Cape River Heritage Museum ready for summer visitors

Delilah Tayloe of Whitewater, Mo., listed off facts as she rummaged through stacks of maps detailing the geological history of Missouri.

One of Tayloe's interests as administrator of the Cape River Heritage Museum is the natural history of Missouri. She provided a lecture Sunday to share her passion for the subject with museum visitors.

Tayloe used maps to explain the geological history of Cape Girardeau and the surrounding area, including a diagram created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers showing the shifts of the Mississippi River over the centuries. She plans to use the maps and information she has gathered to create a more formal exhibit at the museum.

"Whenever we look at these hills and valleys around here, they all tell a story," Tayloe said.

When the museum building was completed in 1909, it housed the Cape Girardeau city hall, courthouse, jail, fire station and police station. Once the city government moved out of the structure, its future use was limited based on a decree from Commandant Louis Lorimier requiring the plot to be used for the public good. It was converted into a museum in the late 1970s.

Visitors to the museum can now see exhibits related to the history of the region ranging from photographs of the Great Roadside Demonstration of 1939 to vintage city official uniforms available for children to try on. The museum also features a gift shop with items made in Missouri.

Regular events this summer include lectures from Chief Paul White Eagle on American Indian cultures and traditions the second Saturday of each month and concerts featuring Jerry Ford the third Saturday of each month.

"We've had people dancing the swing out on the parking lot whenever he was playing," Tayloe said.

Tayloe has worked in several museums throughout the region. She said it is an opportunity to be an ambassador for the city.

"There's a lot to discover in a museum, you know?" Tayloe said.

The River Heritage Museum is open from 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday during the summer. To arrange a tour, call 334-0405.

astephens@semissourian.com

388-3654

Pertinent Address:

538 Independence St., Cape Girardeau, MO 63703