Out of the past: June 14

1992

Riverfest '92 offered a mix of music and fun for crowds Friday and Saturday at Cape Girardeau's 14th annual downtown celebration. Although attendance started out slow Friday and early Saturday, crowds really poured into downtown late yesterday.

The St. Louis-Southwestern "Cotton Belt" Railroad is headed down the track into history. Earlier this year, Southern Pacific Lines announced it was restructuring its operation into a single, 15-state railroad to improve customer service and safety and reduce operating costs; that means the end of the Cotton Belt and the Rio Grande railroads, and will leave the Southern Pacific Railroad as the loan survivor of the trio of historic railroads that once served the West and mid-southern area of the United States.

1967

With help from the Cape Girardeau Jaycees, the municipal airport will be getting a new identification marker. The old TWIKA sign at the airport has been lowered to the ground; it is being cleaned up and made into a new symbol of the airport.

Phillip Kearney has been elected unanimously chairman of the newly-formed Cape Girardeau Park and Recreation Board; he took office last night, along with vice chairman A.C. Brase and secretary James F. Hirsch.

1942

Guest speaker in the morning at Centenary Methodist Church is Dr. H.F. Rall, professor of systemic theology at Garrett School of Religion, Northwestern University, Evanston, Indiana. Rall was a member of the faculty of the pastors' school last week at Fayette, Missouri.

Otto Grueneberg, 91, one of Cape Girardeau's oldest inhabitants, dies in the morning at the home of a daughter-in-law, Mrs. George Grueneberg. Gustav Edward Franz Otto Grueneberg was born June 1, 1851, in Leipzig, Germany, and came to America on a sailing ship when he was 15 years old. He was a plasterer by trade.

1917

Intense interest is attached to the concert to be given this evening by Schuchert's band at the courthouse, because of the fact the bandmaster has received a letter from Brig. Gen. Harvey A. Clark at Nevada, Missouri, notifying him the band has been accepted as the new Sixth Regiment band. Tonight's concert may be the last concert given by Schuchert's musicians this season.

Frisco architect R.C. Stephens leaves in the morning for St. Louis, after conferring two days with local architect W.E. Parlow on the plans for the new passenger depot; Stephens finally worked out the floor plan just as he wished it, and then agreed to leave the details to Parlow, the stipulation being to get the best building possible for $35,000.

-- Sharon K. Sanders