Out of the past: April 2

1990

The options are "open" for the use of a seven-acre tract of land alongside the 700 block of North Main Street in Cape Girardeau, which previously was the site of an 81-year-old, five-story, brick shoe factory; demolition of the plant was delayed last week by rains, but only a couple small sections of walls and the 200-foot chimney remain.

Investigators say an explosion that leveled a rural Cape Girardeau County home Friday wasn't an accident; the blast that destroyed the unoccupied home of Mrs. Paul Rau was caused by vaporized propane gas leaking from a line that had been disconnected from a water boiler.

1965

The city of Cape Girardeau files suit in Common Pleas Court seeking a declaratory judgment on its plan to annex adjacent land and authorization from the court to conduct an election on the issue; the suit is a class action against all residents of the area to be annexed and names nine of them specifically.

Construction begins on a third plant for Atlas Plastics Corp., Cape Girardeau's fastest growing industrial complex; the new production unit will be a masonry structure just west of the No. 2 plant.

1940

Announcement is made of plans for construction of an industrial building on Morgan Oak Street, between Frederick and Middle streets, which will house a bottling operation for the Nehi Bottling Co. of Columbus, Georgia; the building is being erected by James A. Finch, who recently purchased the site from Mrs. C.F. Fluhrer.

RISCO, Mo. -- Petticoat rule, voted in here a year ago, is thrown out, when the men campaign solidly against the all-woman town board and succeed in unseating all five members.

1915

The Republican received an inquiry last night from a resident of Good Hope Street, who wanted to know if there wasn't a law against the expenditure of large sums of money for campaign purposes; the man was astounded with the way some local candidates were spending money on drinks for would-be voters.

Mr. and Mrs. F.F. Goetz receive word from their son, Lt. R.C. Goetz, who is stationed in the Panama Canal Zone; previously, he was stationed at Hawaii, but was sent to Panama with Brig.-Gen. Clarence Edwards, to whom he is aide, de-camp.

-- Sharon K. Sanders