Out of the past 12/21/05

25 years ago: Dec. 21, 1980

The "Singing Christmas Tree," a first for First Assembly of God Church, is held in the sanctuary of the church in the evening; the cast performs a cantata while standing on a platform built in the shape of a Christmas tree; the singers are under the direction of Mrs. Phil Breithaupt.

Several reserve Cape Girardeau police officers report having received harassing phone calls and threats over the past few days; Friday, a burning device containing a flammable liquid was placed in the yard of a reserve officer candidate.

50 years ago: Dec. 21, 1955

The Cape Girardeau post office on Monday handled the greatest volume of mail in its history; the entire Christmas mailing season has been as big or bigger than anything the force here has had to handle.

Plans for Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. to take over a rural telephone in the Uniontown-Biehle-Schnurbusch, Mo., area are made at a meeting of residents at St. Joseph parish hall at Schnurbusch; the Bell line will follow the R.E.A. route, using its poles for part of the distance and erecting its own poles in other sections.

75 years ago: Dec. 21, 1930

Winter drives hard for a new record in Cape Girardeau as it makes its official arrival; the cold season makes an impressive debut by keeping the mercury below the freezing mark the entire day, with 28 being the high point.

A large audience, including many townspeople and others from outside Cape Girardeau in addition to college students, attends the annual Christmas Vesper Service presented in the Teachers College auditorium; Dean R.S. Douglass gives the scripture lesson, telling the Christmas story.

100 years ago: Dec. 21, 1905

The county court, along with the building committee, meets in the afternoon in an attempt to choose between two sets of plans for the new courthouse.

W.J. Winningham and wife are occupying the upper floor and Oscar Reidiker and wife the lower floor of the Freeman residence on Broadway; it is said to be the first attempt of both families at housekeeping.

-- Sharon K. Sanders