Out of the past 7/5/07

25 years ago: July 5, 1982

As the nation marked its 206th birthday, area residents marked the hottest day of the summer thus far with picnics, dips in swimming pools, ice cream cones and traditional fireworks displays; a fireworks show at the Cape Girardeau Jaycees July 4 Picnic at Arena Park capped the day for more than 2,000 people who crowded the grandstands.

Centerre Bank will reopen its facility at 222 N. Pacific St. in Cape Girardeau on Aug. 16, having closed the branch in 1980.

50 years ago: July 5, 1957

An initial appropriation of $35,000 for Trail of Tears State Park to start clearing work for roads and to build a superintendent's house has been approved by the Missouri State Park Board; a similar appropriation was made for development of the new park at Lake Wappapello.

The Colony Club building on Illinois Highway 3 near the intersection of Highway 146 was damaged last night when lightning twice struck electrical wiring in the structure.

75 years ago: July 5, 1932

Independence Day was fittingly observed in Cape Girardeau with a community picnic at Fairground Park; between 3,000 and 4,000 people spent part of the day there; about $1,062 was raised and will be used as a community fund for local relief this winter.

A Jackson-to-Cape Girardeau foot race, conducted yesterday morning, was won in the fast time of 1 hour and 6 minutes by Clarence Klaproth, Central High School athlete; runners started from the courthouse at Jackson and finished at the south gate of Fairground Park.

100 years ago: July 5, 1907

While for most people in Cape Girardeau, the Fourth was unusually quiet, about 25 people are nursing minor burns from fireworks; many residents picnicked in the woods during the day, and those who stayed in town made things lively by placing explosives on the street car tracks, and the famous "Boar War" at the World's Fair was reproduced in sound in all parts of town.

Mrs. J.B. Game and children arrived yesterday from North Carolina to reside at 1202 Broadway in Cape Girardeau; Dr. Game occupies the chair of Latin and Greek at the Normal School.

-- Sharon K. Sanders