Cape Girardeau County History Center

Today would have been the 74th birthday of our friend and Exec. Board Treasurer, Grover Cole. Please hold his family in your thoughts today. Grover and Rhonda have two children. Grandson Gus, was also on our team pre-COVID almost every Friday afternoon. Gus and Grover had an epic relationship. Thank you Grover, and we celebrate your life on this day of your birth. Rhonda & Gus, we miss you and eagerly await when you can be back with us.

Please forgive me for not having a tribute to our VP and dear friend, James Baughn, posted yet. Marybeth Niederkorn (our docent, my dear friend, the new Director at the Cape Co. Archives, and my favorite writer) agreed to write it for us. It is simply magnificent... Before I came back to the Southeast Missourian in 2019, I was on a job interview in an office down the street, facing 301 Broadway's parking lot. James Baughn walked across my field of vision, carrying his lunc...Continue reading

We will be closing at 1:00 p.m. today (Thursday.) The History Center will reopen at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow (Friday.) Stop in and see the quilt and button exhibit!

Our friends in Scott City have an awesome exhibit opening on Wednesday.

This Day in Cape Girardeau County History: DECEMBER 11, 1818 The size of Cape Girardeau County was significantly reduced when a chunk of territory was taken to create Wayne County. A few days later, the Missouri territorial legislature carved out another piece to form part of Madison County.... For a time, Wayne County was larger than the states of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Delaware combined. The county was nicknamed the "State of Wayne." See the text of the act creating Wayne County: https://books.google.com/books?id=4mdGAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA567 Illustration: This map of Missouri from 1824 shows Wayne County as a massive strip along the Arkansas border (image from The State Historical Society of Missouri)

This Day in Cape Girardeau County History: OCTOBER 27, 1869 In a horrific scene, a fire rapidly engulfed the steamboat Stonewall just south of Neely's Landing. The pilot attempted to turn the boat to shore, but it ran aground on a sandbar surrounded by deep water. The blaze forced the passengers and crew to jump into the turbulent water, where many drowned. Local residents rescued over 50 survivors, but even with their efforts, the death toll stood at more than 200.... Learn more: http://www.semopress.com/tragedy-at-neelys-landing-the-bur/ Illustration: This depiction of the disaster appeared in Frank Leslie's illustrated newspaper on Nov. 13, 1869, courtesy of the Library of Congress at http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/96505506/

Calling all family researchers! Don’t miss out on this opportunity.

Please stop in and purchase one of the beautiful ornaments on this tree designed and created by docent, Padge Haman. All proceeds go to the Jackson Ministerial Alliance Food Bank. $5. ea. or 3 for $10. Please share this post.

This Day in Cape Girardeau County History: OCTOBER 26, 1909 In what must have been one of the most dramatic scenes in Cape Girardeau history, a 16-boat flotilla arrived early in the morning to deliver President William Howard Taft for an official visit.... Taft was traveling downriver to promote the need for a nine-foot navigation channel along the Mississippi River. He was accompanied by a massive assemblage of dignitaries: Vice President James S. Sherman, 177 members of Congress, several governors, and various local leaders and businessmen. After stepping off the steamboat Oleander, Taft was whisked away by motorcade -- a novel concept at the time -- to give a speech at the terraces in front of Academic Hall. He planted an elm tree and was then ushered back to the riverfront. He was following an extremely tight schedule that featured visits in Cairo, Illinois, and Hickman, Kentucky, later that same day. Cape Girardeau contractor Edward Regenhardt, a personal friend of Taft's, was named chairman for the executive committee organizing the river tour. He was able to ensure that Taft made a stop in Cape, the first time a sitting president had ever visited here. Gallery of photos: https://www.semissourian.com/gallery/4690 Learn more: https://robsgenealogy.com/regenhardt/taft/

This tree was created to honor the docents and other volunteers at the Historical Society. All of the ornaments were created by docent, Alice McFarland. We dedicate this tree to Weldon Hilpert, David Kelley, Grover Cole, and James Baughn.

Our Docent, Sam Malone finished 2nd in the final CC meet for JHS, JV. Way to go!!! Now, the season is over, hope we see you back at the History Center, Sam!

This Day in Cape Girardeau County History: OCTOBER 22, 1936 Polar explorer Admiral Richard E. Byrd visited Cape Girardeau to present two lectures at the state college. He narrated while showing "9000 feet of movie film" taken during his second expedition to Antarctica. He said, "While at the south pole I had an opportunity to view the world from a detached standpoint. I did not know what the future would hold, I knew that I had only a bare chance of coming back alive."... The Southeast Missourian reported that he was taken to the Marquette Hotel after each lecture, "but was temporarily halted each time as he went through the long lines of autograph seekers." The newspaper reported that more people were packed into Academic Hall for the lectures "than had ever been in it before." See the newspaper coverage: https://news.google.com/newspapers https://news.google.com/newspapers Illustration: Portrait of Richard E. Byrd in 1928 from the Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division

Our youngest docent is Sam Malone, a Jr. at Jackson High School. Sam placed 9th in the CC conference meet (#351.) He’s also pictured here with docents, Bridget and Jay, helping us in the archives at the HC. It takes EVERYONE to run this site. We are grateful for these young adults! (running photo by Mike Malone)

I had a wonderful visit today in my History Center studio, with Sandy Martin. We are grateful when folks remember our site when downsizing. Sandy and husband, Jerry, donated their Auntie’s lifetime collection of postscards from her vacation destinations (158!). We love our Things People in Cape Girardeau County Collect accessions. What do you collect?

German Paper Cutting Class-Scherenschnitte-with instructor, Kathy Schlimpert-Sat., Nov. 14 from 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Stop by or call to register 573-979-5170. The class fee is $10. The class size is limited. Masks and social distance are required.

This Day in Cape Girardeau County History: OCTOBER 19, 1904 Louis Houck made an agreement to purchase 58 plaster casts that were on display at the St. Louis World's Fair. These casts, made by artist August Gerber of Cologne, Germany, were exact reproductions of famous statuary. Houck paid $1,888.25 for the collection, not including a few additional pieces that he bought later. Houck anonymously donated the statuary to the college, although the identity of the donor didn't rem...ain secret for very long. Gerber came to Cape Girardeau to personally install and arrange the statuary in Academic Hall. The college's annual catalog for 1905-06 included a photo of some of the statuary along with a man, presumably Gerber, posing in front. The catalog explained that the "reproductions are made of a special and secret substance, composed in part of Alabaster, and are of the same size and finish as the originals, either in bronze or marble." Illustration: Photo from the 1905-06 catalog Learn more: https://mospace.umsystem.edu//ha/10355/11166/research.pdf

It was a joy to host a safe gathering of the Lamplighters FCE Club last evening. I’m excited that they are going to create a tree for our Christmas Exhibit! Call Director Carla if your group would like to host a tree for the exhibit this year! 573-979-5170.

A great opportunity for all of the family researchers out there.

This Day in Cape Girardeau County History: OCTOBER 15, 1905 A funeral service was held for Col. Robert Sturdivant at the home of Judge R.G. Ranney on North Main Street. Sturdivant had died on Oct. 10 at Tallapoosa, Georgia, where he lived with his niece. His body was transported by train to Cape Girardeau and buried at Old Lorimier Cemetery. A distinctive headstone marks his final resting place.... His obituary in the St. Louis Republic newspaper stated, "Colonel Sturdivant came to Missouri from Virginia at the age of 19 years. He was school teacher, editor, miller, and in 1857 was made cashier of the Cape Girardeau branch of the Bank of the State of Missouri. In 1866 he bought out the branch and established the private bank of R. Sturdivant. In 1882 he incorporated it under the laws of Missouri as the Sturdivant Bank and until 1902 was the president of the institution. Since retiring he has been in the South seeking health." Sturdivant Street in Cape Girardeau (near Fort D) and the village of Sturdivant in Bollinger County were both named in his honor. Learn more at this blog by Sharon Sanders: https://www.semissourian.com/blogs/fromthemorgue/entry/50881

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