Out of the past 4/14/11

25 years ago: April 14, 1986

Construction work is underway on a 5.3-mile stretch of Highway 177 between Fruitland and the Procter & Gamble Paper Products Co. plant; the project will involve construction of a 24-foot-wide concrete pavement and a new bridge.

Under a recommendation made by the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, promoters who plan events at Arena Park may be sharing their profits with the city of Cape Girardeau when they use the racetrack and grandstand; currently, no fee is charged for their use, but the board will recommend that 10 percent of the gross receipts from the gate and concessions be charged in the future.

50 years ago: April 14, 1961

Plans are in the making for a multimillion-dollar plant of Texas Eastern Transmission Corp. near Cape Girardeau; the corporation, which uses the Big and Little Inch pipelines to transport natural gas and petroleum products to the East, plans to build a plant at Illmo-Scott City.

The Wetterau Grocer Co., with headquarters at Desloge, Mo., has decided to locate its new wholesale plant at Scott City; the Scott City Bank is buying the entire farm of O.S. Cruse of Detroit, and Wetterau will purchase 21.18 acres from the bank.

75 years ago: April 14, 1936

Following in the footsteps of his father, the late Col. H.F. Wickham, young Herbert F. Wickham becomes the new Cape Girardeau police chief.

Before opening federal court here, Judge Charles H. Daues of St. Louis, accompanied by U.S. District Attorney Harry Blanton and Judge Charles B. Davis, also of St. Louis, visits the historic covered bridge and mill at Burfordville; when told that the old span may be abandoned despite efforts to preserve it, Daues remarks, "You ought to get a shotgun to keep them from wrecking it."

100 years ago: April 14, 1911

After little more than a year's use of the federal building, the government has found that it needs repairs and much paint.

Reports are coming in from nearly all directions of cyclones and fierce storms, the closest being in the lead belt district between Festus and Cadet, Mo.; locally, no damage has been reported, although the area received severe rainstorms and wind last night.

-- Sharon K. Sanders