Out of the Past: June 11

1999

The Scott County Commission may propose a capital improvement sales tax to fund a new county jail, courthouse repairs and road and bridge improvements; Presiding Commissioner Martin Priggel says the commission is exploring the idea but isn’t close to making a decision.

A survey conducted by the Smithsonian Institution recognizes the Statue of Liberty at Freedom Corner in Capaha Park as one of 32,000 outdoor sculptures nationwide; Save Outdoor Sculpture has located about 100 of the 200 reduced-scale Statue of Liberty replicas distributed nationally by the Boy Scouts between 1949 and 1951; 223 such statues were placed in Missouri, but Cape Girardeau’s and one in Butler may be in the best shape.

1974

Possible changes in the government and lifestyle of the 348-year-old Congregation of the Mission — the Vincentian Brothers — is being discussed by representatives of the order at a meeting at St. Mary’s Seminary in Perryville; the meeting, expected to last two weeks, opens with 55 delegates and 22 “official observers” in attendance; among the delegates is the Rev. Robert E. Lamy, C.M., president of St. Vincent’s College in Cape Girardeau.

Striking clothing workers at Thorngate, Ltd., plants in Cape Girardeau and Chaffee will most likely be back on the job tomorrow morning because of a tentative agreement reached over the weekend between the Amalgamated Clothing Workers Union and the Clothing Manufacturers Association; meetings are scheduled for this afternoon at both plants to give the 400 workers at Chaffee and the 300 at Cape Girardeau a chance to ratify the contract.

1949

Secretary Rush H. Limbaugh Jr. of the Municipal Airport Board announces the signing of an interim lease with the Department of the Navy for use of a hangar and the link trainer building at the airport by a volunteer naval air squadron from Cape Girardeau and adjacent area; the interim lease will stand until the permanent lease is prepared by the Bureau of Yards and Docks in Washington, D.C.; the Navy will take over the second hangar from the east, now used by Consolidated School of Aviation; in it three link trainers will be installed for instruction work and other alterations made to prepare it for instruction purposes and for storage and maintenance of planes; the link trainer building will be remodeled into office space and for storing records.

Mr. and Mrs. William E. Leming have sold their residence at 300 N. Pacific St., and will move to a home, Windy Hill, on Hitt Road, five miles west of Cape Girardeau; Mr. and Mrs. Leming and their son, Merit, will move in July after their dwelling is remodeled; the Pacific Street property was sold to Mr. and Mrs. Edward Popp of Paducah, Kentucky, formerly of Cape Girardeau.

1924

The Mary and Martha Society, meeting yesterday afternoon at the home of Mrs. Damie Wood, 24 S. Pacific St., pledged $5,000 to the fund being raised for a new First Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau; 17 members were present at the meeting; the pledge will extend over a period of five years.

The Capahas baseball team is back in the field, off to a late start but ready to finish the season; Carl Fitz is handling the business end of the reorganizing work and has been made temporary secretary of the club; the 1924 Caps will be made up of players from this district, most from Cape Girardeau, according to Fitz; he is negotiating with two different property owners with a view of getting a location for a baseball ground; he isn’t positive, however, that grounds will be available for this season, due to the late start.

Southeast Missourian librarian Sharon Sanders compiles the information for the daily Out of the Past column. She also writes a blog called “From the Morgue” that showcases interesting historical stories from the newspaper. Check out her blog at www.semissourian.com/history.