A LOOK BACK AT JACKSON

25 years ago: 1974

Three bids for construction of picnic shelters and maintenance building on County Farm west of Cape Girardeau will be rejected by County Court as too costly; court Thursday agreed to meet with County Park Board next week to discuss alternatives to proposed improvements to County Farm before rejecting bids.

Fire of unknown origin Thursday destroyed barn and its contents on Robert T. Morrow farm southwest of Jackson; value of building was put at $6,000; also destroyed were 100 bales of hay owned by Elmer Bartels and two-row mounted corn picker valued at $3,500 and owned by Robert Peetz.

A $1.5 million bond issue proposal for construction of new county jail would be approved by voters more readily than would like proposal for construction of new county bridges, Associate Judge Edwin W. Sander of Jackson told other members of County Court Monday; but Sander, who has opposed construction of estimated $750,000 law enforcement complex on County Farm in Cape Girardeau, didn't suggest that court abandon its plan to finance complex with federal revenue-sharing funds and use these funds, instead, for replacement of bridges.

County Court has pulled final curtain on former Cape Girardeau County Civil Defense Unit, which became known as County Planning Operations Office prior to its disbandment last July; court Monday decided to open doors of unit's former headquarters at Jackson to all county officials so that they may take any surplus items needed in their offices and to auction off remaining items, along with other surplus county property, on May 25.

Attorneys for plaintiffs in county law enforcement complex suit have entered motion for leave of court to reopen its case on grounds that County Court hasn't paid apportionable shares of county aid road trust funds to Cape or Byrd Special Road districts since 1970; motion alleges that projected unencumbered balance as shown in 1974 county budget "would be overstated in excess of $50,000 plus the amount of state CART funds which should be paid to" districts for 1974 and which weren't paid from 1971 through present.

50 years ago: 1949

The 125th anniversary of First Baptist Church will be celebrated in five-day program beginning Wednesday night at church; commemoration will be for church which began as Old Bethel, erected 143 years ago, one mile south of Jackson on William A. Lowes farm; through years, it has been recognized as first Protestant "meeting house" west of Mississippi; charter was granted 125 years ago for forming of new church, representing beginning of church in Jackson.

Third apportionment of state school funds was made Monday to W.P. Caruthers, county treasurer, this amounting to $84,871.82; entire amount of apportionment goes into teachers' fund; with two exceptions, each teaching unit will receive $445.53 this year; rural district schools will receive $28,289.52 and city schools $56,582.31, at this time.

Jackson voters Tuesday approved increase of 25 cents in school levy at special election, 267 for and 17 against; proposition failed at regular school election April 5; increase, to go into incidental fund, will make total tax levy $1.50.

Mrs. Bertha Puchbauer has purchased five-room frame dwelling on Dallas Street from Mrs. Stella Wills; Puchbauer will move to house within a week; she is advertising her home on Daisy Street for sale; Wills is moving to Chicago.

On Wednesday fire department went to Clifford Proffer house on Hollis Avenue to extinguish flames originating in rags in room of cottage; no considerable damage was done; house of John N. Vickery near southern city limits was ignited Tuesday, when clothing hanging near laundry stove in basement caught fire.

Summer's work of courthouse lawn started this week with clipping of hedge which borders all walks; work is done with hand clippers by custodian Albert Sawyer; when one round is made, it will be time to start again.

75 years ago: 1924

W.O. Stacy, cashier of People's National Bank in Jackson, is considering proposition of making race for nomination on Democratic ticket for office of state treasurer; he was in race four years ago.

Many Jackson residents traveled to Cape Girardeau Wednesday to attend ceremonies of dedication for new steamer Cape Girardeau, and to take in its maiden excursion.

Farmers are very busy now, so busy, in fact, that very few of them can spare time to come to town; but Saturday they'll make exception in order to take in big annual meeting of farm bureau; spacious storage and storerooms of H.H. Mueller building, in which is housed Ford garage, has been converted into assembly hall, where sessions will be held in morning and where big dinner will be served at noon.

State Highway Department has found time and means to send man here who marked telephone poles along two highways through Jackson so that tourists can find their way and not become hopelessly lost; Kingshighway, passing through Jackson north and south, is marked "25," and state highway traversing city east and west is marked "9."

The Rev. Frederick R. Lehman, pastor emeritus of Evangelical church, who formerly had church near Oak Ridge, but who is now inmate of county home, has sold his dwelling in West Jackson to John J. McFerron and is preparing to move to home for aged persons in Illinois; in dwelling just sold by aged minister is one of most extensive libraries in county; rare volumes will be packed and sent to home where Lehman will now reside.

It is rumored that bridge at Old Appleton will be taken down and replaced with double track structure by state highway department; in that event, residents living on Apple Creek between Old Appleton and Wilkinson's Mill would like to have old bridge placed or rebuilt at present ford near place of Julius Koenig; bridge, spanning as it does stream that marks line between this county and Perry County, is owned jointly by both counties; if it is rebuilt at ford mentioned, it would continue serving both counties.