Out of the past 7/18/10

25 years ago: July 18, 1985

Cape Girardeau is spending a lot of money operating a landfill which should have been closed three years ago, says City Councilman Robert K. Herbst; he was the lone dissenting vote last night against a resolution authorizing an excavation agreement with Cape Realty Investments Corp., which allows the city to excavate land owned by the corporation and use the dirt to cover solid waste at the city landfill.

The board of regents at Southeast Missouri State University authorizes the taking of bids for construction of the multipurpose building on the campus.

50 years ago: July 18, 1960

History came to life yesterday when oats were threshed the old-fashioned way at the Ed Foeste farm north of Cape Girardeau; an old Keck-Connerman steam traction engine, built in 1925, was used to power the grain separator; hundreds of people turned out for the event.

Bonds and interest coupons for the $165,000 issue voted on Dec. 6, 1949, to erect and equip the Independence and Emerald streets fire stations are burned by the Cape Girardeau City Council in the incinerator at Courthouse Park; the bonds were retired March 1.

75 years ago: July 18, 1935

Bids are being received for a contract to build a new studio building for photographer H.L. Lueders at 427 Broadway; the new structure, to replace a one-story brick building now on the site owned by Lueders, will also be a one-story affair of distinct Spanish mission style.

The temporary tracks on the Frisco Railroad's main line on Water Street here are being removed, now that danger from another Mississippi River flood has passed; the track was built over the permanent track from a point just south of Broadway to near the Frisco freight depot.

100 years ago: July 18, 1910

The Daily Republican begins publishing a new daily feature: Men of Affairs; prominent men of Cape Girardeau will be shown in cartoon pictures, along with a brief description; the first man featured is Mayor Merit E. Leming.

The magnificent smokestack at the Normal School was struck by lightning yesterday afternoon and is probably a total loss.

-- Sharon K. Sanders