Out of the past 12/30/05

25 years ago: Dec. 30, 1980

Interviews with candidates for the Cape Girardeau city manager's post may begin later this week; city councilmen last week narrowed the field of hopefuls to 11 and from that list selected five to bring to Cape Girardeau to interview between now and Jan. 16.

Site preparations begin at 111 S. Broadview for a temporary facility for Southeast Missouri Bank; a contract will likely be awarded in late February or early March for construction of a permanent facility, says bank president David Barrow.

50 years ago: Dec. 30, 1955

Consideration in the amount of $46,540 has been paid by the North Main Street Levee District to owners of property needed for right of way for construction of a part of the flood project to be erected by the U.S. Corps of Engineers from Sloan's Creek south to the traffic bridge; in addition, easements have been obtained from property owners for a borrow pit from which dirt for the earthen levee will come and also for sewer lines which must be located through private property.

Residents of Cape Girardeau County have paid so far this year in county and state taxes an amount of $1,060,788.50; December has been by far the greatest month for payments, with $648,606.44 being collected during the month.

75 years ago: Dec. 30, 1930

John H. Friant, 73, prominent Cape Girardeau resident, president of the Himmelberger-Harrison Land Investment Co., and for nearly a half-century identified with land development in Southeast Missouri, dies at a local hospital.

Fire destroys the residence, barn and other buildings on the farm of E.W. Mabrey, five miles west of Cape Girardeau on the Gordonville Road, at 2 a.m.; none of the contents of the house or barn are saved, but an automobile and the livestock and some of the poultry are removed.

100 years ago: Dec. 30, 1905

Postmaster E.W. Flentge receives orders from Washington to re-district the city and appoint an additional mail carrier to begin work on Jan. 2; the official order states that mail must be delivered to all patrons in the mail districts who have complied with postal requirements.

Cape Girardeau is to have another daily newspaper; C.D. Tresenriter announces plans to convert The Progress -- a weekly publication -- into a six-day-a-week newspaper; it will be the only morning newspaper in the state south of St. Louis, except Springfield.

-- Sharon K. Sanders