Out of the past: Oct. 19

1998

Officials in Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Cape Girardeau County want to send the state highway department a message; the Cape Girardeau City Council and Jackson Board of Aldermen are expected to pass a joint resolution tonight outlining the key highway projects they want the Missouri Department of Transportation to undertake; the County Commission is also scheduled to vote on the resolution.

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- The Rev. Willis F. "Gus" Darling, C.M., 91 of Perryville died Friday, Oct. 16, at St. Mary's Seminary here; he served on the faculty of St. Vincent's College in Cape Girardeau from 1933 to 1944 and was the founding pastor of Holy Family Church, which served Black Catholics in South Cape Girardeau.

1973

The establishment of a Black cultural center on campus and formation of a committee to study the grievances of Black students has ended picketing and a two-day peaceful demonstration by members of the Association of Black Collegiates at Southeast Missouri State University; the action was taken by the university at a meeting yesterday of the university administrators and representatives of the ABC; a room on the second floor of Kent Library, which until this year was used as the advising center, has been turned over to ABC for use as a Black cultural center and ABC headquarters.

The City of Jackson is interested in trading its recently-acquired land abutting Washington and North High streets for Cape Girardeau County's property containing the county jail; Jackson Mayor Carlton Meyer and city administrator Carl Talley appeared before the County Court yesterday, informing judges the city would consider such a trade on a footage basis; the county then could use the newly-acquired land for construction of a proposed county jail and sheriff's department, Meyer said; the Jackson City Council has come out against the proposed construction of the jail on the courthouse lawn.

1948

As a result of action taken yesterday by the City Council, Cape Girardeau has in force an ordinance regulating installation of electrical wiring of all types and setting up a system of fees to be charged for inspection; in a separate move dovetailing with passage of that ordinance, the council appointed Fire Chief Carl Lewis as inspector to supervise the code.

Southeast Missourian archive

Southeast Missourian archive

With equipment and building representing an investment of $110,000, the new Kroger food store at 724 Broadway holds its official opening; high officials of the company are on hand for the celebration; during the week, the store will be open until 8 each night.

1923

Bloomfield Street, the only paved road leading to the main section of the thickly-populated West End, which was cut by the sewer construction company last February and then again closed to traffic last Saturday when the road was repaved, is open to traffic; taking drastic action in order to relieve a serious situation that had driven West End residents to despair, Commissioner Roy Brissenden "went over the heads" of the other two city commissioners who had failed to act for the relief of residents and opened the street late yesterday afternoon.

SIKESTON, Mo. -- More than 600 Blacks from the South have come to Sikeston within the past four days seeking jobs in the cotton fields near here; along with them have come large renters from Southern farms, who are seeking to rent land in this section to farm next year; they are being forced to leave the South, they say, because the boll weevil is playing havoc with the cotton.

-- Sharon K. Sanders