Out of the past 12/5/08

25 years ago: Dec. 5, 1983

The Cape Girardeau Circuit Court has upheld a County Court ruling against the development of a mobile home park in the county; Judge Stanley Grim ruled against the park developed by Donald Kuntze near Klaus Park and Interstate 55.

The pressing operation at the Thorngate Ltd. plant, 1507 Independence St., goes online in a new location on the premises.

50 years ago: Dec. 5, 1958

The Civil Air Patrol was called last night to help with an aerial search for a missing airplane; a local CAP member, Carl Von Kessel, goes to the Farmington, Mo., area in the morning for patrol duty; the missing pilot reportedly stopped at the Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport to buy gasoline.

Carlton J. Lorberg says he is arranging to purchase the half interest held in the estate of his late father, M.G. Lorberg, in the Lorberg Co., which owns and operates the Lorberg Funeral Home and the Lorberg Appliance Co.

75 years ago: Dec. 5, 1933

Evangelist Billy Sunday comes back to Cape Girardeau, where seven years ago he spoke to 325,000 people in a five-week campaign; with him is his wife, known familiarly to thousands as "Ma," and Florence Kinney, the only member of the evangelical staff with Sunday at his first meeting to return; Sunday will open his two-week meeting this evening at the State College auditorium.

The Cape Girardeau School Board has contracted for the purchase of an 80-foot strip of land on the west side of the Washington School property in order to enlarge playground facilities at the north side school.

100 years ago: Dec. 5, 1908

Mrs. Sarah Petermann of Jackson is in Cape Girardeau attending to arrangements in the interior plans and furnishings of the new hotel in the Flentge building at Broadway and Fountain Street; she is known as one of the best hotel managers in the country, having had hotels in Jackson and Austin, Texas.

Real progress can be seen on the construction of the federal building at Broadway and Fountain Street; a heavy cement base has been put down below the floor of the basement, and brick walls are being built up on this base.

-- Sharon K. Sanders