Out of the past 12/16/11

25 years ago: Dec. 16, 1986

The city council, over the objections of Mayor Gene Rhodes, approved a new management policy last night prohibiting council members from representing or negotiating matters with "any other body, group or government department or official" without prior council approval.

A Southeast Missourian-sponsored project of installing reflective markers along the center line of a portion of Route K in Cape Girardeau has been completed; the markers were installed by Park-Mark Inc. of St. Louis between West Street and Silver Springs Road.

50 years ago: Dec. 16, 1961

The new music building on the State College campus was dedicated yesterday evening in a ceremony in Academic Hall auditorium; presiding at the ceremony was professor Frieda V. Rieck.

One hundred and fifty years ago today, the people living in the sparsely populated region along the Mississippi Valley from about Cairo, Ill., to a point west of Memphis, Tenn., began experiencing the mighty New Madrid earthquake; the series of quakes lasted nearly all the winter of 1811-1812.

75 years ago: Dec. 16, 1936

Harry Easley, assistant state administrator of the WPA, announces 4,463 farm workers in Southeast Missouri will be added to the WPA rolls within the next few days; in the state, 15,000 are to get employment.

Efforts are being made to raise a submerged coal barge belonging to the Marquette Cement Mfg. Co., which sank in the Mississippi River near Grand Tower, Ill., Sunday; six car loads of coal are being unloaded preparatory to raising the barge.

100 years ago: Dec. 16, 1911

The county court has decided to help install toilets in the Common Pleas Courthouse in Cape Girardeau; members yesterday ordered that Pape Brothers be instructed to install the toilets in convenient locations.

Albert Hilderman, who has been working in Kansas City for the past few month, returns home to spend the holidays.

-- Sharon K. Sanders