Photos around Cape Archives

August 5, 2010

Sprigg and William

If you say William and Sprigg to most Cape Girardeans, they’ll probably say they think of St. Mary’s Cathedral. After all, that’s the biggest landmark around there. Lila and I were married in the church in 1969. You can see my deer-in-the-headlights look here.

Wonder how many trucks have hit this?

Churches, smurches. My interests run in other directions. I’ve always been fascinated by this I-beam bumper that protected the traffic signal on the corner. It and the other posts have been scuffed and bent by decades of 18-wheelers having “Oh, bleep!” moments when they cut the turn too short.

Truck route to Mississippi River Bridge

When you look at all the dents and scuffs, you can figure out why so many trucks crossing the Mississippi River Bridge used to slap mirrors. Some of those drivers may have had depth perception problems.

Used to be Clark Buick

The building on the corner across from the Cathedral was Clark Buick when I was growing up. I think that’s where we bought the 1969 Buick LaSabre station wagon that carried us on the Great Steinhoff Florida Vacation in 1960. (That’s the same car I inherited when I was in high school.)

The owner’s daughter was in some of my classes, but I don’t recall her first name nor if we were in Trinity Lutheran School or in Central. The building houses an antique store now, but it was hard to tell if it was still open or not.

Did you buy a TV at Lorberg’s?

If you bought a television set in the middle 50s, there was a pretty good chance that it came from Lorberg’s.

The early sets came with a black ceramic panther with eyes that lit up. Mother thought they looked tacky, as I recall, so I think it was traded for something else or for a discount. I’ll have to ask Niece Laurie what that thing would be worth today in her antique shop.

The photo I shot of JFK’s funeral was probably taken on our original set.

New construction at St. Mary’s School

The looks of the neighborhood is changing with new construction going on at St. Mary’s Cathedral School. It’s nice to see some life coming back to Sprigg and William.

August 4, 2010December 29, 2011

The Boat House

When you wanted to impress visitors from out of town with the homes in Cape Girardeau, there’s one place you’d always take them – The Boat House at the corner of West End Blvd. and Highland Dr., across from Capaha Park.

Looks like a river boat

The two-story, 115-foot–long house was designed to look like a Mississippi River boat when it was built for Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Erlbacher in 1941-42. Mr. Erlbacher was a world-renowned boat builder and he wanted his home to reflect his work.

Limestone stairs look like flowing water

Despite the fact that I shot 119 frames from every angle I could without going onto private property, I don’t think I got the definitive photo that captures the special feel of the house.

Maybe it won’t be a cold and windy day with rain threatening the next time I shoot it.

Photo gallery of The Boat 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

August 3, 2010November 20, 2011

Hecht’s Department Store

One of the things I best remember about Old Town Cape’s Main Street was Hecht’s Department Store. Even as a kid I was fascinated by the sailing ship weather vane that perched atop the building at 107 N. Main. I snapped this shot Oct. 15, 2003. I’m glad I did. It’s not there today.

What happened to the weather vane?

The Missourian was asked by a reader what had happened to it. Here’s the answer:

“We had a major windstorm back in the fall before we closed, and we had some slate that blew off the roof onto the sidewalk. The next day I noticed the vane was missing,” said Dan Elkins, former president of Hecht’s. “The assumption is that it blew off during the storm. I climbed up and looked for it on the lower roof line, thinking it might have fallen there, because it was heavy and not likely to go far. If it blew to the street, someone could have picked it up.

“I doubt someone stole it,” Elkins said. “It was tall, a good 3-4 feet in height and solid. It’s a relic, definitely, from when the building was built in 1927. It was original with the building, designed by architect Thomas P. Barnett.”

Holy Cow, where’s her top?

As a kid, I remember a round piece of furniture inside the store. I’m going to say that it was red and had seats around a center piece that rose up to be a tall back rest. It was a perfect place for a squirmy kid to crawl around while his mother was shopping.

What I DON’T remember is the topless babe on the ceiling above the entrance.

Maybe it was because my Mother would distract me when we walked in, “Hey, look at that funny seat for you to play on.”

Hecht’s anchored downtown for 86 years

Hecht’s was the second oldest business in continuous operation downtown. Lang’s Jewelers opened a year before Hecht’s. Marty and Tootie Hecht retired in 2004, after nearly six decades of operating the store.

The store, which had been converted to a bar, was empty when I was home in the spring.

Scott Moyers did a history of the store that’s worth reading.

Hecht’s Photo Gallery

Click on any photo to make it larger, then click on the left or right side of the image to step through the images.

July 30, 2010December 5, 2011

Lorimier School / Cape City Hall

When the state legislature passed legislation in 1867 allowing tax-supported public schools, Lorimier School became the first public school in Cape Girardeau, not a popular concept at the time.

Jeanie Eddleman observes in her book, Yesteryears, that Mark Twain was quite taken with the architecture of Cape. In Life on the Mississippi, he characterized Cape Girardeau as the Athens of Missouri because of its ornate nature. Lorimier was an three-story Renaissance building 163 feet by 72 feet, with a one-story chapel wing.

The 1873 structure was abandoned in 1928. In 1936, an $85,000 bond issue was passed to build a new school on the existing site. A $57,000 grant from the Public Works Administration was added to the bonds. (Another one of those Federal stimulus packages designed to pump up the economy.)

Cursive writing on cornerstone

I’ve never seen a cornerstone with cursive writing on it before.

Lorimier School closed in 1975

Lorimier School closed in 1975, due to declining enrollment. The city of Cape Girardeau converted the facility to a City Hall, preserving this piece of local history.

What is this house?

I should know the name of this house to the east of City Hall, but I’m drawing a blank. Can anyone identify it?

Ornate entrance

No public building of this era would be complete without some kind of ornate do-hickey to set off the main entrance. The modern, utilitarian City Hall sign injects a jarring sterility to the scene. (That’s the kind of stuff I learned to say in Art 101 in school. It’s a fancy way of saying, “That sign is butt-ugly.”)

My film scanner gave up the ghost

I had a whole bunch of negatives to scan, but my film scanner bought the farm this morning. I knew silver film had been wounded, if not killed off, by digital photography, but it never dawned on me how hard it was going to be to find a digital scanner.

All of the high-end professional models were backordered for at least two months or discontinued. In some cases, used equipment was selling for higher prices than new, because the new wasn’t available. I finally ended up ordering a “like new” Nikon Super CoolScan 8000 ED off eBay late in the evening. I hope my First Born likes his new master, cause that’s about what it cost.

If nothing else, I’ll have a reason to haunt the mailbox for the next few days.