Out of the past 10/17/09

25 years ago: Oct. 17, 1984

A family of five was injured late yesterday afternoon, when an unusual autumn tornado whipped through an area near Duck Creek in Stoddard County; Dewey Thomas, his wife, Linda, and their three daughters were hurt when a tornado damaged their home in the back of a store Dewey operates near the boarder of Stoddard and Bollinger counties.

The Cape Girardeau City Council approves resolutions entering into a contract with the Federal Aviation Administration and Barton Air Traffic Control, Inc., of Murfeesboro, Tenn., for the latter to operate the control tower at the municipal airport.

50 years ago: Oct. 17, 1959

Necessary work in what is to be the courtroom is completed, and work is now being done on the desk sergeant's quarters at the new police headquarters at Sprigg and Independence streets, formerly Grace Methodist Church; while part of the cell blocks have been removed at the present headquarters, no work has been done on the erection of the cell blocks at the new station.

Immediate plans for a fund-raising program for development of an industrial park were canceled yesterday by the board of directors of the Chamber of Commerce after a ruling from the secretary of state's office which affected the projected sale of stock; the sale of $200,000 in stock would have provided funds for land acquisition and development.

75 years ago: Oct. 17, 1934

Robert Burette Oliver, former state senator and for 57 years a prominent attorney in Cape Girardeau County and Southeast Missouri, died at his home at 740 North St., last night; he would have been 85 years old next January.

Although the necessary amount of money hasn't been raised, Missouri's Golden Troopers, the American Legion drum and bugle corps, are making preparations to leave Cape Girardeau at midnight Saturday for Miami, Fla., in quest of the national drum and bugle corps championship.

100 years ago: Oct. 17, 1909

The little German village of New Hamburg in Scott County had a disastrous fire last night, which nearly swept it out of existence; John Stike's saloon and house, a store, and five residences burned to the ground; the fire is said to have started in the rear of the saloon.

August Vogelsang, who has the contract to build coal chutes at Perryville, Mo., for the Cape Girardeau & Chester Railroad, spends the day at home in Cape Girardeau.

-- Sharon K. Sanders