Out of the past 12/29/11

25 years ago: Dec. 29, 1986

For the third straight year, Cape Girardeau city officials have applied for federal Land and Water Conservation Fund money for construction of multiuse courts at Cherokee and Shawnee parks.

Fire early in the morning destroys a building that housed a hot water boiler on the old Houck estate on Bloomfield Road, west of Cape Girardeau; Gordonville Fire Department firefighters are able to prevent the flames from spreading to the nearby three-story, 14-room Victorian mansion.

50 years ago: Dec. 29, 1961

Five small children and their older sister walked to safety from a house at 20 S. Hanover St. yesterday afternoon, an hour before another blaze threatened the new sanctuary under construction at Grace Methodist Church; firemen fought the Hanover blaze in subfreezing temperatures, then gathered hoses and sped to the church, where rock wool insulation lining heating pipes had ignited.

Tom F. Baker, buyer in a million-dollar transaction of nearly 3,000 acres of the McMullin Estate in Scott County, says the new holdings will become part of the Trailback Plantation.

75 years ago: Dec. 29, 1936

The Fornfelt City Council last night awarded a contract to Charles Miller of Illmo for construction of a town water distribution system and to E.M. Gould of Cape Girardeau for digging a deep well in connection with the waterworks project.

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The Midwest Peace Officers' Association is revived here under the new name of Southeast Missouri Peace Officers' Association; Sgt. R.R. Reed of the state highway patrol is named president of the group, with Sheriff-elect Wade Anderson of Scott County appointed secretary.

100 years ago: Dec. 29, 1911

The Roberts Johnson & Rand Shoe Co., with a plant in Cape Girardeau, yesterday merged with the Peters Shoe Co. to form International Shoe Co., a $25 million corporation; Jackson Johnson, former president of Roberts, Johnson & Rand, was elected president of the new corporation.

The Cape Girardeau School Board has chosen Irma Pemberton to fill the vacancy in the sixth grade at Lorimier School caused by the resignation of Miss Medley, "promoted to matrimony."

-- Sharon K. Sanders