Out of the past 12/19/09

25 years ago: Dec. 19, 1984

Saint Francis Medical Center plans to move into its new outpatient facility at 24 S. Mount Auburn Rd., on Jan. 2; an open house and dedication ceremony will be held in February.

With a snip of his scissors, Cape Girardeau Mayor Howard C. Took cut the ribbon yesterday to formally open the new solarium area of the Wendy's restaurant; the solarium gives the restaurant more seating space and provides a brighter dining atmosphere.

50 years ago: Dec. 19, 1959

Residents of Ancell and Fornfelt will be polled to determine their wishes on a second special election to seek consolidation of these two Scott County towns; results will be announced at a meeting of the Fornfelt-Ancell Booster Club on Jan. 7.

Sponsored by the Marquette-Newman Club, a near life-size Nativity scene is on display on the southwest corner of the State College campus near the Normal and Henderson intersection; students Terry Begley and Toni Quatmann directed the making of the manger and characters.

75 years ago: Dec. 19, 1934

A light snow, evidently at the edge of a serious wintry storm which zoomed across counties north of Cape Girardeau, gives this district a touch of uncomfortable weather; the snow falls on the heels of rain.

Fire which threatens the main business block in Fornfelt early in the morning destroys a large, two-story building used as a residence by the Tony Drexler family; Cotton Belt Engineer McMullin, handling a switch engine in the railroad yards a short distance away, raises the alarm just after 5 a.m. with sharp blasts of his whistle.

100 years ago: Dec. 19, 1909

Postmaster E.W. Flentge returns to Cape Girardeau from Washington, where he had been for two weeks; E.F. Regenhardt traveled to St. Louis from Washington yesterday and will come home tomorrow; Flentge indicates that Regenhardt will be appointed U.S. Marshall for this district without a doubt.

The ferryboat City of Warsaw, which was carried away by ice Friday night, was found lodged on some rocks just north of Commerce, Mo.; it is in bad shape and there is little hope it can be saved.

-- Sharon K. Sanders