Out of the past 7/21/06

25 years ago: July 21, 1981

Lt. Robert F. Ross, a 20-year veteran of the Cape Girardeau Police Department, is Cape Girardeau's newly named community relations and crime prevention officer; naming of a full-time crime prevention officer was one of the suggestions made by the Public Administration Service, the firm which spent several months studying the department upon the request of the city council.

A former Cape Girardeau woman has been identified as one of the 111 people killed in the collapse of two skywalks in the Hyatt Regency Hotel at Kansas City, Mo., Friday night; the body of Charlotte McDowell, 37, of Kansas City will be brought to Cape Girardeau for burial; she is the daughter of L.W. McDowell of Cape Girardeau and Georgia McDowell of Tulsa, Okla.

50 years ago: July 21, 1956

Two bus loads of baseball fans will go to St. Louis tomorrow to attend the Cardinals-Dodgers doubleheader and advertise Cape Girardeau's Sesquicentennial Celebration.

The Osteopathic Hospital Building Campaign moves into its final week with the $200,000 goal within reach; the latest official tabulation of pledges and contributions is made in the morning with a total of $190,756 recorded.

75 years ago: July 21, 1931

Rain varying in intensity, but worth thousands of dollars to growing crops, fell generally in Southeast Missouri Monday and during the night, definitely breaking a dry spell which had gripped the district for several weeks.

A new transcontinental highway, running diagonally from southeast to northwest across the United States and crossing the Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau, has been proposed; various organizations are actively backing the movement to map out and secure federal aid for this route.

100 years ago: July 21, 1906

Quite a big crowd attends the public sale at Frank McDonald's farm, north of Cape Girardeau; most everything brings a high price, especially the livestock; McDonald will discontinue farming.

Today sees practically the finish of Camp DeArmond south of Cape Girardeau, where a good part of the brigade of the National Guard of Missouri was encamped during the week; Battery B left the camp last night to return home; Battery A is preparing to depart, having sent the heavy cannon and caissons to the wharf, where they will be loaded on the steamer Memphis tomorrow for their return to St. Louis.

-- Sharon K. Sanders