Out of the Past: July 19

1999

A short article that appeared in the Southeast Missourian 29 years ago prompted an investigation by the Environmental Protection Agency last month into whether oil containing PCBs had been spread on gravel streets in South Cape Girardeau; the tests found PCB concentrations of less than 1 part per million in soil in the area, good news considering; the July 10, 1970, article reported the Department of Public Works had spread 1,000 gallons of used transformer oil, donated by Missouri Electric Works, on several streets, including LaCruz Street.

The Cape Girardeau City Council sets in motion an ordinance that will add an additional $291,000 for the Solid Waste Fund for this fiscal year, to be used to update the capabilities of the city’s transfer station; the changes to the transfer station will allow larger trailers, with more capacity to be loaded.

1974

Over 30 officers of the Cape Girardeau Police Department, many with wives and children, attended a two-hour meeting in the municipal courtroom yesterday to discuss wage and working condition proposals with city manger W.G. Lawley; the meeting, considered a personnel matter, was closed to the news media; the proposals were brought directly to the City Council on Wednesday, rather than to the city manager; a smaller group of officers is scheduled to meet again with Lawley on Monday.

The Cape Girardeau County Court yesterday put a damper on the possibility of the community of Oak Ridge disincorporating; two members of the Town Board appeared before the court to find out whether the county would take over street maintenance and lighting expenses; however, the court said it isn’t its policy to take over these expenses, since to do so would mean the county would be obliged to assume responsibility for roads and lights in all out-county subdivisions and settlements, if requested to do so; board member Kenneth McLane said, in view of the court’s decision, the town will not disincorporate.

1949

Yesterday afternoon’s windstorm brought an abrupt adjournment to the Cape Girardeau City Council meeting — no formal motion was made and the session ended in the midst of a discussion about insurance; two commissioners and the city attorney, seeing rain start to fall as the wind blew down a tree in Courthouse Park and smashed a door glass, ran out to close windows of their automobiles; they didn’t reappear and Park and Finance Commissioner Charles Schweer, serving as acting mayor, was left to hold the fort.

The area disaster office of the American Red Cross, which functioned for eight weeks following the May 21 tornado, closes after disbursing $297,054.85 to local residents in emergency and rehabilitation awards; details remaining in connection with assistance to families who received awards will henceforth be handled from the Cape Girardeau County Red Cross headquarters in the Chamber of Commerce building.

1924

Eight additional applications for the superintendency of the Cape Girardeau public schools have been filed with Lee L. Bowman, president of the school board, since the list of 30 applicants was announced a week ago; it is reported, according to Bowman, that several more will apply for the position before Monday night’s board meeting, when steps will be taken for the selection of a successor to John N. Crocker, who resigned recently to take the superintendency of schools at Sedalia.

Cape Girardeau welcomes members of the Southern Illinois Editorial Association, who are making their annual trip on the Mississippi River; a hasty photograph is taken of the members and their families on the wharf, with the new steamer Cape Girardeau as the background, as the first event of the day.

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.