Out of the past 12/5/11

25 years ago: Dec. 5, 1986

A Cape Girardeau businessman is requesting the city council approve the rezoning of property on the southeast corner of Highway 61 and Interstate 55 for development of a motel, restaurant, office building and branch bank; the development is being planned by Victorian Inns Inc. and motel owner Jim Drury.

Officials of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway Co. in Jackson are taking advantage of the end of their first season as a tourist line railroad to perform some needed maintenance and repairs on the railroad's steam locomotive; a 60-ton crane yesterday lifted the 100,000-pound locomotive off its four large driver wheels and placed it on wooden beams so that work could begin.

50 years ago: Dec. 5, 1961

R.E.L. Lamkin Jr. is elected president of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce board of directors; Lamkin is secretary-treasurer of the Buckner-Ragsdale clothing store.

Plans for the conversion of the former W.H. Bartels home, 512 N. Pacific St., into a chapel and recreational area for the Marquette-Newman Center of State College are progressing; formal opening is set for the early part of the new year.

75 years ago: Dec. 5, 1936

A Bible was presented last night to the Rev. Lester Propst, recently ordained Baptist minister, at First Baptist Church; Dr. H.H. McGinty, pastor, represented the congregation in making the presentation; Propst, who has been active in that church, is now pastor of the Burfordville and Marble Hill, Mo., churches.

Real estate of the defunct Miles Packing Co., consisting of the slaughter and packing plant and approximately 20 acres of land on the south side, has been purchased for $3,000 by the Southeast Savings & Loan Association.

100 years ago: Dec. 5, 1911

Theo Busch has been appointed superintendent of the county farm for 1912 at a salary of $500 per annum; the products produced by the farm will be for the use of the superintendent and inmates; Busch is to give bond for the sum of $2,000.

The packet City of Savanna, which operates between St. Louis and Tennessee River points, and which does much business at Cape Girardeau, sinks in 12 feet of water near Elkins Landing, below Commerce, Mo., about 4:30 p.m.

-- Sharon K. Sanders