Out of the Past: June 21

1999

Fishermen in Cape Girardeau County call Lake Girardeau at Crump “the Dead Sea”; Doug Flannery of Whitewater blames the Missouri Department of Conservation for the lake’s problems; he contends the agency has done a poor job of managing the 162-acre lake; Flannery says, “It’s fished out and they (the Conservation Department) are doing nothing to help it”; department officials, however, insist the lake is in good shape, both for fish and fishermen.

The Cape Girardeau City Council is discussing plans for a citizens’ advisory board to oversee the police department; the suggestion stems from concerns of South Side residents upset about a June 11th melee that broke out on Good Hope Street after police made an arrest.

1974

An agreement between members of the county courts of Cape Girardeau and Scott counties to begin planning jointly for acquisition of a port authority was tentatively reached yesterday during a luncheon at Benton; the three members of Scott County Court and two of the three Cape County Court members who attended determined the best location for a regional port authority in Southeast Missouri would be at the Mississippi River mouth of the Diversion Chanel south of Cape Girardeau; the judges vowed to strive for its establishment there.

Cape Girardeau residents took to swimming pools and air-conditioned facilities for relief yesterday, as the area experienced the hottest day of 1974; temperatures at the municipal airport reached a high of 95 degrees.

1949

Proving that Boy Scout training isn’t just a hot dog and wiener roast affair, seven members of Troop 3, sponsored by Centenary Methodist Church, took off afoot cross-country toward Camp Lewallen on the St. Francis River, accompanied by Scoutmaster Harold Feller; Adolph Bremermann, assistant scoutmaster, John Goode, J. Linn Mackey, Charles Frissell, Bob Hines, Don Miller and Claude N. Davenport hope to make the 65-mile jaunt in about four days; their route will take them through Gordonville, Tilsit, Lutesville and Castor.

Eunice Ryan Brown and small daughter, who were called to Oran several months ago by the serious illness of Mrs. Brown’s father, Boyd Ryan, have returned to Honolulu, where her husband, William Brown, is a chief warrant officer.

1924

At a meeting of the workers in the Civic Improvement Association, it is found that funds are needed at once if the work is to proceed as it should until the end of the season in September; the women haven’t made a call for funds nor given an entertainment for money-raising purposes in a long time; the parklets around the Frisco station have received a lot of attention from the women, necessitating the expenditure of considerable money for plants and tools; there also are some bills to be paid, and when these are taken care of, the association’s treasury will be nearly depleted.

Extensive improvements at the chapel of St. Vincent’s College are nearing completion and, when finished, will make the wing as modern and well equipped as the other wings of the large building; costs of the improvements is given at approximately $8,500, and the work was done by Herman Pape; the improvements were prompted by the damage done several months ago by a tornado.

Southeast Missourian librarian Sharon Sanders compiles the information for the daily Out of the Past column. She also writes a blog called “From the Morgue” that showcases interesting historical stories from the newspaper. Check out her blog at www.semissourian.com/history.