Out of the past: July 27

1999

Construction of the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge is finally moving forward, thanks to the dry weather; meanwhile, planned repairs to the asphalt surface of the existing Mississippi River bridge at Cape Girardeau remains in limbo; the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission earlier this month refused to award a repair contract after receiving only one bid, which highway officials deemed too high.

Members of Southeast Missouri State University’s Golden Eagles Marching Band boarded a bus early yesterday at Brandt Music Building to begin a journey that will take them first to London and then to Edinburgh, Scotland; the Golden Eagles will become only the second marching band from the United States to participate in the monthlong series of performances called the Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

1974

Area crops are balanced on the brink of disaster, seared by a blazing sun and parched by almost two rainless months; farm specialists say every day that passes increases the danger to corn, soybeans and pasture crops and spells higher future costs for meat and other products on the grocer’s shelves; Cape Girardeau’s last measurable rainfall was 41 days ago, June 15, when .66 of an inch fell at the airport.

Should the City of Cape Girardeau grant police officers’ proposal that a patrolman’s beginning salary be boosted to $9,600 a year, it would be above a patrolman’s starting pay in six out of eight Missouri cities comparable in size to Cape Girardeau; it would be $2,150 higher than the beginning salary of a teacher with a bachelor of science degree in the Cape Girardeau public school system in the 1974-75 school year; $1,350 more than new instructors with master’s degrees will receive.

1949

An emergency program for combating polio in Cape Girardeau and Southeast Missouri was sewn up at a meeting last night of the executive committee of the Cape County Chapter for Infantile Paralysis, after a wing of Saint Francis Hospital was made available earlier in the day for treatment of polio cases; the ward was readied late yesterday, and early last night two patients were admitted; a request has been sent to the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis for a physiotherapist and an orthopedic physician to come here; the Red Cross was asked to recruit nurses for the new ward.

A movement for a low-cost housing project in Cape Girardeau is resumed, when the City Council appoints a municipal housing board to push the effort; steps toward such a project originated in Cape Girardeau in 1940, but national funds were expended before the local program was underway; then the war came; after the war, a board was again appointed, but no funds were available.

1924

It has been decided by the congregation of Centenary Methodist Church to build an educational building to supplement the work of church; it will be construction on a lot, purchased some time ago, which adjoins the church property on the east; the new structure will contain a number of classrooms, according to preliminary plans, and possibly a combined gymnasium and auditorium, a pastor’s study and a library.

Mrs. C.H. Swift, wife of the pastor of First Christian Church, occupies the pulpit at the morning services at the church; the Rev. Swift is conducting a revival meeting for the Christian congregation at Illmo.

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.