Out of the past 5/14/10

25 years ago: May 14, 1985

In a case of mistaken identity, an 8-pound shot put was turned in to Cape Girardeau police yesterday; the projectile, found near Lorimier Cemetery, was believed to be a Civil War-era cannonball.

Cape Girardeau County officials are bracing for a lawsuit by the Jackson Exchange Bank and Trust Co. following a meeting Monday in which bank officials protested the county commission's decision to award the county depository bid for July 1985-July 1986 to Cape County Bank.

50 years ago: May 14, 1960

Members of the University of Missouri Board of Curators meet for the first time in Cape Girardeau; sessions, held at the Colonial Restaurant, have the full membership of the board in attendance.

A group of people, apparently a drinking party, did considerable damage to Cape Rock Park Thursday night; a picnic table was pulled from the ground and, after being torn apart, tossed down a hill toward the railroad tracks; the fire pit was also broken up, and a barrel for trash was shot full of holes.

75 years ago: May 14, 1935

Growers estimate Cape Girardeau's strawberry crop probably won't exceed 1,200 crates; virtually all of the season's local supply will be exhausted within another three weeks; the crop this year is barely 25 percent of what it was last year.

Dr. and Mrs. A.J. Rasche expect to let a contract this week for construction of a residence on Cape Rock Drive, a short distance north of U.S. 61, where they have purchased a lot from Mr. and Mrs. B.J. Sands.

100 years ago: May 14, 1910

At last the new Cape Girardeau maps have arrived and are ready for distribution; for many years, the town has been badly in need of a reliable map, but the enormous expense of having one made has kept the city from the undertaking; city engineer C.W. Hawley and civil engineer R.A. Ponder produced a map in 1906, and Hawley lately revised it and had it printed; it sells for $5.

The directors of the Randol School District opened three bids for construction of a new school house yesterday; they let the contract to Antone Strack for $1,500.

-- Sharon K. Sanders