Out of the past 2/8/06

25 years ago: Feb. 8, 1981

Central High School Appreciation Day is observed at First Assembly of God Church; members of Cape Girardeau Central High School Chamber Choir, directed by Judy Williams, are honored guests; recognition is also given to the faculty, staff and administration of Central High.

A fifth candidate, Thomas B. Harte, has filed for a seat on the Cape Girardeau Board of Education; other candidates are Roger Allgood, Dr. C. John Ritter, Robert Skelton and Dr. Erwin Brese.

50 years ago: Feb. 8, 1956

The Missouri attorney general rules that Cape Girardeau County is empowered by state law to vote bonds for a park and has the authority to turn the land over to the state of Missouri for a state park; Prosecuting Attorney Stephen N. Limbaugh asked for the ruling several weeks ago, when those working to obtain a state park for Cape Girardeau County suggested that a bond method of financing the purchase of land would be the most practical.

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- E.H. Smith, 90, who formerly published a weekly newspaper here, dies at Poplar Bluff, Mo.; Smith at one time published the Enterprise at Charleston, and later sold it to Simon Loeb, who combined it with his Courier, also a weekly.

75 years ago: Feb. 8, 1931

The Rev. R.M. Barrett, pastor of the General Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau, preaches at Mount Carmel, Ill.; in his absence, Minnie Cougar, a student at the Teachers College, fills the pulpit at both the morning and evening services.

Breaking a drought of four months' duration, a steady rain sweeps over Southeast Missouri, bringing relief to parched fields, filling watering places for livestock and relieving a situation which in some communities had become serious because of the lack of a proper water supply; a total of 1.72 inches of rain was recorded Friday, Saturday and today in Cape Girardeau.

100 years ago: Feb. 8, 1906

The famous hostelry of Haarig -- the Farmers Home Hotel -- is under new management; A.W. Lauck has sold the property to Lee Dochens, a farmer who lives on Bloomfield Road.

Last evening around 10, the large barn in the rear of Frank Unnerstall's residence, 547 S. Sprigg St., was destroyed by fire; when firemen arrived at the scene, no water could be pumped from the mains because of lack of water pressure; the pumps at the power house were started a half hour afterward, but it was then too late to consider saving anything.

-- Sharon K. Sanders