Out of the past 10/24/11

25 years ago: Oct. 24, 1986

ALTENBURG, Mo. -- The Oldtimers Agricultural Museum, established here in 1978, is moving, but not to Cape Girardeau as had been announced; instead, it will relocate to a 56-acre tract at the Biehle, Mo., exit.

The Family Learning Center, 605 Broadway, is looking for a new home and hopes to find a facility before the first of the year; the owner of the building that the center leases is putting it on the market, and the center cannot afford to buy it.

50 years ago: Oct. 24, 1961

Some of the details of the widening of Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau the state were examined by the city council and five State Highway Department representatives at a conference yesterday; the U.S. 61 improvement project has been moved up and is booked for construction next year; the highway will be rebuilt into a four-lane highway across the city.

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- The first-degree murder trial of Douglas W. Thompson is continued until Dec. 7 after Thompson goes berserk in the Bollinger County circuit courtroom here; the judge declares a mistrial and orders Thompson to prison in Jefferson City, Mo., for psychiatric observation; he is charged with the murder of Cape Girardeau auxiliary policeman Herbert Goss.

75 years ago: Oct. 24, 1936

Although first condemnation suits in connection with the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway projects were filed in federal court here eight years ago, some of the cases are still on the docket; the floodway has been completed, except that the fuse plug sector near the north end hasn't been cut down, as the government plans to do ultimately.

Hillard Brewster, landscape man for the State Highway Commission, is here looking over the highway situation and having his men plant hundreds of jonquils at different places.

100 years ago: Oct. 24, 1911

Theodore Ochs, manager of the Union Lumber Co., leaves in the afternoon for the "lower counties."

Some time ago, Mrs. Louis Houck offered prizes of $10 and $5 in gold for the best and second-best essays written by schoolchildren of Cape Girardeau on Louis Lorimier, the town's founder; first prize has been awarded to Gustave A. Taubert, with second prize going to Ruth Dudley.

-- Sharon K. Sanders