Out of the past: Nov. 3

1999

Demolition plans remain on hold for two of the city’s largest condemned buildings: old Saint Francis Hospital and Marquette Hotel; the city hopes it won’t have to take action on either of the deteriorating structures; the three-story hospital building at Good Hope and Pacific streets has a new owner who plans to tear it down and build an apartment complex; the property is being maintained, and there are no complaints against it; the hotel, in the 300 block of Broadway, is under a purchase agreement contract until late December, and plans call for it to be restored.

Pat Boone, a teen idol from the 1950s and ‘60s and a longtime, outspoken critic of legalized abortion, spoke last night to about 500 people during a benefit dinner for the Vitae Society at the Holiday Inn Convention Center.

1974

Dr. Eugene Lowry, a seminary professor of preaching in Kansas City, is the guest speaker at the morning services at New McKendree United Methodist Church in Jackson; Lowry, an outstanding preacher and musician, not only teaches preaching, but practices his craft as each Sunday morning he fills a pulpit in a Kansas City church; he performs at the piano in the fellowship hall in an informal coffeehouse style gathering in the evening.

The Church of God in Christ at Jackson yesterday broke ground at the corner of South Sprigg and Hackberry streets in Cape Girardeau for a new church; construction will begin later this month, and completion is estimated for the fall of 1975; the Rev. William Futrell, who will be pastor of the new church, turned over the first shovel of dirt.

1949

The coal pinch is on; Cape Girardeau coal dealers have been reduced to doling out coal by the sack full; the strike of miners has reduced supplies in the city to a point even below the wartime squeeze.

Six bands, one following the other will play five hours of uninterrupted music for the annual Parade of Bands tonight at the Arena Building, an event sponsored by the Coffee Drinker Friendship Club to benefit its underprivileged children’s fund; bands scheduled to play for the expected 1,000 music lovers are Champ Gilliland’s Orchestra, Pete Propst and his Streamliners, Martin Johnston’s Orchestra, Herb Suedekum’s Orchestra, Bruce Hampton’s Orchestra and Tiny Hampton and his Westerners.

1924

Cape Girardeau County voters are preparing to go to the polls tomorrow to ballot on national, state and county officers and to accept or reject six amendments to the state constitution and two proposition; mild weather, with fair skies and even temperature, is predicted, indicating ideal conditions for a record turnout of voters.

Dennis Socially, highway engineer doing special work for the State Highway Commission, says he has been advised from headquarters in Jefferson City that in case propose No. 5 is carried Tuesday, the commission will advertise for bids this month for paving with concrete Route 9 from Jackson to Fredericktown, the work to start as early next spring as possible; the proposition places a tax of 2 cents a gallon on gasoline used in automobiles and increases slightly the state license fees; it is estimated that if passed, the state will spend more than a million and half dollars in Cape Girardeau County paving its roads.

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.