Out of the past: Feb. 19

1992

The doors to the new Wal-Mart Supercenter open to the public in the morning; the 168,000-square-foot retail facility at 3439 William St., features a variety of general merchandise, including a full-line grocery store, a vision center, auto-service center and other departments.

Jefferson Elementary School pupils take a trip to a McDonald's restaurant without leaving school; the restaurant is a miniature version of the famed fast-food enterprise and is constructed out of 6,500 McDonald's straws pasted and pinned in places, plus some coffee stirrers; the builders are Kenneth and Wanda Corse of Cape Girardeau.

1967

The Rev. Ed Beall, pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Farmington, Missouri, and former missionary to South America, is the guest speaker at a congregational dinner in the evening at First Presbyterian Church in Cape Girardeau; the dinner is in observance of the World Mission season and also serves to introduce Dr. and Mrs. Angus N. Gordon to the congregation; Dr. Gordon is serving as interim pastor of the church.

The Rev. Peter Burkhart, missionary to the newly independent South American country of Guyana, is in charge of the morning service at Church of the Nazarene; this is Burkhart's first furlough since being assigned to missionary duty in 1962.

1942

Early history of Cape Girardeau and Missouri is reviewed as a hearing gets underway on the government's condemnation suit of ground in Courthouse Park for a post-office site in Federal Court; the court overrules a motion presented on behalf of Mrs. Iska W. Carmack of Cape Girardeau, who claimed that as direct descendant of city founder Louis Lorimier, she should be given a share of benefits in the event the site is condemned and used for a post-office site.

Residents of the Neelys Landing community have dispatched a petition with 100 signatures protesting action of the Frisco Railroad in eliminating the village as a stopping place for its northbound passenger trains.

1917

Half the 20 shares of stock in the flying school corporation to be formed at Cape Girardeau have been sold, according to A.M. Tinsley, who with Fred A. Groves is promoting the proposition; the shares are selling at $500 apiece.

Albert Lilly, for the past year and more secretary of the Cape Girardeau Fair Association, has sent his resignation in to the officers of the association; ill health is the reason for his action.

-- Sharon K. Sanders