Out of the past: Feb. 5

1990

As many as 75 to 100 workers from Perry County could be among those who will lose their jobs at a Fenton, Missouri, auto manufacturing plant this month or in September; Chrysler announced plans last week to close Plant No. 1 at Fenton.

Final architectural plans for a new combination nature center and regional headquarters of the Missouri Department of Conservation in Cape Girardeau County are nearly finished; bids for the project will be sought later this month.

1965

Low base bids totaling $1,007,769 for the four major contracts for a 64-bed addition to Southeast Missouri Hospital are under study by the hospital's board of trustees and the architect; it will likely be the middle of next week before a decision is made on contract awards.

Norman H. Kirby, a Cape Girardeau coin collector and founder of the Southeast Missouri Coin Club, is named as a member of the Assay Commission that will inspect coins produced at the two United States mints.

1940

Two ice gorges that formed in the Mississippi River just north and south of Cape Girardeau on Friday and Saturday were swept away over the weekend; but the major gorge, the southern terminus of which is at Chester, Illinois, is still holding, keeping upstream ice from the lower Mississippi.

F. Crit Jones reports Duke Allen has made arrangements to open a movie theater in a building Jones owns at 107 Independence St.; Allen, who was a stage performer, expects to open the show house this month.

1915

Henry and Louis Hector embarked in their dug-out about midnight Monday and rowed through seething floodwater to the Stephens house at Allenville to rescue Clarence Kynion and family; the water was a foot deep in the house and rising rapidly, when the rescuers arrived; Allenville, Whitewater and communities along the Whitewater River have been cut off from communication with the southern territory for several days because of the high water.

The ferry boat makes a trip to this side of the river in the afternoon, after being tied up on the Illinois side for several weeks; very little ice is floating in the river to hinder the ferry, and it will likely begin making regular trips again tomorrow.

-- Sharon K. Sanders