Out of the past 12/11/11

25 years ago: Dec. 11, 1986

Members of the Cape Girardeau City Council and Jackson Board of Aldermen appear to be generally favorable toward the idea of constructing a 1,250-acre recreational lake in the county and would likely agree to participate in funding for a detailed feasibility study of the project.

Two Southeast Missouri State University students are arrested for allegedly cutting down a 15-foot-tall Colorado blue spruce tree from a yard at 1410 Price St. and using it as their dorm Christmas tree; the tree is valued at $500.

50 years ago: Dec. 11, 1961

Many acres in the Love Joy Holler area in the uppermost part of the northeast corner of Cape Girardeau County, lying near the river and Apple Creek, has been purchased by Joseph J. Russell of Cape Girardeau from Otis E. Brown.

Carl Ritter, State College Little All-America basketball guard and all-time high scorer for the school and the MIAA, is ineligible to play for the Indians because of grades.

75 years ago: Dec. 11, 1936

American Legion national commander Harry W. Comery is Cape Girardeau's guest, coming here from St. Louis early in the day to deliver four addresses; he speaks to the student body at State College in the morning and gives a talk to members of the city's three service clubs at a noon luncheon; he addresses Legionnaires at dinner, and in the evening speaks to the general public at Houck Field House.

R.E. Stewart, for eight years a special agent for the Frisco Railroad at Chaffee, Mo., and working in this district, is to be transferred to Memphis, Tenn., where he will have charge of a larger Frisco agents' office.

100 years ago: Dec. 11, 1911

Although the white ways along Main Street, Broadway and Haarig haven't yet been started, Cape Girardeau has a white way in operation; down along the riverfront, contractor C.C. Hawley has had lights strung to expedite the work of building the new sea walls and doing other levee improvements.

This afternoon Frank Masterson, A.W. Robertson, J.C. Buerkle and Hugo Pfeister leave for the tall timber about Talapoosa, Mo., after more big game; Buerkle declares he is prepared for any old bear that shows his head above water.

-- Sharon K. Sanders