Out of the past 12/2/13

1988

Southeast Missouri State University is studying the idea of developing a "technology park" that would attract new business and industry to the community; the park would be in a 13.5-acre site in the Greater Cape Girardeau Commercial Subdivision off South Kingshighway.

An icy bridge causes four separate accidents involving six different vehicles in the morning on the Missouri side of the Mississippi River bridge in Cape Girardeau; traffic is stopped for nearly an hour on the span, blocking travelers from both Missouri and Illinois.

1963

A forest fire burns about 120 acres in some of Cape Girardeau County's best timberland before it is brought under control in the afternoon; the blaze started late Sunday night north of Old High Hill church and school, north of Neelys Landing.

The section of Kingshighway from north of William Street to Broadway is opened to four-lane traffic; this leaves only the segment between William and the Cape La Croix Creek bridge restricted to two-lane movement.

1938

Joe McElroy, owner of the McElroy Electric Co., recalls that before the construction of the Elks building, which recently burned down, an old frame house stood on the lot; McElroy had his electric shop in one part of the building and the Woody photograph gallery occupied another; the third part was used for housing the black servants of the St. Charles Hotel and for storage purposes.

Mrs. Ollie "Ma" Kopper, whose rooming house and furnishings were lost in the fire in Cape Girardeau on Monday night, has rented a residence at 609 Themis St.; the only roomers she'll have at her new location are the Rev. Gary E. Germann, Herbert Wehmeyer and Victor Koepsell.

1913

The steamer St. Louis passes up the river early in the afternoon with one of the heaviest loads of the season; the boat has on board 4,000 sacks of peanuts shipped from points on the Tennessee River to St. Louis, as well as several thousand sacks of cotton seed, and a lot of livestock and merchandise.

Five freight cars of the Crystal City, Mo., local train are ditched near Neelys Landing, one of the cars tumbling over and falling within a few feet of the river.

-- Sharon K. Sanders