Hundreds find bargain on history as sites around Cape unite

The price of history was a bargain that hundreds of people couldn't refuse in Cape Girardeau on Saturday.

For a $5 ticket, visitors could go on guided tours at the Glenn House, the Red House, Old Lorimier Cemetery, Old St. Vincent's Church and the Cape River Heritage Museum.

Normally these attractions are not open to the public at the same time, and separate admissions would cost $12.50. The "Rediscover Your Cape" tours continue today.

Jennie Neely of Cape Girardeau was a first-time visitor to the Cape River Heritage Museum. She enjoyed the Doyle hat display, featuring some hats from the 1940s. Seeing a display with cotton plants and bundles of cotton fiber brought back memories of picking cotton as a child.

"It's a good time to see it all for $5," Neely said. "I mean, my goodness, I'm really enjoying it."

Turning the ship's wheel in the museum's pilot house, Jack Beahan III -- a Mark Twain impersonator -- was an added museum attraction.

The Southeast Missourian's special museum exhibit included a timeline depicting the newspaper's 100-year history as the voice of the community.

David Smith of Cape Girardeau brought his friend, Bud Street, a 90-year-old resident of the Lutheran Home, for a trip to the museum. Street, drawn to the fire department memorabilia, mentioned to the museum director that he'd enjoy a ride on the fire truck.

Soon after, battalion chief Steve Niswonger arranged for it and Street took his ride.

"He was the boss of the fire truck," Smith said.

For many Glenn House visitors, it was their debut visit. Linda Snodgrass has lived in Cape Girardeau for six years and had been wanting to visit for quite some time.

"It was an ad in the paper that got me here. I'm fascinated by history."

The Victorian-era home's wrought-iron gates will soon be swinging open on a regular basis, said Thomas Eaton, vice president of the Historical Association of Greater Cape Girardeau. Upcoming and continuing fund-raising projects to support the Glenn House include a Web site that will list antiques for sale at a cost to sellers, paid dedications in the home's rose garden, wedding reception rental of the house, summer music and theater performances at the site and tours available regularly.

"We've got to be useful to the public," Eaton said. "We cannot afford shrines."

Director of the Center of Regional History at Southeast Missouri State University, Frank Nichols, gave Lorimier Cemetery tours.

"We've had a steady flow all day. A couple from Tennessee arrived at 8 a.m. They were tracing their genealogy, looking up the second cousin of George Washington, George Lewis," Nichols said.

Most tombstones, made of limestone and sandstone, are in varying degrees of deterioration with the exception of a few red granite markers, a native stone to Missouri.

Glenn House volunteer Tim Blattner visited the cemetery in an effort to try to learn more history.

"I've never had the opportunity to come to the old cemetery and have anybody give me any explanation of our history before," he said.

All the sites reported a steady flow of visitors throughout the day. At least 150 came to Old St. Vincent's Church, volunteers said.

"We counted 140 visitors," said Jane Randol Jackson, the Red House Interpretive Center director. "Everyone who visited was real pleased. We hope there will be more Sunday."

cpagano@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 133