Out of the past: Feb. 16

1999

A committee is meeting to determine whether attendance boundaries adopted two years ago for Cape Girardeau elementary schools are still practical; the 12-member Attendance Area Study Committee convened in November 1996 to develop a plan to redraw boundary lines for the district’s six elementary schools; at the same time, the school board approved a master plan for the district; it reduces the number of elementary schools to five by closing Washington and May Greene schools and opening a new elementary school on North Sprigg Street by June 30.

Cleanup of the PCB-contaminated soil at the Missouri Electric Works site could begin next month and be completed by the end of the year, say EPA officials; it will involve excavation of an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 tons of soil at the site of the former motor and transformer repair business at 824 S. Kingshighway and neighboring commercial properties.

1974

Cape Girardeau would use state motor fuel tax funds to finance its share of costs for the proposed improvement of Mount Auburn Road as a 44-foot-wide arterial street from Route K to the south line of Doctor’s Park, says city manager W.G. Lawley; city participation in the proposed improvement was approved at the Feb. 6 City Council meeting.

Construction work has been completed on the Flaming Pit Restaurant, 2121 William St., the addition to the building’s west side bringing the total floor space to about 14,000 square feet; the newly added space of 4,500 square feet provides additional banquet facilities for seating around 400 persons and the addition to the lounge to provide seating for 100 persons; owners of the business are Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Stephens and their son, Michael.

1949

Standing rain water, which deluged East Prairie earlier this week after a torrential rainfall of more than 6 inches, has receded still more, with only scattered low spots over the town being submerged; the heavy rain, which overtaxed the system of drainage ditches serving the farmland in lower Mississippi County, put approximately two-thirds of this town under water Tuesday.

Cab drivers and others searching for specific houses in the Rodney Vista suburb are singing the praises of Cape Girardeau city engineer John R. Walther, who has assigned new street numbers to residences there; he also assigned new designations for Rodney Drive, which circles like a horseshoe through the suburb.

1924

Articles of agreement of the Cape County Mercantile Co., which is making preparations to establish a general mercantile business in the building formerly occupied by the Metropolitan restaurant, at Main Street and Broadway, are filed in the recorder’s office in Jackson; holding shares in the company are brothers G.C. and Robert Harris of Paragould, Arkansas, and F.E. Morrow of Gibson.

The St. Louis and Tennessee River Packet Co. is planning to erect a warehouse at Birds Point on the Mississippi River east of Charleston, in order to establish better freight service between points in Mississippi County and St. Louis and Memphis, Tennessee; it is planned to have the packet line give service via the boats on the river and trucks to operate on the hard-surfaced roads.

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Southeast Missourian librarian Sharon Sanders compiles the information for the daily Out of the Past column. She also writes a blog called “From the Morgue” that showcases interesting historical stories from the newspaper. Check out her blog at semissourian.com/history.