Out of the past 7/28/09

25 years ago: July 28, 1984

The Cape Girardeau City Council last night voted to scrap a proposed site evaluation study for the multipurpose building project and will attempt to hold a closed-door meeting with the Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents next week in an effort to revive the idea of a joint university/city facility.

Brief rain showers, which send workers and visitors scurrying for cover, don't stop about 1,500 senior citizens from throughout Southeast Missouri from being part of the first "Senior Citizens' Fun Fest," held in the afternoon at Trail of Tears State Park.

50 years ago: July 28, 1959

Workers are busy tearing out the south cell block at the city jail at Independence and Frederick streets, preparing to move it to the new police station at Sprigg and Independence streets, site of Grace Methodist Church.

Sheriff John C. Crites has appointed William S. Wickham, formerly of the Cape Girardeau Police Department, as deputy sheriff of Cape Girardeau County; Wickham succeeds James Barks.

75 years ago: July 28, 1934

Cape Girardeau Mayor Edward L. Drum was authorized by the city council yesterday to file on behalf of the city an application with the Public Service Commission for an order authorizing the Cape Girardeau-Jackson Interurban Railway Co. to discontinue its street railway service and dismantle its property in Cape Girardeau.

J.E. Woodson of Cape Girardeau is appointed by the county relief and re-employment committee as superintendent of the government's mattress factory to be established in Cape Girardeau under its work relief program.

100 years ago: July 28, 1909

While 50 or 60 guests unknowingly consume their lunches, Stella Abbott and Alma Callier of the Idan-ha Hotel staff calmly extinguish a blaze in the dining room of that hostelry; the gas burner beneath the huge coffee boiler ignited the wood top of the table which supports the boiler.

An iron gray horse, 18 hands high and weighing a ton, is housed in the Kage livery stable, having been driven here from Thebes, Ill.; he looks like an elephant in size, and a tall man has to look up to see the top of his back.

-- Sharon K. Sanders