Out of the past 5/19/09

25 years ago: May 19, 1984

Cape Girardeau County's Klaus Park, just southwest of the junction of Interstate 55 and U.S. 61, is being mentioned as a possible site for the Cape Girardeau multipurpose building; County Court Presiding Judge Gene Huckstep said the court would "seriously consider" donating the land if the site were requested.

Cape Girardeau's oldest retail business, Walther's Furniture Co., 502 Broadway, will close its doors shortly; the store has been in operation for 120 years.

50 years ago: May 19, 1959

Mrs. Frederic A. Groves of Cape Girardeau is honored in Pittsburgh by the Sons of the American Revolution in national convention; she receives a special medal, conferred annually by the organization, for her patriotic services and efforts for national defense while president-general of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

LUTESVILLE, Mo. -- The Bollinger County School District fails in a special election to give two-thirds majority of the issuance of $348,000 in bonds; the bonds would have financed the expansion of a school now being built west of Lutesville.

75 years ago: May 19, 1934

A Washington newspaper recently declared that in the event James Farley steps down as chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Julien N. Friant of Cape Girardeau and Washington may be his successor; Friant, a special assistant to Secretary of Agriculture Henry Wallace, is close to Farley.

About 3,000 people attended the annual May Festival and Play Day held yesterday at Fairground Park for the public school children of Cape Girardeau.

100 years ago: May 19, 1909

The first train on the Cape Girardeau, Thebes Bridge and Terminal Railroad for passenger service will leave the C.G. & C. depot at 6:30 a.m. tomorrow and will run to Ancell to connect with the Cotton Belt train for St. Louis.

Frisco Railroad workers are spreading three more carloads of silica ballast around its Cape Girardeau passenger station and the adjoining street; it greatly improves the area and does away with a great deal of mud-wading in rainy weather.

-- Sharon K. Sanders