Out of the past: Aug. 7

1995

The Jackson Municipal Band is observing the 75th anniversary of its founding under the name the Jackson Junior Band; the 50-member group will perform a 75th anniversary concert Thursday evening in the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse gazebo under the direction of Nick Leist.

The Cape Girardeau City Council wants state and federal governments to pay the entire cost of a flood buyout; the council says it will seek an estimated $1.64 million in federal and state funds to buy and demolish up to 65 homes in four flood-prone areas of the city.

1970

Willie Weaver of Cape Girardeau and Charlie Morrill of Illmo began demolition of the existing columns in front of Common Pleas Courthouse in August 1970. A number of years ago, the wooden columns were plastered to preserve them. But the wood deteriorated, leaving only the plaster standing. (Southeast Missourian archive)

The large columns on the east portico of Common Pleas Courthouse overlooking Spanish Street are being replaced this week as the finishing touch to a renovation program directed at restoring the exterior of the building to as near its original state as possible; workers started early last fall, but the columns were late in arriving here because of the truckers' strike.

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Mayor Robert H. Capshaw submitted his resignation, effective Oct. 15, to the Chaffee City Council last night; Capshaw said he was "mentally and physically exhausted at listening to petty complaints" and his resignation wasn't over any major issues.

1945

Just one of the new atomic bombs, announced yesterday by President Harry Truman, would wipe Cape Girardeau off the map and kill virtually everyone above ground in the city; Cape Girardeau has a population of about 20,000 and covers an area of about 12 1/2 miles; the world is anxiously awaiting reports of the result of the first atomic bomb dropped on Japan.

The Cape Girardeau City Council took the first steps yesterday to vacate an undeveloped block of North Spanish Street immediately north of Bellevue Street, with property owners having petitioned for the action; the property owners say they want to clean up and improve the property, which is a rocky hillside and unfit for use as a street.

1920

An early morning arrival of a car of coal, anxiously awaited by the Missouri Public Utilities Co. in order to keep its plant in operation here, is greeted with sighs of relief by the manager and other officials; had the coal not arrived, the company was preparing to curtail service here, including street cars, electricity or gas.

With Schuchert's band at their head, employees of International Shoe factory march at noon in a long procession from the steamer Bald Eagle up Broadway and out to Fairground Park, where the crowd of Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Chester, Illinois, shoe workers picnic all day; approximately 100 persons come here from Chester as guests of the Girardeans.

-- Sharon K. Sanders