Out of the past 8/15/06

25 years ago: Aug. 15, 1981

Rodney V. "Rocky" Sickmann, who was among 52 American hostages held in Tehran for 444 days, speaks to Missouri and Arkansas Kiwanis members at the service club's district convention in Cape Girardeau; the Kiwanians who attend the breakfast at which the former Marine speaks pay tribute to him with a standing ovation.

According to a report in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the control tower at the Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport is among 44 to be shut down for three months because of the air traffic controllers' strike; they will be shut down within the next few weeks and employees transferred temporarily to other facilities.

50 years ago: Aug. 15, 1956

Charles N. Harris of the Harris Motor Co. has purchased the office, shop equipment, used cars and inventory of parts owned by Lloyd McDowell and has made an application with the Chrysler Corp. for the Chrysler franchise in Cape Girardeau, formerly held by McDowell.

A comely brunette, Gail Finch, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James A. Finch, 1222 Hillcrest Drive, will reign over Cape Girardeau's Sesquicentennial Celebration next week; she won the queen contest with 2,233,616 votes and was followed by Virginia Giles and Mary Helen Miller.

75 years ago: Aug. 15, 1931

Four car loads of fruit cans, in pint, quart and half-gallon sizes, have been shipped from Cape Girardeau wholesale houses to practically every community in Southeast Missouri, where an effort is being made to take care of the enormous fruit and vegetable crops.

Dr. E.R. Schoen, deputy state health commissioner for Cape Girardeau County, warns school boards in the county that they must take steps to see that the condition of the water supply at the school and sanitary facilities are of the approved standard; the order applies to parochial as well as public schools.

100 years ago: Aug. 15, 1906

L.M. Culler announces he has sold the Riverview Hotel to W.S. Harsha, president of the Valley Trust Co. at Muskogee, Indian Territory; Culler sold the hotel for $75,000 and took in part payment 200 acres of land in Alabama, 120 acres near Muskogee and 40 building lots in that city.

In the morning, the Caldwell Bros. ship the remaining goods of their once popular store to Tiptonville, Tenn., and the big concern is now one of the past in Cape Girardeau; for a number of years, the brothers did a big business here.

-- Sharon K. Sanders