I love prowling alleys. You can find the most interesting things. Mother and I stumbled onto this old house between Good Hope and Morgan Oak Streets. It was 615 of some street that wasn’t identified in Google Maps, so I’m going to assume that it was an unnamed alley.
I must have missed it before because of all the foliage that grows up around it when the weather is warm.
UPDATE: This was Shinbone alley
You can read a little of the history of Shinbone Alley in this 2007 Missourian story (and see a Fred Lynch photo of the same house).
Not in the National Register area
It’s technically not in the official Haarig Commercial District National Register of Historic Places – comprised of a limited number of buildings in the 600 block of Good Hope Street and the 300 block of South Sprigg street – but it is still in the area that most of us would consider Haarig.
If you are not familiar with the term “Haarig,” I’ll point you to the National Register of Historic Places application. It will tell you all about this small German settlement inside Cape Girardeau.
2018 Update: The house is gone
When I cruised down Shinbone Alley on May 15, 2018, all that was left of the old yellow house was a vacant lot.
Earlier posts about Good Hope and Haarig
- 632 /Good Hope and LaBlanc’s
- Good Hope in the rain
- Hirsch’s Midtown
- Ed Unger’s Stylerite Barber Shop
- Meyer / Suedekum Hardware
- Farmers and Merchants Bank
- Salvation Army replaces bank
- Doris’ Antiques
Old house photo gallery
Here are some other shots of the old house. Click on any photo to make it larger, then click on the left or right side of the image to move through the gallery. If you have any information about the house, please chime in.
Great shots. It is an “if walls could talk” photo.
If the walls could talk, they’d probably be speaking German.
Oh…! I had forgotten that this area was German! You’ve covered some of the old businesses on Good Hope, haven’t you? Where are your meticulous links to other fascinating sites, Mr. Steinhoff?!!
I’ll update the story to reflect past posts. Sometimes you just want to go to bed and don’t do all you should. Sorry.
Geez, you and my mother: nag, nag, nag.
OK, Miz Madeline,
I’ve added a bunch of links to other Good Hope area stories. You may have to press Ctrl-F5 to refresh your browser to see the additions.
My dad, Sam Unnerstall, who had Unnerstall Drug at 630 Good Hope, and I are mulling this over. He said it is located behind what was the Orpheum Theatre. He recalls an older woman lived there. We are going to look through something today that may unlock the mystery of the woman’s name. More to follow…
I think I remember that alley being called “shinbone alley.”
I thought about Shinbone Alley when I was writing this, but I got lazy and didn’t research it.
Not only is it called Shinbone Alley, but The Missourian did a story on it in 2007 and Fred Lynch shot a picture of the same house.
Thanks for jogging my memory.
I think as a kid growing up in Cape the area was called “Good Hope” and Haarig was unknown to us, well at least to me. The Good Hope area was sort of a second down town for Cape in the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s,. Went thru there yesterday and not too much is left. Let’s see if Julie can solve this yellow house mystery for us.
My grandparents always spoke of going to Haarig
My mother and I referred to it as Good Hope. My father, who at one time lived in the area, called it Haarig – never Good Hope. Now that I know the reason for the name, that explains why my German grandfather always did business there. My grandparents lived on New Madrid just west of NW End Blvd., so it was a long bus ride to get there.
Thank you for finishing off this blog in a proper fashion, Ken! You actually furnished more links than I remembered. Reading the one about the Farmer’s and Merchants’ Bank demolition fills me with futile outrage, the kind I get when I find out that a priceless old building has been torn down to build a parking lot. Now I have a grudge against the Salvation Army–which is too bad, because they really are a worthwhile charity.
Good job! I’m sorry I nagged….
Madeline,
You are not alone in your outrage when beautiful, older, ornate buildings that are torn down to make way for some ole’ Polebarn of a building covered in siding or a parking lot. Most of the older schools and banks in Cape were built to last 200 years! Some of them being 3-4 bricks thick and built like a fortress. It is such a shame to have torn down Washington, Franklin and the old Jefferson Schools. Those buildings would have made wonderful housing for the homeless with their playgrounds, multiple bathrooms, gyms etc. that are built to provide for children. Each classroom was big enough to make a 1 or 2-unit family apartment. Such a waste when there is so much need. It would put people to work also with the upkeep and maintenance of those buildings. Not to mention someone to manage the facility, custodial and kitchen jobs that could be done by the people who live there for little or nothing. WHEN ARE PEOPLE IN THE IVORY TOWERS GOING TO WAKE UP AND USE SOME INGENUITY AND COMMON SENSE AND PUT OUR VACATED BUILDINGS TO GOOD USE?!
I’m so glad that the old Central High-Jr.High School building was made into living quarters for senior citizens.
Back to the story about the Meyer building on Good Hope. I live in the house the Meyer family moved into when they moved from the upstairs of the hardware store. We think it was built either 1914 or 1918. My husband’s parents bought it from Mrs. Meyer in 1957. Joyce and J.T. Seesing lived there until 1997 when my husband Mark and our two children bought it. It is a great example of true craftsmanship typical of that era; huge rooms, high ceilings with oak beams and built in cabinets with leaded glass. They just don’t build houses like they used to! The names of the Meyer boys who grew up in the house are painted on the walls of the basement. Again…if walls could talk!