Your photos will make history come alive

More and more people have taken an interest in local history. Much of the current interest is boosted by the personal histories of our families. Genealogy research is at an all-time high.

The surge in genealogy can be attributed to many factors, but surely the use of the Internet as a research tool has to be one of the most important. Access to records ranging from Mormon archives in Salt Lake City to the online database of Ellis Island immigration has made the search for our ancestors easier -- and more fun -- than ever.

Virtually every family has a storehouse of historical treasures. They are the old photographs that accumulate in albums, shoe boxes, envelopes and cigar boxes.

But most of us, if truth be told, are terrible organizers when it comes to photos.

Now there is an opportunity to share those old photos and become a part of Cape Girardeau's history.

The project is a special book of historical photos to be contributed by area residents. The book, to be published by the Southeast Missourian, is called "Cape Girardeau Faces and Places."

The 150 or so pages of this hardbound book will be filled with your photos, the ones that mean the most to you and your family. If you have several photos, please consider contributing all of them. If they aren't used in the book scheduled to ready for delivery by November, they can be saved for later books that are planned to include even more special memories.

To contribute photos and guarantee your place in the city's history, contact Pat Zellmer or Gretchen Griggs at the Southeast Missourian, 335-6611, extension 106, to make arrangements. Photos for the first book to be published will feature events and people from the 1800s to the 1950s. Later books will cover more recent decades.

History is of interest to all of us. Here's your opportunity to be a part of it.