LOOKING BACK AT JACKSON

25 years ago: 1973

Opposition that rang out loud and clear at public hearing at Jackson last fall on proposed relocation of Highway 72 has forced Missouri Highway Department to abandon plan, at least for now; but there is no indication alternate method of solving heavy traffic problem between Jackson and Interstate 55, and on into Cape Girardeau, is in the making; for now, this appears to be dead issue.

Cape County Advisory Health Council hopes to hold special election Oct. 23 to once again put county health unit proposal before county voters; appearing before County Court Thursday, David Niswonger, assistant administrator at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau and member of council, said council had decided to begin circulating petitions immediately in hopes of obtaining required 10 percent of qualified voters' signatures, which would total about 2,500; proposal was defeated in 1970; it called for special tax of one mill to raise approximately $60,000.

Cape Girardeau County's budget at end of June was in better shape than it had been at same time in preceding years and Auditor H. Weldon Macke believes county might not have to borrow money until October; county had spent only 45 percent, or $440,800 of its total 1973 budget, and various income sources were "way ahead," by $73,000.

Rural Jackson man was pronounced dead at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau July 26, hour and half after he received electrical shock at work site in Scott County; Danny N. Slinkard, 31, was killed when aluminum ladder he was carrying came into contact with 7,200-volt Missouri Utilities Co. power line at building owned by Maumee Truck Leasing Co., Old Highway 61 north of Scott City; Slinkard was employee of Loyd Slinkard Painting Contractors; company had been contracted to spray paint Maumee building.

Cape Girardeau County Court Monday authorized payment of $33,000 to Mr. and Mrs. W.E. Walker Jr. of Cape Girardeau for site of proposed county juvenile detention facility; county had been holding option, due to expire Wednesday, on property located along Merriwether Street in Cape Girardeau, near Happy Hollow.

Flash flood on Hubble Creek north of Jackson city limits Monday night forced two children to safety of rock ledge, where they awaited rescue by two Jackson policemen and members of Cape Girardeau County sheriff's patrol; authorities said Claudia Powell, 12, and Phillip Horner, 8, were rescued when officers tied rope across rampaging creek and helped them across.

50 years ago: 1948

Standards for parking meters for Jackson have arrived and additional equipment, including meters, is expected presently; meters were secured on rental contract with city to ascertain if there is enough need for them to be purchased and installed; there will be 216 meters.

Donkey basketball game is set for Wednesday night in stadium; captain of American Legion team is Carlton Meyer, while Charles Stockman is captain of Optimist Club contingent; proceeds from tickets sold by Legion will be used for club house building fund.

Two truck loads of old ballots were taken to Indian Creek Wednesday morning, in county truck, to be burned; ballots will give room for later ones in vault of county clerk, Edwin J. Sander; tending fires were Albert Sawyer and August Soehlig, custodians; law provides the mode of destroying all old county records, by burning.

Mr. and Mrs. Gerald G. Friedrich have sold their home on Elmwood Boulevard to Mr. and Mrs. Chester Matthews; they plan to move to cottage near home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. T.H. Friedrich; Matthews is employee of Western Associated store.

Phillip Schuch, who is working in St. Louis, came home for weekend, accompanied by Joan Selb, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Selb, who will remain a week; Schuch is being tutored in clarinet by Mike Zoelle, soloist with St. Louis Symphony; he will return here latter part of August to attend high school.

County Supt. of Schools Edwin W. Sander will at later date in August call for organization of first county Board of Education in keeping with provisions of Section 1, of Senate Bill 307, enacted by 64th General Assembly; law became effective July 18, and each county superintendent has authority to call the meeting within 60 days; members elected to new board must be resident householders of county.

Workers have completed large cattle and grain barn at farm of Anita Bodenstein, west of Jackson on Highway 61; barn replaces smaller one torn down recently; Mrs. Bodenstein's son, Louis, has charge of farm.

75 years ago: 1923

John H. Sander and family left Thursday for extended automobile trip; they will first visit Springfield, Ill., and from there they will go to Chandlerville, Ill., for visit with the Rev. and Mrs. Alvin Kerstner; Mrs. Kerstner is daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sander; at Chandlerville, they'll be joined by W.J. Sperling and family of Cape Girardeau, and party will then motor to Chicago and on to Niagara Falls; on Aug. 14 they will be in Buffalo, N.Y., to attend national convention of Retail Monumental Craftsmen.

Barnery Miederhoff is on crutches since last Monday, when he stepped on rusty nail which penetrated his left foot.

Threshing machine operated by Thompson & Co. in Gordonville neighborhood was turned over and wrecked on road southeast of Gordonville, near Jake Glueckhertz farm, Thursday evening; A.F. Lorberg with his wrecking outfit extricated machine from ditch, and local machine shop got busy repairing broken parts, working greater part of night to delay threshing machine as little as possible; no one was hurt in wreck.

Drought was thoroughly broken Friday night when 1.52 inches of rain fell over Jackson, first since June 28, and after 26 days of torrid temperatures when thermometer oscillated between 90 and 103 degrees each day; during accompanying electric storm, lightning struck barn on farm of Lewis Wallace northwest of Fruitland, and structure was destroyed with all contents.

W.W. Hobbs has sold his home in Jackson to Mrs. Perry Snider and son, Vane, and will move to Sikeston as soon as he can secure house there.

At annual election of stockholders of Cape County Savings Bank last Saturday, old board of directors was re-elected with addition of A.A. Boss to fill vacancy caused by death of Judge W.C. Cracraft; board organized by electing C.W. Henderson president and Henry Puls vice president; there was no change in personnel of employees: A.A. Boss, cashier; A.G. Penzel, assistant cashier, and Henry Boss and Miss Steck, bookkeepers.