Out of the past 5/31/05

25 years ago: May 31, 1980

Saying "it is with a great deal of mixed emotion," Cape Girardeau County associate circuit judge Jerry S. Estes of Jackson announces he is resigning to become legal counsel and participate in the management of Cable TV Construction and Hudson Brothers Enterprises of Chanute, Kan., effective July 15.

A charter application for the South East Missouri Bank at 111 S. Broadview St. has been approved by the State Division of Finance; the application was selected over that of the proposed Bank of Cape Girardeau at the corner of Independence Street and Mount Auburn Road.

50 years ago: May 31, 1955

Acting on a request from the director of the Civil Defense agency in Missouri, the county court appoints Kenneth Cruse county Civil Defense director to coordinate defense activities of the entire county; Cruse says he expects to take inventory of all equipment that can be used for rescue operations and to list available housing and feeding space.

John Godwin, one of the operators of Cape Central Airways, is recuperating at his Cape Girardeau home from injuries sustained when his J3 Cub sprayer crashed last week while he was spraying a barley field near St. Charles, Mo.

75 years ago: May 31, 1930

A Waco biplane piloted by R.C. Wood of Ypsilanti, Mich., is forced down at 9 a.m., just southeast of the junction of Highway 61 and West Broadway, when the lower right wing crumbled a moment after the ship had taken off from a field at the side of the road; the plane was brought under control from a height of 700 feet and landed without serious mishap.

According to figures announced by the Literary Digest, in the recent straw poll conducted by that publication Cape Girardeau support prohibition; the vote for enforcement of the dry amendment was 238, for modification 214 and for outright appeal 221.

100 years ago: May 31, 1905

Louis Houck has again made a donation to the Normal School; he has given the school a tract of seven acres of land lying north and adjoining the Normal property; it is Houck's purpose to have the land placed in proper condition for use as an athletic field.

Dr. D.F. Sadler, a recent graduate of the St. Louis dental college, whose home is near Oak Ridge, has leased two rooms in the Houck building and will open a dental parlor.

-- Sharon K. Sanders