Out of the past: June 15

1999

Old Town Cape, the name selected for the local Main Street program that covers a wide area of downtown Cape Girardeau, has applied for membership in the National Main Street Network and the Missouri Main Street program; OTC is seeking volunteers for the organization.

The Cape Girardeau City Council and Board of Education held a joint meeting yesterday at City Hall and received updates on related projects associated with construction of the new vocational school; the council and board are working to find the best way to integrate the school district’s construction of the vocational school and renovation projects with the city’s road, water and sewer development projects.

1974

It was a smaller and cooler group that met yesterday afternoon at Capaha Park compared to the hurt and confused throng of a day before, there to protest the City Council’s location of four new tennis courts at the bottom of Cherry Hill; the earlier hour of the meeting cut down on attendance, but enabled the citizens’ group and those members of the City Park Board in attendance to come to a quick accord; a proposal by Jerry L. Stone, spokesman for the group, was read, discussed and approved for presentation to the council; it asks that the council reverse its decision to place the new courts at the base of Cherry Hill in what is now the only open space remaining in the park.

A Cape Girardeau physician and surgeon, Dr. Hugh V. Ashley Jr., who held the highest honors in Masonic work and served more than nine years on the Cape Girardeau Board of Education, died of a heart attack last night at his home after a short illness; he was 55 years old.

1949

The Cape Girardeau City Council has approved plans and specifications and estimates of cost for the resurfacing of Sprigg Street, from Broadway to North Street; residents of the two-block stretch had asked that the street, one of several badly worn through many years of heavy traffic, be improved; through an agreement with the Cape Special Road District, half of the total cost will be paid from its funds.

Creeks were kept at bank full levels and farming operations were given a further setback by a 1.20-inch rainfall yesterday and early today, the seventh rain in as many days and the 10th so far in June; the latest rains bring the one-month total to 8.24 inches.

1924

A ground-breaking service is held in the afternoon for the new parochial school to be erected by Trinity Lutheran Church on a lot south of Trinity Hall on Pacific Street; the ceremony follows the annual mission service on the lawn at Trinity Hall; C.J. Reisenbichler, local contractor, will build the school, and it should be ready for occupancy by Sept. 1.

Baptists at Lilbourn believe in the cotton outlook for Southeast Missouri and have planted 12 acres near that town, proceeds from which are to go to the church; it isn’t uncommon to see members of the church, old and young, men and women, sling a hoe over the shoulder and stride into the field to chop weeds for an hour; all of the work on the church’s cotton is being done late in the evenings and in early mornings so as not to interfere with the regular work of members.

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.