25 years ago: Aug. 17, 1986

The Rev. Patrick McDevitt C.M. is the new associate pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Cape Girardeau, succeeding the Rev. Douglas Sparks, C.M.; Sparks has been reassigned by the Vincentians to do missionary work in Cortez, Colo.

Curtis Lee Maddox, returning from an outing at Current River, lands his helicopter on the empty lot across the road from Shoney's to come in and have a bite to eat before returning home to Harrisburg, Ill.; he is arrested for landing within the city limits without obtaining permission from the city to do so, but posts a bond and is released.

50 years ago: Aug. 17, 1961

The River Queen, originally the Cape Girardeau, likely has made its last voyage past the community whose name it shared; the old two-stacker, passing the city during the night, has arrived in St. Louis on its way to Hannibal, Mo., where it will be used as a restaurant and museum.

Support of the Chamber of Commerce here will be thrown behind a program for a small-boat harbor at Trail of Tears State Park in lieu of a proposed marina development on the Cape Girardeau waterfront.

75 years ago: Aug. 17, 1936

Dr. John Harty, a graduate of the Cape Girardeau State College in 1919 and a native of Bollinger County, will come here within 10 days to become professor of physics at the college; he will succeed the late professor G.V. Emery.

Dr. J.H. Ruff, drum major and director of the Golden Troopers drum and bugle corps, announces that his unit won't be able to make the trip to the state fair at Sedalia, Mo., next Sunday because of the extreme heat.

100 years ago: Aug. 17, 1911

The schooner Olga is stranded on a sandbar 30 miles south of Memphis, Tenn.; its cargo is a mammoth whale, which will be placed on exhibition here during the fall festival.

At a meeting of the fair directors and the "Pompeii" committee of the Commercial Club yesterday, an agreement was reached whereby the fair association will contract for the services of Capt. Thomas Baldwin, the famous aeronaut, to give a series of flying machine exhibitions during the fair.

-- Sharon K. Sanders