Out of the past: Jan. 25

2000

Cape Girardeau County voters will decide April 4 whether to establish countywide planning and zoning; the County Commission voted unanimously yesterday to put the issue on the next ballot culminating three years of work by the county Planning and Zoning Commission to develop a master plan; the county has operated without countywide planning since 1992, when voters rejected a proposal to impose countywide zoning and tossed out planning as well.

The Cape Girardeau Board of Education last night passed a resolution to include a no-tax increase, $18 million bond issue on the April 4 ballot by a roll call vote of 6-0; board member Mark Carver was absent; if approved, the bond issue could raise $28.1 million to fund construction of a high school on land adjacent to the Vocational Career Center under construction west of Kingshighway and Southern Expressway.

1975

A Cape Girardeau businessman has offered to give Cape Girardeau County between five and seven acres of land northwest of the Interstate 55-Highway 61 interchange as a site for a new county jail; County Court Associate Judge J. Ronald Fischer disclosed yesterday that the offer had been made by Charles N. Harris, who agreed that additional adjoining land could be optioned under terms of a donation agreement.

A Circuit Court jury voted unanimously Thursday to clear the City of Cape Girardeau and Cape Central Airways of responsibility for the loss of airplanes and equipment in a hangar fire at the Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport 3 1/2 years ago; owners of two planes and radio equipment stored in the hangar at the lightning-started fire had filed suit against the city and the air company to collect more than $110,000 in damages.

1950

Following a hearing before the City Board of Adjustment yesterday, a building permit was granted L.K. Ellis for a brick structure at the southeast corner of Broadway and Sunset Boulevard, to be used as offices of a doctor; Ellis, the lot owner, lives in Carbondale, Illinois; the building will face on Broadway and will have space for five rooms; cost is estimated at $7,000.

Dr. Richard C. Brown has purchased the equipment and re-established the dental office of the late Dr. J.A. Rapp in the H.-H. Building, Broadway and Fountain Street; a former practicing dentist in St. Louis, Brown will engage in general practice and orthodontic work; Mrs. James E. Morrow, who was dental assistant to Rapp, will continue in the same position in the new practice.

1925

The Rev. Charles H. Swift, pastor of First Christian Church in Cape Girardeau, has received a letter from First Christian Church of St. Louis, asking him to consider taking up the work there, as he has been highly recommended for the place; the church has a membership of 500 and is the mother church of the various Christian churches in St. Louis; however, Swift says he won’t consider the field.

The building committee of First Presbyterian Church in Cape Girardeau has called a meeting of the congregation for Wednesday night to discuss the plans for the proposed new church; the committee viewed the latest plans and sketches Friday night at the home of Dr. and Mrs. D.H. Hope; the congregation plans to build a new church edifice on the present site at Broadway and Lorimier Street.

Southeast Missourian librarian Sharon Sanders compiles the information for the daily Out of the Past column. She also writes a weekend column called “From the Morgue” that showcases interesting historical stories from the newspaper.