Growth tracks

It must have seemed like Cape Girardeau's population doubled overnight to the city's long-standing residents.

For 100 years, the riverside town grew at a rather lackadaisical pace. The 1,205 residents who were here in 1803 for the first census had grown to 4,815 by 1890, an average of just 41 additional people per year.

But something happened between 1900 and 1910 that greatly accelerated the growth of Cape Girardeau. It started with Louis Houck and his railroad.

Houck was a lawyer, historian, author and--most important in the growth of Cape Girardeau--a railroad builder.

He was responsible for running the first rail line from Delta to Cape Girardeau in 1880. The city's railroad system grew after that, but it wasn't until the railroad connected with St. Louis that new residents began flooding Cape Girardeau.

Between 1900 and 1910, the city's population jumped from 4,815 people to 8,475, averaging 366 new residents per year. Ten years later, it was up to 10,252 people, and by 1940, the city had grown to just under 20,000.

During that time, the landscape of Cape Girardeau changed to accommodate the average 500 new residents joining the city each year.

Paved streets, 24-hour electric service and the first Mississippi River bridge all arrived in Cape Girardeau during the early 1900s. A chamber of commerce, public library and teacher's college were also established in those years.

"The biggest change was the shift from people living mostly in the county to Cape city and Jackson," said Bill Eddleman, president of the Cape Girardeau County Genealogical Society, "and occupations shifting from agricultural to service-oriented, town jobs."

The census itself underwent changes during those decades as well. The first census taken in Cape Girardeau County included only the male head of household's name, but listed the ages and sex of other members of the household, as well as the age and sex of slaves.

The early census reports also included agricultural data, such as how much wheat or corn a family produced or how many cows they owned in a particular year.

Later census reports named all members of a household and included information such as reading/writing ability, birthplace and occupation. There were even questions about radio ownership.

The population explosion in Cape Girardeau continued through the 1970s. In 1973, city officials predicted that Cape Girardeau's population would reach 53,000 by 1990.

Instead, the number of residents within the city limits became stagnant. There was growth, however, in the business segment. The city expanded to the west with a new mall, Wal-Mart and developments along Siemers Drive.

"There are people who get very concerned, saying the population in the city has not grown in 20 years," said John Mehner, president of the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce. "I think that's way too narrow a focus."

Mehner said areas around Cape Girardeau, such as Scott City, Cape Girardeau County and Jackson, have grown, and residents of those areas work and shop in the city.

The 2000 census reported a population of 35,349 for Cape Girardeau, an increase from the 34,167 people counted in 1990. Cape Girardeau County showed an increase to 68,693 from 61,379. Jackson increased from 9,261 in 1990 to 11,947 in 2000. Scott City also grew, from 3,646 people in 1990 to 4,591 people in 2000.

"Look at the population growth in Cape County. It's not explosive, but it's very steady and continuous," Mehner said. "What that tells me is we're still the regional job center, retail center, educational center."

cclark@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 128