Out of the past 1/30/11

25 years ago: Jan. 30, 1986

Power is restored to all Southeast Missouri State University facilities around noon after almost 24 hours of no power for some of the university's buildings; an electrical transmitter line shorted out about 10:30 yesterday morning.

The Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority has begun legal condemnation proceedings aimed at acquiring 94.7 acres of land as part of the proposed Mississippi River industrial port at Grey's Point north of Scott City.

50 years ago: Jan. 30, 1961

Inland waterways traffic between the upper and lower sections of the Mississippi River, with Cairo, Ill., as the dividing point, is halted by an ever-expanding ice gorge that still holds several boats in its grip; 11 boats are docked here with tows; six more are tied up at Cairo; in the middle of the ice, seeking to free themselves or waiting to be freed, are another five vessels.

A 24-acre tract of land, including the old Bollinger Mill at Burfordville, has been given to the Cape Girardeau County Historical Society for use as a park by the owners, Mr. and Mrs. Paul M. Vandivort of Cape Girardeau.

75 years ago: Jan. 30, 1936

Taking a chance, four Cape Girardeau schoolboys -- Martin Dubbs, Louis Dubbs, Hays Spradley and O.E. Owen Jr. -- hiked across the frozen Mississippi River late yesterday; the four were on the ice a little less than 40 minutes; they started at a point near the Leming lumber mill and, after making a loop that extended all the way to the Illinois shore, came back across near the traffic bridge.

LUTESVILLE, Mo. -- Two unmasked men, one of them flourishing an old-style revolver, last night held up and robbed the Rendezvous, a gasoline filling station and roadside establishment on U.S. 61, one mile south of here.

100 years ago: Jan. 30, 1911

The Cape Girardeau & Thebes gasoline packet boat, which has been operated by Richard Carroll, will in the future be operated by Davis Brothers, late of Advance, Mo.; the boat will make two round trips daily between Cape Girardeau and the Thebes bridge.

C.C. Harbison, representing the Webster Society, takes first place honors in the annual oratorical contest held at the Normal School auditorium for his talk titled "The Conflict"; taking second place is Rush H. Limbaugh of the Benton Society.

-- Sharon K. Sanders