Out of the past 1/10/09

25 years ago: Jan. 10, 1984

The Florsheim Shoe Co. donates the old shoe factory at 700 N. Main St. to the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce; the 165,000-square-foot, five-story brick building on six acres was built in 1907; the chamber will study possible uses for the historic structure.

A forecast of showers turned into snow showers for the area last night, depositing an inch of snow in the city and creating some travel problems for early morning motorists; although a number of rural schools cancel classes, the public schools in Cape Girardeau and Jackson are in session as usual.

50 years ago: Jan. 10, 1959

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Mayor C.E. Felker says he will appoint a committee to check over petitions filed with the city council asking an election on the establishment of city manager government in Sikeston; Felker is vocally opposed to that form of government, calling it a "dictatorship."

Ten delegates of the Cape Girardeau County Association for Retarded Children appeared before the County Court at Jackson yesterday to make an appeal for the use of four rooms in the County Farm building to be used as a school for retarded children; the association would raise funds for repairs and remodeling of the building.

75 years ago: Jan. 10, 1934

The R.B. Potashnick Construction Co. of Cape Girardeau has been awarded a contract for construction of 11 1/2 miles of state highways, including drainage and bridge structures, in Leake and Neshoba counties in Mississippi; the contract price is $131,101.98.

Work begins on the building of the Nazarene Church in the 1200 block of Merriwether Street by Boren Bros., local contractors; only the basement part will be built at the present time, but later the main floor will be added.

100 years ago: Jan. 10, 1909

The Rev. W.H. Whitnell of Centenary Methodist Church preaches at the morning worship service on "Hiding Among the Trees"; his subject for his evening sermon is "Be Ye Not as the Mule."

The Rev. E.F. Manske, pastor of the Lutheran church at Egypt Mills, has received and accepted a call to Farmington, Mich.; he will leave for his new field of labor some time in March.

-- Sharon K. Sanders