Out of the past 4/27/09

25 years ago: April 27, 1984

Cape Girardeau is considering a long-term lease on a new 90-acre landfill site; the site would be along Highway 177 north of the city's existing landfill.

A report by the Office of Civil Rights shows Southeast Missouri State University is on the right track in meeting its targets of boosting black enrollment at the school; the only shortcoming in the report is the university's failure to meet its stated goals for black graduate students.

50 years ago: April 27, 1959

Excavation work begins for the addition to the Cape Girardeau Public Library building; it will be north of the present building in Common Pleas Courthouse Park; Elfrink Construction Co. of Jackson has the general contract for the annex to cost $30,966.

As part of a Cape Girardeau City Council meeting, a hearing is held on an application to rezone an area on U.S. 61 near the south edge of the city; the rezoning for heavy industry is granted; owners of the tracts in question are Simpson Oil Co., Burton J. Gerhardt Contracting Co., and the Missouri Electric Works.

75 years ago: April 27, 1934

Hundreds of high school pupils and visitors are in Cape Girardeau for the opening of the 29th annual Southeast Missouri literary and musical contests at the Teachers College.

Removal of the main office of the Missouri Utilities Co. from St. Louis to Cape Girardeau, in line with a reorganization plan recently adopted by the Community Power & Light Co., is announced; rooms on the second floor of the H.-H. Building have been leased by the company.

100 years ago: April 27, 1909

Christ Episcopal Church will have services Sunday and regularly thereafter; the new rector, the Rev. J.W. Plunkett, will be here then, and members of the parish are making efforts to resurrect interest in the church; the building is being remodeled and put into good shape.

Workers employed in the erection of the new federal building in Cape Girardeau are being delayed in construction work because of a lack of building stone.

-- Sharon K. Sanders