Out of the past 6/19/06

25 years ago: June 19, 1981

Rain -- more than four inches of it in some areas -- deluges Cape Girardeau and parts of Cape Girardeau County, causing creeks to spill over their banks and resulting in flood damage and the closure of some roadways; Cape Girardeau city police monitor Cape LaCroix Creek in the early morning as it spreads beyond its banks, flooding several adjacent streets and highways, notably North Kingshighway near Mount Auburn Road and East Rodney Drive southwest of Arena Park, Independence Street west of Kingshighway and Bloomfield Road.

Despite the heavy rains that caused flooding in parts of Cape Girardeau, officials of the chamber of commerce say Riverfest will go on as scheduled; events begin this afternoon at 5 with a Dixieland band concert.

50 years ago: June 19, 1956

It is announced that P & Q Auto Parts will be opened around July 1 in the building at 700 Broadway, owned by Chris Bauer; the business will be owned and operated by three Fredericktown, Mo., men -- L.D. Mendenhall, L.E. Hollinger and Norman M. Ruh.

An inquiry by a new Cape Girardeau County grand jury into the mysterious death two years ago of Bonnie Huffman has been expanded into an inquiry also of reported "drag racing" by juveniles in Cape Girardeau and the sale of beer to minors.

75 years ago: June 19, 1931

Elmo Lynch, formerly of Cape Girardeau, is resting in Saint Francis Hospital with a broken leg he sustained yesterday when he collided with a teammate while playing a game in the Municipal Baseball League at Perryville, Mo.

A distinguished delegation of Illinois residents -- the Illinois Art Extension Group -- is visiting Cape Girardeau; the group is headed by Dr. Lorado Taft, eminent American sculptor and lecturer.

100 years ago: June 19, 1906

Councilman A.R. Ponder submitted his resignation to the Cape Girardeau City Council last night; the action was made necessary because he has moved from the second ward to the third ward, on West End Boulevard; the matter of holding a special election was considered, and it was left to the mayor to appoint a date.

Mr. and Mrs. E.S. Hoch, who are visiting Cape Girardeau with Mrs. Charles H. McKee and Alice Gorman, will leave in a short time for a trip to Europe; Hoch is connected with the Field Columbian Museum in Chicago, and he travels abroad in its interest.

-- Sharon K. Sanders