Cape overlook ready for dedication

A brief ceremony is set for 3 p.m. Tuesday to officially dedicate the old Mississippi bridge overlook and park near the River Campus.

Doug Leslie, Cape Girardeau's city manager, said dozens of people can take personal pride in the city's new attraction.

Loyd Ervin, owner of Ervin's Metalsmiths in Cape Girardeau, is one. He spent six months renovating the old bridge's bronze carriage lights.

"They were hung up there years ago and then just abused," Ervin said. "Literally, trucks just hit them. I had to take parts from six of them to make four good lights."

He disassembled each light, straightened what pieces he could and created new parts to replace those that were missing or couldn't be repaired. He found similar glass to fill empty panels. Using chemicals and machines, he polished all the bronze parts and the hand-forged copper backing plates before reassembling each 75-pound light.

"They don't look nearly as large as they are," he said. "They're big. Forty inches or so tall."

Ervin, 54, was disappointed not to find any sign of the lights' manufacturer.

"It's not often that I get to work on quality pieces like that," he said. "Whenever I can, I really enjoy the work."

When he delivered the lights to the city, he suggested letting the lamps develop a natural patina, rather than try to coat them with a preservative.

Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce president John Mehner said the lights "are magnificent." He credited Kent Bratton, the city's recently retired planner, with having the foresight to save them from the scrap heap.

Mehner said those are just four of the many lights he hopes will draw visitors to the downtown area.

Tuesday's dedication also recognizes dozens of men and women who donated between $250 and $2,500 to light the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge, of which the old bridge overlook offers a showcase view.

pmcnichol@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127