Out of the past: June 3

1999

Cape Girardeau’s two Save-A-Lot stores will consolidate into one store in the former Del Farm National Grocery and Schnucks building at South Sprigg and William streets, giving the city’s Midtown its first grocery in almost two years; Heartland Save-A-Lot stores at 19 N. Spanish St. and near Broadway and Kingshighway, both owned by Maevers Food Inc. of Jackson, will close when the new market opens in mid August.

Wheat, unloaded from railroad cars onto a conveyor belt at Riverport Terminals Inc. at the Southeast Missouri Port yesterday, was then dumped into large hoppers of the company’s grain-bagging plant; those bags were loaded onto a barge for eventual shipment and distribution to Ethiopia under the Food for Peace program; U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson points out the program “helps feed people in other countries, it helps our farmers get rid of their surplus grain, and it provides employment on the local level.”

1974

Cape Girardeau has experienced an increase in population and industrial growth over the years because of its municipal airport, State Sen. Albert M. Spradling Jr., D-Cape Girardeau, said yesterday; speaking at dedication ceremonies for the new traffic control tower at the port, Spradling said the city has grown by 28% in population and almost 33% in industrial expansion, while other parts of Southeast Missouri have declined in both; with an all-weather airport located here, Cape Girardeau “can progress beyond our fondest dreams,” Spradling said.

Work has resumed, because of a local conditional agreement, on the three major Cape Girardeau construction projects that were closed down a month ago as a result of a strike against Associated General Contractors of St. Louis; meanwhile, as the lone local work dispute temporarily ends another begins, this one involving approximately 700 employees of Thorngate Ltd. plants here and at Chaffee, who are affected by the industry-wide strike in the men’s and boys’ clothing field called Saturday by AFL-CIO Amalgamated Clothing Workers Union.

1949

The new beacon installed at Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport is in use; the tall structure was erected under supervision of the Civil Aeronautics Administration near the field tower; it flashes its light every night through the skies as an aid to pilots.

The preliminary steps that may eventually end in the extension of William Street to Kingshighway (Highway 61), providing a straight shot through Cape Girardeau to the river, have been taken by the city with the drawing up of a plat showing the property to be acquired for the development; a boost to the movement has been given by Dr. L.W. Hathaway, owner of the property fronting on the highway, who has delivered a deed to the city allowing 100 feet of right of way through his property for the traffic link; owners of other pieces of property through which the street would pass are being contacted.

1924

Approximately 500 crates of strawberries have been shipped out by the Cape Girardeau Fruit Growers Association since the first of the season, two weeks ago; that number doesn’t include those berries sold on the local market, which has been almost completely supplied by county growers; most of the berries shipped out of the county have gone to the Flat River district, where practically none are grown.

The name “Painter Avenue” will cease to be, and a section of a West End street, known as Painter, will be named Park Avenue, as soon as the Cape Girardeau City Council arranges the details; the change is being made to eliminate a street that has two names — the section south of Broadway being designated as Painter and north of Broadway as Park; the name “Painter” was given the street in honor of a pioneer citizen by that name, who once owned all the territory in that section.

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.