Out of the past 7/9/07

25 years ago: July 9, 1982

Drury Construction Co. of Cape Girar­deau has been awarded a contract for construction of a war memorial at the Cape County Farm Park; plans call for construction of a memorial featuring an 80-foot bronze flagpole and installation of a sprinkler system in the planter at the base of the memorial.

U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson of Cape Girar­deau, speaking at the Chamber of Commerce First Friday coffee, takes some verbal shots at the former secretary of state Alexander Haig and also stoutly defends President Ronald Reagan's tax cut.

50 years ago: July 9, 1957

Loss that may run to $50,000 was sustained at midnight, when the combined barn and milkhouse on the William Wessel farm, south of Gordonville, was destroyed by fire; some livestock and grain were also destroyed, but the dwelling and other buildings didn't burn.

The Rev. Ralph C. Fessler of Steeleville, Ill., notifies members of Trinity Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau that he has accepted their call to become pastor of the church.

75 years ago: July 9, 1932

The first two carloads of wheat sold from Ancell this season were marketed by William C. Arnold Thursday and Friday; the wheat was sold to Cape County Milling Co. at Jackson and brought 38 cents per bushel.

Most of the construction work on the building to house the Simpson Oil Co. super service station at U.S. 61 and Broadway has been done by Barber & Hibbs, contractors; the building is two stories high and of frame construction.

100 years ago: July 9, 1907

The drawing for town lots was held yesterday to raise money for the building of the Cape Girardeau shoe factory; a large number of subscribers were present to learn how their luck would serve them when it came to getting a return for a $300 investment; the lots are laid out in two sections: The Robertson & Gail Addition and the Red Star Addition.

A Cape Girardeau committee persuades members of the county court to appropriate $1,500 to build a much-needed bridge over Sloans Creek; the court stipulates, however, that the Cape Girardeau City Council must match that amount in order to get the county funds.

-- Sharon K. Sanders