Out of the past 8/22/06

25 years ago: Aug. 22, 1981

Cape Girardeau County will contain two state legislative districts wholly within its boundaries under a redistricting plan approved this week by a special bi-partisan commission; the district now represented by Rep. Jerry Ford will remain completely within the city of Cape Girardeau, but will be smaller geographically.

New Student Week begins at Southeast Missouri State University to welcome back students; classes will begin Monday.

50 years ago: Aug. 22, 1956

The tremendous amount of work that went into writing the sesquicentennial book, "Cape Girardeau, Biography of a City," is a display in a window at The Missourian; it shows the seven stages of preparation by authors F.E. Snider and E.A. Collins in writing the history of the city.

Mike Shaltupsky has purchased the Dempsey home at 406 Themis St. from Magnus Dempsey, the last member of the pioneer family, who now spends most of his time in St. Petersburg, Fla.; the dwelling, located beside Christ Episcopal Church, is between 75 and 100 years old and was the early day home of Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Dempsey and their sons, Graham, Angelo and Magnus, and daughter, Philomena.

75 years ago: Aug. 22, 1931

Plans looking to the construction of a permanent home in Cape Girardeau for the Salvation Army were launched at a special meeting yesterday of the advisory board of the local post; a committee will be appointed by chairman A.C. Nielsen of the board to investigate a location for the new building and make an effort to purchase a site.

W.D. Black, former hotel operator and current Cape Girardeau city health officer, will assume management of the Rose Cliff Hotel at Van Buren, Mo., Sept. 1; he had been owner and operator of the Idan-Ha Hotel here for several years.

100 years ago: Aug. 22, 1906

The Morrison Ice and Cold Storage Co. has ceased to exist and in its stead the Morrison Ice and Fuel Co. steps in; F.W. Morrison, who has always been the manager, now owns the entire plant; he plans to drop the cold-storage business and will enter the wholesale and retail ice and fuel business.

A brief session of the federal court is held in the morning at the courthouse; the session is held for the purpose of having 40 men from the judicial district chosen; from these the petit jury will be drawn to try the famous peonage case involving several Sikeston, Mo., men.

-- Sharon K. Sanders