Out of the past 2/22/08

25 years ago: Feb. 22, 1983

Klaus Park, just west of Interstate 55 between Cape Girardeau and Jackson, could be the site of a state mental health hospital under a proposal being developed by the cities of Cape Girardeau and Jackson and the county court; the proposal would involve relocating the state mental health facility in Farmington, Mo., here.

Although the calendar still reads February, the Cape Girardeau area is enjoying springlike weather; flowers are blooming, farmers are plowing, and children are outdoors playing baseball and soccer.

50 years ago: Feb. 22, 1958

Preceded by the disappearance of ice in the Mississippi River upstream from Cape Girardeau, the gorges in the river downstream are breaking up; unless much colder weather comes, normal shipping will soon resume.

Skating on the Capaha Park Lagoon is stopped in the morning, as the thinning ice is deemed unsafe; skating sports had gone on for more than a week, the longest period of lagoon skating for several years.

75 years ago: Feb. 22, 1933

A six-story office building for the exclusive use of the professional men of the city is proposed for Cape Girardeau by the Gilsonite Contracting Co., of Dallas; the structure would cost about $250,000 and would be financed entirely by the Texas firm; options have been taken on six Broadway sites.

The Salvation Army is planning to operate a cannery at its barracks at 525 Good Hope St.; it will can and store vegetables and fruit for distribution to the needy of the city next winter.

100 years ago: Feb. 22, 1908

Tremendous surprise resulted in yesterday's suspension of two Cape Girardeau city officials; while the city had been prepared by the mayor to expect the worse, the surprise when the worst happened was genuine; it had been hoped that the apparent shortages in the collector's office and the irregularities in the clerk's office would be explained away satisfactorily.

William Schatz, one of the oldest residents of Cape Girardeau, died last evening at his home on South Sprigg Street, opposite St. Mary's Church; Schatz, 84, had lived here 52 years, coming to Cape Girardeau from Germany.

-- Sharon K. Sanders