Out of the past: March 13

1999

Even though the new millennium doesn’t start until 2001, plans are being made to celebrate it on Dec. 31 with a massive New Year’s Eve party at the Show Me Center; making plans for the celebration are Cape Girardeau businesswoman Judy Wilferth and friends; the party, expected to cost more than $100,000, will feature dinner, dancing, musical entertainment from two bands — the Jerry Ford Orchestra, a local swing band, and Atlantic Express, a rock dance band from Kansas City — champaign, party favors, a millennium breakfast and indoor fireworks.

Construction of a clear well and storage tank at the Cape Rock Water Treatment Plant will get underway soon; construction of the 1.75-million-gallon tank and well at a cost of $1.2 million could be finished by May; a groundbreaking for the project was held yesterday.

1974

The Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce may protest proposals to construct superhighways from Kansas City south and southeast because the Cape Girardeau area would be bypassed; for half a century the chamber and other interested groups have promoted construction of a highway linking Southeast and Central Missouri, particularly Cape Girardeau and Jefferson City.

Three Cape Girardeau public schools have reported break-ins within the last four days, city police say, but little was taken; two tape recorders are reported missing from Alma Schrader School; break-ins have occurred at Schrader, Lorimier and Jefferson schools since Sunday.

1949

Due to the illness of the Rev. P.A. Kasey, pastor of Grace Methodist Church, guest speakers fill the pulpit for Sunday services; Professor Lynn H. Harris of State College speaks at the morning service, while the Rev. J.C. Montgomery of Charleston conducts the evening service.

The Rev. and Mrs. C.O. Jefcoat, pastors of Foursquare Church in Cape Girardeau the past eight months, have resigned their charge here and have entered the evangelistic field in the Gulf states; they will hold their first meeting at Donna, Texas; the Rev. E. Arthur Larson of Tacoma, Washington, will succeed them; he will move here with his wife and son in two months; the interim pastor will be Edith Bailey of St. Louis.

1924

Permission has been given the Marquette Cement Mfg. Co. to move the huge, 69-ton jaw crusher across the highway south of Cape Girardeau; the machine is to be installed in the new rock-crushing plant being built by the company on the west side of the highway; in order to move it across the road, permission had to be secured from the highway department; the jaw-crusher is on a platform just west of the railroad tracks, where it was unloaded by the railroad company after several days, during which a Missouri Pacific Railroad wrecker was called in to assist in moving it off the flat car; at 138,000 pound, it is believed to be the heaviest single object ever unloaded from a freight car in Cape Girardeau.

By order of the Cape Girardeau Board of Education, the tax rate for the support of Cape Girardeau public schools during the next year will be 15 cents lower on the $100 valuation than during 1923-24; voters will be asked to approve a tax rate of $1.25 on the $100 valuation, compared to this year’s rate of $1.40.

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 www.semissourian.com/history.