Out of the past 4/25/05

25 years ago: April 25, 1980

The state Department of Parks and Historic Preservation has abandoned plans of ever completing the ill-fated John L. Wescoat Marina in Trail of Tears State Park; plans are to move the boat dock facilities to Harry S. Truman State Park near Warsaw, Mo.; the marina has been plagued with problems ever since it was partially completed in 1975, and the parks department saw no end to the problems.

Carl Bernstein, the Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter who is given credit, along with colleague Bob Woodward, for the fall of President Richard Nixon, spoke to a relatively small public gathering last night at Academic Hall.

50 years ago: April 25, 1955

To take care of applications for assistance, the Red Cross establishes disaster relief headquarters for three counties in the Cape Girardeau County Chapter office in the Farmers & Merchants Bank building; Cape Girardeau County bore the brunt of Friday's storm, but damage was also done in Bollinger and Scott counties.

Fire in the basement of the Chamber of Commerce building on Broadway does slight damage, chiefly from smoke; traffic is tied up on Broadway hill, with much fire equipment taken by the department to the building.

75 years ago: April 25, 1930

Hundreds of high school pupils from over Southeast Missouri, accompanied by their teachers, are in Cape Girardeau to participate in the first day of events in the annual literary and track meet for the district; approximately 1,500 pupils are here for the competition.

Census takers are winding up their work in Cape Girardeau, urging anyone who hasn't been counted to submit their names at once; one enumerator says it has been impossible to secure some names and information for the census, because the families couldn't be found at home, either day or night, and as a result they may be left uncounted.

100 years ago: April 25, 1905

W.D. Vandiver, who was recently appointed a state insurance commissioner by the governor, arrives in Cape Girardeau at noon; he comes directly from Jefferson City, Mo., where he has taken up residence.

Mrs. Libby Pannabaker will again be at the helm of the Thebes, Ill., packet boat this summer; she and her husband visit Cape Girardeau with news that the packet will begin running between Cape Girardeau and Illinois next week.

-- Sharon K. Sanders