Out of the past 3/22/06

25 years ago: March 22, 1981

A brother-sister team, Chuck and Rhonda Cooper, is conducting an evangelistic weekend at Maple Avenue United Methodist Church in Cape Girardeau; the Coopers are members of a group called "God's Looking Glass," which was begun on the campus of Morehead State University Morehead, Ky., in 1970.

LONGTOWN, Mo. -- The Longtown Grocery and Hardware Co. Store was destroyed by fire last night; fire departments from Longtown and Perryville, Mo., battled the blaze for about three hours; no one was injured in the blaze.

50 years ago: March 22, 1956

Trail of Tears State Park came another step nearer to realization yesterday with announcement that all but four tracts of the 3,000-acre area of scenic beauty have been placed under renewed option and that petitions asking a bond issue will be circulated soon; it is hoped the last four tracts will be placed under option again by the first of next week.

The sound of music and singing fills the air at State College and will again tomorrow as hundreds of students from 49 district high schools participate in the annual Southeast Missouri Competitive Music Festival being held on campus.

75 years ago: March 22, 1931

The Rev. A.H. Beardsley, new rector of Christ Episcopal Church, has moved to Cape Girardeau from Zenia, Ohio, and will assume active charge of the parish next Sunday; the minister has moved with his wife, daughter and two sons to a dwelling at 315 N. Ellis St.

T.E. Statler, general contractor, started work last week on a modern brick bungalow for O.A. Zimmerman on West Broadway, in the Sunset Terrace Addition; it is a one-story, five-room house.

100 years ago: March 22, 1906

According to Edward F. Regenhardt, Cape Girardeau contractor, his big quarrying plant will start operation tomorrow; it has been idle for some time because of the severe weather; the department of stone trimming will begin at once, and in a short time the work in the shaft will resume; Regenhardt plans to start a new shaft just north of the present hole, filling in the old place with the refuse from the new.

A tea is given in the afternoon at the Jefferson School in honor of Ida Woody, the retiring teacher; Woody, who was a very popular teacher among the pupils and her associate pedagogues, resigned her position to accept a more lucrative one in St. Louis County.

-- Sharon K. Sanders