It seems like Almost Yesterday that hundreds of comic books and magazines, judged as indecent and unfit for children, were ceremonially burned in Cape Girardeau . The date was February 24, 1949, and the location was St. Mary’s High School on the corner of Sprigg and William Streets. This large burning was one of many that emerged across the nation in 1948-49, seeking to eliminate the perceived dangers of the “new” graphic comic books. In the Depression years of the 1930’s, comic books gained

It seems like almost yesterday that three veterans of the American Revolution were honored with appropriate markers at Old Bethel Cemetery south of Jackson, Missouri. The three patriots participated in the Revolutionary War and between 1797 and 1806 moved to the Jackson area, acquired land, and joined what is now called “Old Bethel Baptist Church.” “Old Bethel” has been restored, the cemetery refurbished, and the site made accessible for interpreting the early history of Southeast Missouri.

It seems like almost yesterday that George Frederick Bollinger led a contingent of North Carolinians across the Mississippi River into Missouri. The young Mr. Bollinger had visited the small community of Cape Girardeau in 1797, established a friendship with Louis Lorimier who encouraged him to return to North Carolina and bring more settlers to the area. Bollinger did so and after the autumn harvest of 1799 a group of eager adventurers set out from their farmsteads in North Carolina for the

It seems like almost yesterday that a meeting in a Farmington, Missouri coffee shop yielded a story about the theft of a doughnut from a local grocery store that made national news! It was September of 2007 when a middle-aged man entered the Farmington country mart grocery, picked up a freshly baked doughnut, placed it inside his sweat shirt, and left the store without paying for the fifty-two cent item. His actions were observed by an alert cashier who notified a co-worker, who followed the

It seems like Almost Yesterday that the landscape of Cape Girardeau featured a number of special places where residents could relax and enjoy a pleasant change of scenery. In the middle of the nineteenth century Franck’s Gardens on the hill along Jackson Road, now Broadway, was such a place. A product of the German migration to the region in the 1850s, this park-like beer garden was one of the social centers and “beauty spots” of the community for approximately four decades. Named for John A.

It seems like Almost Yesterday that the territory Americans know as Texas began – from its origins in Southeast Missouri. In 1796 a young man from Connecticut left his home and moved west in response to stories of vast quantities of lead in the Missouri country. With a large land grant from the Spanish government, Moses Austin initiated the Missouri lead industry and established a number of mining communities with essential roads, bridges, stores, mills, and labor. The geographic center of this

It seems like Almost Yesterday that residents in the northern area of Cape Girardeau County established a new school which would bring together the students from six one-room country schools in the area. The country schools were crowded and located in wood-frame buildings that dated back to the 1800’s. The new modern building was complete and ready for occupancy at the beginning of the 1960-61 school year. It contained modern classrooms, a hot lunch program, a gymnasium, and indoor rest rooms.

It was more than 90 years ago but it seems like Almost Yesterday that KFVS Radio first went on the air. It was the evening of June 22, 1925. Hundreds of citizens of Cape Girardeau gathered in front of the house at 318 South Frederick Street. The street was closed to traffic and the crowd gathered on the sidewalks and the yard and the living room of the Oscar W. Hirsch home. The windows were open and individuals pushed forward to both see and hear this historic event. Peg Meyers' Melody Kings was

It seems like Almost Yesterday that Walter W. Parker retired as president of Southeast Missouri State College. The date was July 1, 1956, and his 23 year tenure as president of the institution is the longest in its history. President Parker assumed the presidency of the small teacher’s college in July of 1933. Born in rural Howard County, Arkansas on January 17, 1889, Parker graduated from Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas with a degree in English, and began his career in education at Central

It seems like Almost Yesterday that the Roberts, Johnson and Rand Shoe Company of St. Louis opened a manufacturing plant in Cape Girardeau . The date was September 9, 1907 and this proved to be a significant development in the economic growth of the city. In 1900 Cape Girardeau was a small community of fewer than 5000 residents. But it was eager to grow. In 1904 a railroad connected Cape to St. Louis, enabling residents to visit the World’s Fair and bringing frequent visitors from St. Louis.