Out of the past 5/29/03

10 years ago: May 29, 1993

Demolition of structures along new Mississippi River bridge route in South Cape Girardeau could get under way by early- to mid-June; early earthwork for Highway 74 bridge route interchange at Interstate 55 could start in July; bids for both project were opened yesterday.

Cape Girardeau County Commission soon will begin interviewing applicants for the post of county highway engineer and superintendent; for first time, county is seeking someone who has civil engineering degree and professional engineering experience.

25 years ago: May 29, 1978

Memorial Day. Hundreds of people gather in Cape Girardeau and Jackson to pay tribute to nation's war dead; in Cape Girardeau, Joint Veterans Council sponsors annual ceremonies at Memorial Park, with Michael L. Richey, local attorney, giving main address.

First holiday of summer was dampened for area residents Sunday and today, when rain and wind storms swept through area; number of tree limbs and several trees were downed by powerful winds, but there were no reports of damage.

50 years ago: May 29, 1953

Petitions requesting city manager election are filed at city clerk's office by committee of three men representing Citizens Committee for Good Government; men are Gene Huckstep, Garvey Bridgeman and Elmer Shrout.

Embellished resolution commemorating 50th anniversary of his admission to bar was presented to Judge James A. Finch yesterday by his friends and associates in legal profession; presentation was made by Rush H. Limbaugh and Allen L. Oliver at Finch's home; after practicing law in St. Louis, Fornfelt and New Madrid, Finch opened office in Cape Girardeau in 1923.

75 years ago: May 29, 1928

Buyers from four states purchase cattle at first part of dispersal sale of pure-bred Guernseys at Marquette Guernsey Farm on South Sprigg Street road, owned by A.H. Mueller and S.M. Carter; Illinois, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri are represented at sale; W.O. Ragsdale of Cape Girardeau pays top price for animals sold, when he buys bull, Flint Arrow Diplomat, regarded as choice animal of 60 Guernseys on sale, for $310.

Combination storm and sanitary sewer in South Cape Girardeau has been completed, and only few small jobs of cleaning up at sites of some of last construction remain to be done; nearly five miles of sewer piping, ranging from 60-inch at outlet at Mississippi River at College Street to 6-inch pipe, was laid.

-- Sharon K. Sanders