Out of the past 8/22/05

25 years ago: Aug. 22, 1980

The South East Missouri Bank of Cape Girardeau is going ahead with plans for an early December opening; that's the word from John Huston, president of Wood-Huston Bank Corp. of Marshall, Mo., following a State Bank Board decision Thursday, upholding his group's charter application for the proposed new bank.

The Missouri Department of Conservation has approved the purchase of two tracts of land along waterways in Bollinger County, at a cost of $145,000; the state agency is considering buying more tracts in Bollinger, Perry and Madison counties in the near future.

50 years ago: Aug. 22, 1955

An opinion of the old swimming pool in Capaha Park, or perhaps disgruntlement over failure of last week's bond issue to pass, expressed in the forms of sticks, old tree limbs, stones, empty beer cans, paper containers and other trash -- all thrown into the pool or the nearby wading pool -- causes park commissioner J.W. McBride to order an abrupt end to the swimming season.

His resignation in the hands of the governor, effective Sept. 1, Circuit Judge D.W. Gilmore and his wife are preparing to move from Benton, Mo., to Kansas City, Mo., where they have purchased a home.

75 years ago: Aug. 22, 1930

The Harrison Engineering Co., an Iowa firm, submits the low bid for the grading and paving of 16.8 miles of Highway 61 between Benton, Mo., and Sikeston, Mo.; the firm's bid is approximately $336,000.

Construction work on a number of buildings is underway in Cape Girardeau, and indications are a number of other buildings will be started before the winter season halts work; the bulk of the construction activity has been work on the concrete stadium at Houck Field, which is nearing completion after an expenditure of approximately $50,000.

100 years ago: Aug. 22, 1905

An earthquake, the strongest of any occurring within the memory of living residents, visited Cape Girardeau last night around 11; the undulations of the earth were perceptible, and the rattling of walls and windows was plainly heard; floors appeared to be waving, and many say a low rumbling was heard.

Following the visit yesterday of two members of the state board of health, a quarantine is put in place today, with the city's health board supervising the work; two doctors meet the noon trains, demanding that all passengers from the South, where yellow fever is epidemic, show health certificates.

-- Sharon K. Sanders