- -30- then and now (8/22/18)2
- Meet Mable at Mable's Cafe in Chaffee (8/20/18)
- Willow Grove Rockets Skate Club (8/15/18)
- Central Municipal Pool built in 1979 (8/13/18)
- Hecht's Store founder returns to Main street (8/8/18)
- Land acquired to build SEMO Port (8/6/18)
- St. Vincent's Seminary ends after 136 years (8/1/18)1
![](https://www.semissourian.com/photos/12/94/50/1294507-B.jpg)
An umbrella shades two women walking west along Broadway at the Middle Street intersection in this 1920s photo. Note the rising hemlines on their dresses. Some of the businesses on the south side of the block, at left, are Auto Tire and Parts Co., Latimer Secretarial School, a cafe, a pool room, Red Hot Coney Island, Square Deal Variety Store, Cape Exchange Bank and Bergmann Grocery.
Across the street are Walther's Furniture Store, Parisian Dry Cleaning and Western Dye Works. Another sign reads Maytag Aluminum Washers.
Auto Tire and Parts celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2009. Its first store opened in Cape Girardeau at Broadway and Spanish Street. The store also carried wagon parts.
As cars became more popular, the store concentrated its efforts more on auto parts rather than tires. By 1929, the store stopped selling tires.
Today Auto Tire and Parts NAPA has more than 40 locations in Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri. -- (from Southeast Missourian, Oct. 6, 2009)
Walther's Furniture Store was established in 1864 at the corner of Broadway and Middle.
In 1916 the original store building was torn down and the present structure erected. The store closed its doors in 1984.
From 1987 to 2002, the old Walther's building housed Cast-A-Ways, a consignment clothing store.
Today the renovated building is home to the new Discovery Playhouse, 502 Broadway.
Respond to this blog
Posting a comment requires a subscription.