Out of the past: May 7

1999

Business and emergency calls to the Cape Girardeau Police Department were interrupted temporarily yesterday morning after telephone lines were accidentally cut by construction workers; direct communication to the police department was unavailable for nearly two hours after workers installing sewer lines outside the police department cut the underground telephone cable.

Dressed in his stars-and-stripes baseball cap, World War II veteran Herb Nance doesn’t fit the description of a war protester; but he and many other local veterans have no use for the battle in the Balkans; they don’t like President Clinton, and they don’t think the United States should be bombing Yugoslavia; many local vets applaud the action of the national American Legion, which has come out squarely against the war.

1974

Numerous students at Southeast Missouri State University are recipients of academic and service awards at the annual Honors Assembly in Rose Theater in the evening; the bulk of the ceremony recognizes seniors who will graduate with academic honors Sunday; three Cape Girardeau women fill the top three academic ranks: April Ann Story and Elaine Marie and Linda Lee Ohmert, twin sisters who rank second and third respectively.

Florsheim Shoe Co. has initiated preliminary discussions with the Chaffee Chamber of Commerce for plans to construct a new, enlarged factory at the industrial park at the northern boundary of Chaffee on the west side of Highway 77.

1949

Calling attention to beautiful, historic Cape Rock Drive, two light-colored sandstone markers of a permanent type have been placed at Cape Rock Drive and Bend Road, and one where the drive runs into North Kingshighway (Highway 61); they were placed by the Cape Special Road District.

All previous April construction marks in Cape Girardeau’s history were shattered last month when building permits rose to $147,850 and boosted the four-month total for 1949 to $356,400, second highest such period on record; there was another mark of attainment in the April figure; 14 permits for residences were included in the total of 27 permits issued during the month.

1924

Twelve hundred persons in Cape Girardeau, members of the southern and northern branches of the Methodist church, will be affected by the merger of the two, agreed upon at the quadrennial conference of the Methodist church at Springfield, Massachusetts; Centenary Methodist, Maple Avenue and Third Methodist in Red Star are all churches of the south branch, while Grace Methodist is of the northern extraction.

“Highland Place” is the name chosen by the executive board of the hospital committee selected for the new hospital addition in West Cape Girardeau from 269 titles submitted by Girardeans; five persons submitted this name, each winning $10 for the best title: Mrs. Joel T. Nunn, Mrs. H.E. Sproat, C.M. McAnally, L.P Hunze and Mrs. T.W. Roth; the north and south street running through the center of the property from the Jackson Road to Gordonville Road will bear the name “Highland Boulevard”.

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.