RIVER CITY REFLECTIONS GIVES INSIGHT INTO CAPE'S HISTORY

River City Reflections, newly published to commemorate the Southeast Missourian's 90th anniversary, is "the People magazine of progress," says Marge Nichols Sullivan, its editor.

The Cape Girardeau area travels through time on the magazine's 76 pages, which include more than 250 photographs, drawings and ads gleaned from the newspaper's archives. Through each succeeding decade since 1904, the pages sketch the imprint on the community of basketball victories and tornadoes, fashion changes and floods, wars and peace.

"We've created a special cheerleading section for the city of Cape Girardeau," Sullivan said. "The city and its people have an amazing history.

River City Reflections "is meant as Cape Girardeau's success story as reflected in the pages of the local newspaper," she added.

Sullivan, who also wrote the copy, reviewed "miles of microfilm" in researching the magazine. She credits the newspaper's librarian and archivist, Sharon Sanders, with much of the digging.

Some of the photographs capture well-known local figures flipping flapjacks at a charity event or dressed up for the Heritage Ball.

"We tried to show them as people rather than the office they held," Sullivan said.

Others, she said, "may have had their picture in the paper only once."

Old-timers can revisit the Moorish-influences of the Alvarado Restaurant. Newcomers can find out why strawberries were once so sweet to Cape Girardeau.

Sullivan, the director of Concord Books, said editing River City Reflections has deepened her esteem for the creativity and gumption shown by the local populace through the 20th century.

"They just kept going and hung on," she said.

River City Reflections can be charged by phone by calling the Southeast Missourian at 335-6611. The magazine is $3 plus $1 for shipping and handling.

The magazine is also available at the Southeast Missourian office, 301 Broadway, or from the following merchants in Cape Girardeau: Rhodes, 1610 N. Kingshighway and 449 S. Kingshighway; Coastal, 1455 N. Kingshighway and 2012 William St.; Winks, 2861 Themis and 2021 Perryville Road; Rhodes Bait & Tackle, 1008 N. Kingshighway; Town House Motel, 505 N. Kingshighway; Books-N-Things, SEMO University campus; Shop N Save, 254 Silver Springs Road; Metro News, 415 Broadway; Dwight's Amoco, 2148 William; Schnucks, 19 S. Kingshighway; Kidds, 1325 Broadway; and Store 24, 341 S. Sprigg St.

In Jackson, River City Reflections is available at the Southeast Missourian office at 104 S. Hope; Winks, 1402 Old Cape Road; and Rhodes, Highway 61.

The magazine also can be found at Rhodes, 2100 Main St., in Scott City, and at the Banner Press, 103 Walnut in Marble Hill.