Out of the past 12/31/05

25 years ago: Dec. 31, 1980

The high cost of building and financing a new home had its effects on the home-building industry in Cape Girardeau this year, but 1980 was a good year for commercial and apartment construction; the city issued 289 building permits showing declared construction costs of $22,328,464, up almost $3 million over last year.

Ward 1 Alderman Thomas W. Schulte announces he will be a candidate for mayor of Jackson in the April municipal election.

50 years ago: Dec. 31, 1955

A new house was built in Cape Girardeau every other day in 1955, establishing a record for dollars spent on new homes and boosting total building construction for the year to $2,644,660, the second greatest amount in history; the total value of new houses, as declared by their builders, was $1,954,050.

The Jackson City Council granted 102 building permits for all construction in Jackson during 1955, with an estimated value of $681,535; that number included permits for 59 houses, 20 remodeling jobs, eight garages or carports and 15 commercial buildings.

75 years ago: Dec. 31, 1930

Fifty years ago tonight, Cape Girardeau heard its first blast of a railroad whistle; over a temporary track that was hardly a trail through the wilderness, the first locomotive pulled into a temporary station here shortly after midnight on Dec. 31, 1880; Louis Houck brought the first train to Cape Girardeau, but was greeted by no brass band or welcoming committee; the whole town was asleep and unaware of his achievement.

An effort to secure a minor league baseball club to do its spring training in Cape Girardeau is to be made by William Sullivan, local baseball leader; it will be recalled that recently the St. Joseph Club of the Western Association selected Cairo, Ill., for its spring training headquarters.

100 years ago: Dec. 31, 1905

The closing sermon of the old year is presented at the Evangelical Church on Ellis Street in the morning by the Rev. Johannes C. Jaech; he will also preach at the Evangelical Salem church on rural route No. 2 in the evening.

Now that his little daughter has recovered from the diptheria, the Rev. E.T. Adams returns to the pulpit at the Presbyterian Church.

-- Sharon K. Sanders