Out of the past: July 2

1999

R.L. Persons Construction Co. yesterday began losing $300 a day for missing its Wednesday deadline to complete construction of Blanchard Elementary School; the company must repay the Cape Girardeau School District for each day required for completion of the school under a contract clause regarding liquidated damages; the repayment schedule includes weekends.

A downtown exit off the new Mississippi River bridge figures into planning for Southeast Missouri State University’s River Campus; a preliminary design calls for construction of a new road that would extend north from the bridge highway to Morgan Oak Street; the university wants the road built along the west side of the old St. Vincent’s College property.

1974

Locally assessed property in Cape Girardeau County has increased by more than $9 million in the last year, according to figures released by County Clerk Rusty C. Crites; the largest increases came in the areas of lots on the real estate book and motor vehicles.

Two new academic department heads have been appointed at Southeast Missouri State University; they are Dr. Harold H. Dugger, named head of the department of history, and Dr. Doris Hamer, chosen head of the department of women’s physical education.

1949

Lacking any further word from Jefferson City, the city administration of Cape Girardeau gives up hope that state aid for tornado debris clearance will be forthcoming and places into effect a retrenchment program designed to stretch out the remainder of the $15,000 federal allocation as far as possible; Mayor Walter H. Ford says the city has done everything possible to secure money from the state and will abandon any further efforts; city engineer John R. Walther estimates about $4,000 remains of the federal emergency aid fund.

Before a crowd of around 800 fans, the Capahas opened their home season last night at the newly-lit Capaha Park baseball diamond, dropping a 5-1 game to the Jonesboro, Arkansas, Red Sox; there was no formal ceremony to mark the occasion; those festivities will wait until the steel and concrete stands, now being built, are completed.

1924

Not a single bid is submitted for the Cape Girardeau Northern Railroad, when it is placed on the auction block at the Common Pleas Courthouse at noon, and the sale is ordered adjourned until further court action, looking to a probable lowering of the upset price of $750,000, can be taken; one creditor declares it will be impossible to sell the road at that price, and unless steps are taken to lower this upset price, the road will go on in its present condition; it has been in the hands of a receiver the past 10 years.

John N. Crocker, superintendent of Cape Girardeau’s public schools for 11 years, tenders his resignation to the school board and will accept a similar position with the schools at Sedalia; Crocker left here two days ago to go to New York City to attend Columbia University to complete his work for a master’s degree, but was met in St Louis by the Sedalia men, where the offer of the superintendency was made.

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.