Out of the past: May 5

1990

Missouri Supreme Court Judge William H. Billings, speaking at the 116th annual Southeast Missouri State University commencement at the Show Me Center, urges the 686 undergraduate and 59 graduate students to continue a lifelong pursuit of knowledge and education.

A regional U.S. Postal Service mail-processing center for incoming and outgoing mail throughout Southeast Missouri will be located in the Cape Girardeau area; the facility would process mail in four zip code areas: 636 (Flat River, Missouri), 637 (Cape Girardeau), 638 (Sikeston, Missouri) and 639 (Poplar Bluff, Missouri).

1965

Louis B. Sewell, chairman of the Citizens Council-Manager Committee, expresses confidence in the committee and indicates the new petition effort on the issue is gaining momentum; in light of the charges by the City Council that the effort had been "infiltrated with fraud," Sewell notes even greater care in the handling of petitions in the new drive.

John L.E. Boardman, an architect with offices at 801 Themis St., announces a partnership association with St. Louis architect Tom Phillips, the new firm being known as Boardman & Phillips Architects, Inc.

1940

Director Robert Marshman and cameraman H. William Moore complete the filming of Cape Girardeau's own movie; the final scenes of the movie -- two large boats going up the Mississippi River -- are shot at Cape Rock just about sunset.

A crowd of 1,500 persons attend a district Catholic Youth Organization rally on the church grounds at New Hamburg, Missouri. By actual registration, there are 696 members in attendance, but hundreds of other persons are also present.

1915

The Conroty piano house at St. Louis, one of the biggest and oldest music houses in that city, has taken a lease on the corner store in the Cahoon Building at the corner of Broadway and Spanish Street.

The Mertens Hotel property at the corner of Broadway and Sprigg Street was sold at sheriff's sale at Jackson yesterday to Fred Braun, who occupies the lower floor with a grocery store, for $5,600. Many had hoped the hotel would be cleared out, nuisance that it is, but it looks as if the proprietor will try to reclaim the building by paying all he owes on it.

-- Sharon K. Sanders