Out of the past: May 26

1991

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Fire yesterday morning destroyed the Charleston Junior High School; firefighters from Charleston, East Prairie, Bertrand and Sikeston, Missouri, fought the blaze from 10:20 a.m. to 7:45 p.m.; lightning was reported in the area at about the time the fire was discovered.

As Americans this Memorial Day weekend pay tribute to those who died in war, the people of Poznan, Poland, are preparing to dedicate a memorial to nine Americans, five of whom died after their B-17 bomber was hit by gunfire and crashed during a World War II bombing raid; the co-pilot, flight officer Odus C. Litzelfelner Jr., 27, of Jackson was among the dead.

1966

The annual school enumeration, the head count of all school-age children, shows the Cape Girardeau School District has 8,546 residents in the 6-19 age bracket, an increase of 420 over last year; based on the new figures, the population of Cape Girardeau can be estimated to be more than 31,000.

Cape Girardeau County Court awards the bid for construction of an Indian Creek bridge at Leemon to the Rickard Construction Co. of Cape Girardeau; although five construction companies took out specifications, the Rickard firm is the only bidder.

1941

During the first session of the May term of Common Pleas Court, a hearing is conducted in the case of Roy Ernschneider, also known as Roy E. Schneider, who is thought to be dead; his father is petitioning the court to have Ernschneider declared dead; the younger Ernschneider, formerly of Cape Girardeau and a World War naval airplane pilot, hasn't been heard from since February 1934.

Robert R. Spann, 71, a retired streetcar motorman, died at his Cape Girardeau home yesterday; Spann moved to Cape Girardeau in 1917 and two years later began working for Missouri Utilities Co. as a streetcar motorman; Spann pulled the last car to operate here into the car barn when service was suspended Aug. 10, 1934.

1916

Seventy-five Girardeans, including members of the Schuchert Concert Band, leave on the special train in the morning for Poplar Bluff, Missouri, to attend the annual drummers' convention and pull hard to land next year's meeting here.

Eighteen Cape Girardeau Central High School seniors receive their diplomas in the evening during commencement exercises at the school; the commencement address is delivered by Dr. John Withers of Harris Teachers College of St. Louis.

-- Sharon K. Sanders