Out of the past 9/21/05

25 years ago: Sept. 21, 1980

The annual Vesper service is held at 3 p.m. at the Old Apple Creek Presbyterian Church near Pocahontas, followed by a basket dinner; the historic church was founded in 1821 and is one of the oldest Presbyterian churches west of the Mississippi River.

Beginning Oct. 9 at noon, Old St. Vincent's Church will be open every Thursday for prayers and meditation; restoration work continues on the old church; repairs to the roof are continuing and should be completed in five or six weeks; a beginning has also been made on brick repairs, including the complete restoration of the steeple.

50 years ago: Sept. 21, 1955

A bare sprinkle of rain over the county -- it measured 16/100ths of an inch in Cape Girardeau -- was merely enough to settle the dust yesterday, and although "every little bit helps," county agent A.D. Arnhart says the county is desperately in need of a good, soaking rain; the late summer drought has put a severe cramp in the customary fall planting by farmers.

All but $65 of the $1,453 contributed as a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the slayer of Bonnie Huffman has been returned to donors, says city clerk Verna Lee Landis.

75 years ago: Sept. 21, 1930

Mr. and Mrs. Norman E. Kerth of St. Louis fly to Cape Girardeau in their Travelair biplane and are dinner guests of Mr. and Mrs. James A. Barks, 352 N. Henderson Ave.; slightly over an hour is consumed in the trip; Kerth is auditor for Con P. Curron & Co., a printing firm in St. Louis; he is a brother of Mrs. Barks.

Dr. G.S. Cannon of Fornfelt, Mo., has been president of the Fornfelt school board since the founding of schools there 25 years ago; the school system was organized in 1905, with Cannon, Pearl Daugherty and Henry Schuette making up the first board.

100 years ago: Sept. 21, 1905

The crest of the present river flood hasn't yet reached Cape Girardeau, the latest forecast being that it will come 24 hours later than first predicted; over night there was a constant rise, and the river stage in the morning is 29 feet; water has begun to crawl over the Rock Levee, and the lowlands south of Cape Girardeau are sure to be inundated.

Mrs. W.H. Medley has purchased the property known as the Van Frank place on the southwest corner of Spanish and William streets; the place has more than 100 feet frontage; Medley plans to build a residence on the one of the lots.

-- Sharon K. Sanders