Out of the past 2/22/06

25 years ago: Feb. 22, 1981

A renovation program is underway at Fountain Plaza, Broadway and Fountain Street, in Cape Girardeau; five new two-bedroom apartments are being prepared in the building by its owner, the Burton J. Gerhardt Contracting Corp.; the five- and three-story segments of the structure are being remodeled to some extent.

OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Olive Branch voters Tuesday will decide whether to incorporate, an idea that has been talked about for 30 years; this is the first time the issue has reached a vote.

50 years ago: Feb. 22, 1956

A new, 115,000-volt electric line connecting Cape Girardeau to the H.B. Newman plant of Missouri Utilities Co. at Oran, Mo., and through it to power lines near Dexter, Mo., brings to Cape Girardeau a new source of electric energy that will meet all of its present or future needs; the line was energized yesterday from the company's Viaduct substation near Highway 61 at the old Highway 74 intersection.

Porcelain signs in attractive aluminum brackets to mark 26 Cape Girardeau street intersections have been received by the department of public works and will be erected soon; the signs carry a written guarantee against maintenance or refinishing for a period of 15 years.

75 years ago: Feb. 22, 1931

Dr. Ivan Lee Holt, pastor of St. John's Methodist Church in St. Louis and former pastor of Centenary Methodist Church of Cape Girardeau, preaches in the evening before a large crowd at Centenary; Holt enumerates reasons for optimism and points out sources of potential trouble in the world.

Dedication services for the First Church of Fundamentals are held at the Elks Building, 111 Themis St., in Cape Girardeau, three floors of which were recently leased by the congregation as church and Bible institute quarters; the Rev. Mark Salmon of Paris, Ky., preaches at all three services during the day.

100 years ago: Feb. 22, 1906

One of the busiest places in this county these days is at the J.M. Fullerton poultry farm just west of Cape Girardeau; these beautiful, warm days have inspired the hens to get busy, and yesterday 320 eggs were collected; the farm has eight incubators, which contain 2,400 eggs; next Sunday will be the first hatching days, and 400 chicks are expected.

Washington's birthday is observed generally in Cape Girardeau; the schools, public offices and banks are closed, and flags are flying from all quarters.

-- Sharon K. Sanders