Out of the past: Sept. 9

1991

The annual horse show, organized by Donna Dockins of Jackson, drew 344 entrants at the SEMO District Fair yesterday; that's up from 277 competitors last year; a demolition derby is scheduled for the grandstand area tonight.

Lehman Finch, 75, a prominent Cape Girardeau lawyer and civic leader, died last night at a local hospital; he was senior partner of Finch, Bradshaw, Strom and Steele, which his father, James A. Finch Jr., founded as Finch and Finch Law Firm in the early 1900s.

1966

WITTENBERG, Mo. -- Miss June, a new ferryboat, arrived here yesterday afternoon and carried a delegation of East Perry County businessmen across the Mississippi River to Grand Tower, Illinois, beginning its service to the area; the ferry won't go into general operation for the public until Sunday, and then only if last-minute details on the landings are completed.

Cape Girardeau public school patrons may be asked to approve a bond issue soon to help finance construction of vocational-education space and possibly alterations at Central High School; superintendent of schools Charles E. House believes the bonds could be issued without causing an increase in the school system's existing debt-retirement tax levy.

1941

Meeting yesterday at First Baptist Church, the executive board of the Southeast Missouri Baptist Foundation voted to launch a campaign for $15,000 to purchase property here to be used as headquarters for the foundation; the campaign will be carried to all churches in 16 associational divisions in Southeast Missouri; the foundation has an option on the large, two-story brick dwelling of Mr. and Mrs. E.L. Markham, 465 N. Pacific St., adjoining the Teachers College campus.

Despite a 13 to 1 majority piled up in the city of Cape Girardeau, voters of Cape Girardeau County, led by Jackson and rural precincts in the west and north sections, defeat a proposal to issue $85,000 in bonds to provide the site and the sponsor's share to build an airport near Dutchtown.

1916

Attorneys Ray Lucas and T.B. Dudley, representing the Ancell School District, begin a condemnation suit before Circuit Judge Frank Kelly against Earl Ellis, Maggie James and the James and Greer Heirs for 1.88 acres in Ancell to be used to build a new school house.

Theodore Umbeck leaves early in the morning for St Louis; from there he will depart tomorrow for Washington, D.C., to accept a position as clerk in the War Department; another Cape Girardeau boy, Louis Kasten, recently was appointed a clerk in the same department.

-- Sharon K. Sanders