LOOKING BACK AT JACKSON

25 years ago: 1973

Sherri Sue Ulrich, Miss Gordonville, was selected 1973 Jackson Homecomers Queen Wednesday night from among 10 candidates representing area towns; she is daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Ulrich of Gordonville and graduated from Jackson High School in May.

Office of Emergency Preparedness has approved two applications for funds that will help relieve Cape Girardeau County expenses resulting from record-setting Mississippi River flood of this spring and flash flooding that occurred over Memorial Day weekend; one grant is in amount of $8,091 to reimburse expenses incurred during river flood and other is in amount of $6,050 to help bear costs of expenses resulting from flash flooding.

Cape Girardeau County's total 1973 assessment should be about $128,406,829, increase of $6,743,720 over last year; Board of Appeals, which convened Monday, concluded its business at noon Thursday, hearing appeals of dozen individuals or businesses and adding about 45 personal property assessments, mostly for automobiles, that had been previously missed by assessor's office.

Jackson High School will have cheerleaders this year; varsity squad consists of seven girls with Cheryl Carlton, captain, and Wilma Kirn, co-captain, and five junior varsity cheerleaders have Lisa Brockett as captain and Sue Jaeger as co-captain.

Cape Girardeau County Court set 1973 tax levy at 98 cents per $100 assessed valuation, same as for 1972.

50 years ago: 1948

Judge Fred Clippard has sent his resignation to Gov. F.C. Donnelly, asking to be relieved of duties as presiding judge of Cape Girardeau County Court; Clippard's reason for resignation was ill health; he has been on court 10 years, four years as judge from District 2 and six years as presiding judge.

County Court fixed county tax rate on Monday; county revenue rate was increased from 43 to 45 cents on $100 valuation; special road and bridge remains same at 35 cents, and people of Byrd Township will pay additional 15 cents voted upon at special election July 15; W.P. Caruthers, county treasurer, was authorized to cash U.S. Treasury bonds for purpose of distributing capital school fund of county, following election Aug. 3 when voters balloted in favor of distribution.

Mr. and Mrs. Harold Englehart of Quincy, Ill., are preparing to move to Jackson; Englehart has purchased Leimer Implement Co., from Charles Leimer; he is former employee of International Harvester Co.

Judge L.D. Joslyn of Charleston, judge of Circuit Court, presided in Jackson Wednesday morning for first time; first business was introduction of Mrs. William C. Hines, new enrollee of Cape Girardeau County bar, by Rush H. Limbaugh; she is new member of Limbaugh & Limbaugh law firm; Joslyn is serving by appointment, following resignation of Judge J.C. McDowell.

Honoring Tech. Bill Wessell, flag in courthouse lawn stood at half staff Wednesday; funeral service was held at Cracraft-Miller Funeral Home and burial was in Russell Heights Cemetery, with Veterans of Foreign Wars in charge of military rites at grave; Wessell was killed on Luzon, Jan. 9, 1945, while serving with Signal Corps; he was son of Mr. and Mrs. William C. Wessell.

Miniature golf course will be opened Friday evening on Highway 61, near Cities Service Station, by Kenneth Kasten and Arlen Kuehnert of Cape Girardeau.

75 years ago: 1923

Gasoline is selling at local filling station at 17 cents per gallon; while users of gas enjoy reduction in price, majority seem to think that they will have to pay for their fun when "price war" is over; dealers say overproduction of gas brought on lower prices.

Home of Mary Graef in northeastern part of city was struck by lightning Friday and was set on fire during severe wind and electrical storm; but neighbors were able to extinguish blaze before it gained much headway; occupants of house were uninjured.

Cleveland Henson, farmer, about 35 years old, was fatally injured last Friday when he stood near stump in which was being exploded charge of dynamite; Henson, who lived near Patton, was employed as worker in construction of state highway; high explosives were being used in removal of stumps and boulders on right-of-way, and Henson, trying to avoid one explosion, ran into another.

Three men from True Organ Co. in St. Louis were in Jackson Saturday to overhaul and tune pipe organs in St. Paul Lutheran Church and McKendree M.E. Church.

Work of laying foundation for new Baptist church in Jackson began Monday; judging from trenches holding concrete, building is going to be spacious.

Razing of remains of Masonic building at corner of South High and First South Streets was begun Wednesday morning; structure, erected in year 1879, was wrecked by cyclone that passed through Jackson March 11; much speculation as to what is contained in cornerstone is heard on streets.