Out of the past 4/9/12

25 years ago: April 9, 1987

City officials are hoping to unearth some state funding to help pay for the extension of sewer lines to the site of the new veterans home; Union Electric has already developed plans to bring water, natural gas and electricity to the site near Memorial Park Cemetery.

Carl Jackson has resigned as principal of Jefferson Elementary School, citing personal reasons; he has been principal here 20 years.

50 years ago: April 9, 1962

R.B. Oliver Jr., Cape Girardeau lawyer for more than a half-century, made the presentation to the court when his son, John W. Oliver, was sworn as the newest judge in the U.S. District Court for the western district of Missouri in ceremonies Saturday in Kansas City, Mo.

Six people, natives of other lands, take the Oath of Allegiance to the United States in the federal district courtroom in the afternoon; the new citizens are Irene Herta Wilhoit of Poplar Bluff, Mo.; Reiko Kamada Page and her sister, Hideko Walters, both of Puxico, Mo.; Adolf Sokolowski of Advance, Mo.; Janet M. Buckner of Cape Girardeau and Javier Tinoco Nava of Burdett, Ark., formerly of Hornersville, Mo.

75 years ago: April 9, 1937

About 100 feet of sidewalks, curb and gutters are being built by WPA workers from Dr. John St. Avit's office, 6 N. Spanish St., to the corner of the City Drug Store, and east on Independence Street; the Houck estate is having the sidewalks built while the other work is being done.

George A. Kassel, proprietor of the Kassel art shop, 234 S. Sprigg St., is celebrating his 37th anniversary as a Cape Girardeau businessman by working as usual; he recalls that on April 9, 1900, he bought out Thomas Powers' photography business.

100 years ago: April 9, 1912

Vogelsang Brothers of Cape Girardeau have landed another big contract; the contractors will build the new courthouse at Blytheville, Ark., on a bid of $96,000.

Councilman W.H. Medley of the 4th Ward is circulating a petition for the improvement of Spanish Street south of Independence Street and is getting many signers for the concrete street for which he is asking.

-- Sharon K. Sanders