A LOOK BACK AT JACKSON

25 years ago: 1974

Officials of Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. said Wednesday that if significant majority of Jackson customers indicate they may be willing to share cost of toll-free service with Oak Ridge-Pocahontas area, extended-area service could be established; petition drive has been under way to have toll-free service established between Jackson and Oak Ridge.

Circuit Court Judge Stanley A. Grimm has given go-ahead to city of Jackson to place special ballot in April 2 election on question of annexation of 1,884 acres into city.

Members of Cape Girardeau County Extension Homemakers Association Council delivered petition to Sheriff Ivan E. McLain asking that he bring end to streaking on Southeast Missouri State University campus in Cape Girardeau; petition asked that law enforcement help save county morals and that students "be placed under prosecution to the fullest."

County Court approved $19,109 payment to Clark Water Well Service for drilling of well on County Farm; drilling, begun last fall, was recently completed with installation of pumping equipment and fully-equipped well house.

Special Judge Marshall Craig of Scott County Friday overruled motion to exclude city of Jackson from enjoining with citizens group which is seeking injunction against County Court to prevent construction of proposed law enforcement complex on County Farm at Cape Girardeau; ruling means citizens can file class action suit against court with city of Jackson enjoining.

Need for new county jail was made apparent Monday as Sheriff Ivan E. McLain discussed overcrowded conditions at jail with members of County Court; McLain called jail a "disgrace"; facility was built to hold only 18 prisoners, but currently there are 36 housed in jail.

Salary increases are in store for Jackson R-2 School District teachers next year, including $400 or 5 1/2 percent increase in starting pay.

50 years ago: 1949

County teacher examinations will be held Friday and Saturday at courthouse in Jackson; examinations will be as last year, in four areas: natural science, social studies, language arts and special subjects; exams should be taken only by those persons who will teach in rural and elementary schools in 1949-50 and who will in no other manner be able to qualify for elementary certificates.

First county-sponsored road project under terms of King milk route law were approved by County Court Monday and certified to State Highway Department for approval; under law, state participates up to $750 per mile in building of approved routes used for school bus, mail and milk routes; one project calls for improvement of 5.45-mile stretch of Oriole Road from where it intersects Perryville Road north of Cape Girardeau to where it crosses Greens Ferry Road; another project is 5.4-mile sector in vicinity of Allenville and includes rebuilding of approach to bridge over Diversion Channel in that area.

Lester Hawn, assistant Cape Girardeau County farm agent since last June, has been transferred to Bollinger County, where he will serve as county agent; he will maintain his residence at Jackson until accommodations in Lutesville or Marble Hill are secured.

Carl McCullough was elected president of Rotary Club Tuesday at luncheon at Oak Ridge; L.L. Luetje is retiring president of year which ends in June.

Workers are engaged in sanding floors and doing last-minute interior work at new house of Mr. and Mrs. L.L. Luetje; couple expects to move next week; house is built in rear of Litzelfelner brick house, which will be razed.

Lloyd Jones of Sedgewickville has been employed as radio mechanic at Jackson Electric Store; Jones, war veteran, was graduated from American Television laboratory in Chicago in 1947 and has been actively engaged in radio repair since; he plans to move his family here when he can secure house or apartment.

Men are at work remodeling window backs at Priest's Store; new lighting arrangements are being installed in windows and backs will be modernistic in design to conform to general remodeling of store.

Jack Litzelfelner, son of Mr. and Mrs. O.C. Litzelfelner, left Wednesday to report to Vero Beach, Fla., training camp for Brooklyn Dodgers, for spring training in Class B as catcher; young Litzelfelner played with Cairo, Ill., team last season.

75 years ago: 1924

Construction work on new $22,000 high school building in Oak Ridge is going forward with every indication that structure will be completed in time for opening of school next September; cornerstone of new building will be laid with appropriate honors Wednesday, with number of prominent residents of Oak Ridge and Cape Girardeau County participating.

Thursday afternoon fire department made run to home of Linder Miller in West Jackson on Camp Creek; roof of large dwelling had ignited from burning flue, but fire was extinguished before much damage had been done; in hurry to get to fire, car driven by Patrolman Charles Walden struck Marie, 6-year-old daughter of Charles Hoeckele, who was returning from school; child was knocked down and bruised, but wasn't seriously injured.

Farm home of Jesse Hitt on Jackson-Cape Girardeau gravel road, about 4 miles southeast of Jackson, was destroyed by fire Friday morning; smoke house nearby was also destroyed; nothing was saved out of house except most of bedding and meat out of smokehouse.

State Highway Department painted telephone posts in Jackson along Kingshighway Friday with yellow marker and figures "25"; marking was done to aid tourists traveling through town.

F.G. Schroeder has been appointed official dog catcher by Police Chief W.W. Hobbs, and he is doing good work; on his first day out, Monday, he rounded up several canines and put them in dog pound, which had been prepared in Kinder barn, corner of Main and Second West streets; boy, whose pet had been impounded, broke into pound same day out and rescued his mutt; he will be prosecuted.

Town election is less than three weeks away and no one has yet offered himself or herself for any city office; four aldermen are to be elected, one from each ward, as well as city marshal and collector.

Ray G. Miller, who has been traveling for several years for Amos-James Grocery Co. of St. Louis, has resigned his position; he is undecided as to what line of work he will enter.

Mrs. Bernice Wessell fell on ice last Monday and has been unable to resume her place in local store; she was badly bruised and jolted.