Out of the past: July 6

1990

Businesses throughout the Cape Girardeau area are reporting a surge in the sale of American flags, as much as one-third over past years; some say the issue of flag-burning has caused an increased awareness of the flag and patriotism.

Faced with scorching temperature, the Salvation Army here has opened its air-condition building at 701 Good Hope St., for those seeking relief from the sweltering heat.

1965

Each Fourth of July in Kaskaskia, Illinois, French descendants gather for the tolling of a bell to commemorate the capture of Fort Kaskaskia by George Rogers Clark; Sunday, Mrs. H.W. Nussbaum and Mrs. Arthur Thilenius of Cape Girardeau were given the honor of ringing the bell 187 times; both women are descendants of Dr. Jean Baptiste LaFont.

The Cape Girardeau Civic Center reopens in its own building at 1232 S. Ranney St.; the center offers a program of arts, crafts and story-telling for children; beginning this week, it will hold a clothing sale each Saturday morning.

1940

H.M. Steele, a state wildlife conservation agent who has been stationed at Piedmont, Missouri, has been transferred to the Cape Girardeau-Perry-Bollinger counties area to succeed R.G. Ranney; he will take up his duties Monday and will reside at Jackson.

This Kassel's Studio photograph from about 1941 shows the intersection of Broadway and Ellis Street. Construction of the building at the left began the first week of July 1940. (Missourian archive)

Work has begun on construction of a building at the southeast corner of the Broadway and Ellis Street, which will house a retail clothing store to be operated by T. Marsh of Greenville, Missouri; A.H. Haas, owner of the site, is erecting the building; a one-story structure with full basement will occupy a portion of the site of the Bartels building, which was destroyed by fire three years ago.

1915

After voting 25 times on a city clerk to succeed Clara Reed, who has been serving since the death of George E. Chappell, the Cape Girardeau City Council last night suspended the balloting until its next meeting; Harry Minton had the greatest strength of any of the 10 candidates, but not enough to win the vote outright; in other business, the council passed an ordinance calling for a special election Aug. 10 to vote on the fairground bond issue of $40,000.

Contractor John Rouse completes the paving on Pacific Street near the Normal School in the afternoon; the paving extends from Independence Street to Normal Avenue.

-- Sharon K. Sanders