plumbing and heating firm installed new steam boiler in county jail last weekend without consent of any county officials, and County Court is contemplating what to do about it; Missouri law obligates second-class counties to seek bids on purchases or work which exceeds $100; bill for boiler was $997, and didn't include installation.

Robert Hahn, Cape Girardeau City Engineer, has been hired by County Court as consulting engineer to county; he has submitted his resignation to city of Cape Girardeau, effective March 1.

Jackson R-2 School District pupils can forget about their originally-scheduled six-day Easter vacation and probably plan on going to school Memorial Day and May 30, day after classes were scheduled to conclude; winter's onslaught has resulted in school cancellations for eight days now, and worst winter weather usually comes in January, February and sometimes March.

On three-to-two vote along city lines, County Court decided Monday morning to build proposed law enforcement complex on 23-acre tract of County Farm property on west edge of Cape Girardeau; Associate Judge J. Ronald Fischer and Presiding Judge Clarence W. Suedekum of Cape Girardeau both voted for that location, while Associate Judge Edwin W. Sander of Jackson balloted against it.

Jackson City Council unanimously resolved Monday night to ask City Attorney Kenneth L. Waldron to investigate possibility of attempting to enjoin County Court from building proposed county law enforcement complex on County Farm.

Voters of Public Water Supply District No. 1 of Cape Girardeau and Perry counties approved for second time Tuesday $180,000 bond issue proposal for enlargement, improvement and maintenance of district.

50 years ago: 1949

Charles B. Bollinger of Millersville, county highway engineer from 1923 to 1927, was appointed to that post for one-year period by County Court Monday, after judges interviewed three other applicants; in addition to his previous term as county highway engineer, Bollinger has also been employed in past by State Highway Department.

C.W. McNeil of Cape Girardeau was elected president of Cape Girardeau Council of 4-H Clubs for eighth consecutive year at meeting Monday night at Extension office, attended by 46 leaders and officers of 17 clubs.

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Lange, who recently moved to their new house in Jackson, are busy grading lot with bulldozers; house is one of most pretentious constructed here last year; it is two-story English style brick and is well away from street on sloping lot; hardwood was used throughout, including window facings and inside doors.

Lt. Ralph Hoffmeister is en route to Corpus Christi, Texas, where he will be instructor in advanced flying; he and his family have been living in Bell Flower, Calif., where they purchased home two years ago.

Crowd of 500 or 600 persons, nearly all farmers and their wives, attended annual Soils and Crops Conference Thursday at grade school; luncheon, provided by Jackson Chamber of Commerce, was served at McKendree Church dining room; Glenn Lewis was conference chairman.

Fire department was called to east side of courthouse Friday morning to extinguish fire in large Kroger Co. truck, loaded with coffee and bound for Memphis, Tenn.; approximately 200 pounds of coffee valued at $150 was afire, and firemen had to unload most of cargo before getting to blaze; driver knew that his load was afire when he reached Fruitland, but knowing that town had no fire department, he headed for Jackson.

John J. Daume of Oak Ridge returned Wednesday from Nashville, Tenn., where he spent Monday and Tuesday making recordings, after contacting "Grand Ole Opry" company officials; songs were written by himself and his sister, Mary; three songs were accepted and will be reproduced.

75 years ago: 1924

Several friends went to home of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ueleke Wednesday night to hear concert broadcast on radio from Teachers College in Cape Girardeau; College Glee Club gave concert; every word, every note was heard distinctly by audience here; Daisy Wagner, one of Jackson's favorite singers, was featured in four numbers.

Mrs. Linder Miller of near Cane Creek has been named member of County Board of Visitors by Circuit Judge Frank Kelly; she succeeds Mrs. Sam Carter, formerly of Cape Girardeau, who resigned when she moved from county; Board of Visitors makes regular inspections of county almshouse, jails and other institutions, but members draw no salary.

Committee of Chamber of Commerce met in joint session with City Council Thursday night for purpose of taking initial steps toward paving some of Jackson's principal streets; it was proposed to begin paving program by determining cost of paving with various materials; various committees were appointed to look into costs, as well as to gauge willingness of property owners to pay for improvements; it is proposed to pave Main Street from west bridge to public square, High Street from public square to Second South Street, and also around public square.

The Rev. F. Lehman, pastor emeritus of Evangelical church, near Oak Ridge, who lives in small house on Union Avenue in West Jackson, was seen coming out of his house Thursday morning with his clothing on fire; Mrs. H.L. Obermiller and her son, Earl, rushed to aged man's assistance and succeeded in extinguishing fire and called doctor; he has been taken to Deaconess Hospital for treatment.

John Vaughn Priest Jr., young, energetic business man of Jackson, has been chosen chairman of Cape Girardeau County Homecomers Association.

The Rev. O.R. Kretzman of Egypt Mills Lutheran church has accepted call of congregation at Antonia, Mo., and will soon move to his new field of endeavor.