Out of the past 4/15/08

25 years ago: April 15, 1983

The Mississippi River begins to lazily recede in the Cape Girardeau area; the river at Cape Girardeau stands at 42.1 feet, a drop from yesterday's crest of 42.2 feet.

A longtime friend of Southeast Missouri Hospital, Robert D. Harrison was honored at the hospital's annual dinner meeting for its association last night, when it was revealed Southeast's new wing will be named for him.

50 years ago: April 15, 1958

Opposition to Cape Girardeau's proposal to annex territory to the west and north of its existing boundaries apparently has collapsed; at yesterday's city council meeting, the city attorney reported the time has expired in which defendants named in a city suit could answer.

A contract for a second section of concrete floodwall, extending 2,350 feet from the present wall terminus, is awarded in St. Louis to George L. Cousins Contracting Co. of St. Louis; the new section of wall will stretch from near the passenger station to a point near the rear of the old mill building.

75 years ago: April 15, 1933

More than 1,400 brightly colored Easter eggs will be waiting for bright eyes to spy them at the community Easter egg hunt at Fairground Park tomorrow afternoon; the hunt is being sponsored by the Girl Scouts and Brownies of Cape Girardeau.

Extensive landscaping is being done at the site of the new water plant at Cape Rock by the Missouri Utilities Co.; manager H.B. Newman plans to make the 13-acre tract on which the plant is located one of the most attractive in the city.

100 years ago: April 15, 1908

George Dillon of the Rum Branch neighborhood dies from injuries received last week while cutting corn stalks with a revolving stalk cutter; when found, Dillon's body was tangled up in the machine.

At Tuesday's city council meeting, city clerk Chris Betten was instructed to re-advertise for bids for street work on several important thoroughfares; bids were asked for last summer, but no contractor wanted the work; Merriwether, Fountain, Frederick, Bellevue, Independence and Good Hope streets are among those which will be graded and macadamized, and curbs and gutters built.

— Sharon K. Sanders