Out of the past: July 19

1995

The grand opening of Cape Girardeau's Target Discount Store was held yesterday at 202 Siemers Drive; a 10% discount was given to customers upon entering, while the store's deli served food; the 90,000-square-foot store is one of about 700 Target stores nationwide.

Building plans for Notre Dame High School have come to a temporary halt until a site can be selected; the new Catholic high school has been proposed as a 40-acre site near Interstate 55, which would accommodate 500 students; the new school is expected to cost $4.5 million to build and equip.

1970

Terry Hopkins and Bill Jackson may not be the best known fellows around Cape Girardeau, but they're certainly making their presence known around the tri-state swimming scene; for the past few seasons Hopkins and Jackson worked with the Girardeau community swimming team, and this year that work has paid off with a 3-0 record in early meets against such powers as Kennett, Missouri, Carbondale, Illinois, and Murray, Kentucky.

CAIRO, Ill. -- The Midwest leader of the American Nazi Party, Frank Collin, offers his help to citizens of racially and economically troubled Cairo, but there are only a few on hand to hear him; about 30 persons -- mostly police officers and newsmen -- show up at St. Mary's Park to hear Collin speak.

1945

Arthur W. Harrison, 57, president of Harrison Securities and for many years one of Cape Girardeau's outstanding civic leaders, died last evening of a heart attack while attending a dinner meeting with friends at Hotel Marquette; he was the son of Mr. and Mrs. William H. Harrison; besides his wife, the former Marie Patton, he is survived by two sons, a daughter, brother and sister.

Purchase of a 10-room dwelling of Mr. and Mrs. E.L. Markham, 465 N. Pacific St., by the Southeast Missouri Baptist Foundation, is announced by the foundation's dean, the Rev. S.D. Aubuchon; he says the foundation plans to use the Markham dwelling, a brick structure, in the plan for a new building fronting on Normal Avenue.

1920

Cape Girardeau was visited by two severe electrical storms, one Saturday evening and the other Sunday night; there was considerable damage done by both; the home of O.O. Nance, principal of Lincoln School, was struck by lightning and the roof badly torn; probably the greatest loss was to the sand yard of Peter Deimund on the riverfront, a large supply of sand being washed into the river by the flood, entailing a loss of about $300.

Missouri is a century old today, although it wasn't officially ratified as a full commonwealth by the federal government until Aug. 10, 1821, nearly a year after its organization and the adoption of its constitution on July 19, 1820, because of a controversy relating to slavery in Missouri.

-- Sharon K. Sanders