Cape Girardeau History and Photos

April 15, 2014

Family Dollar Store Site

When I was up in the steeple of St. Mary’s Cathedral the other day, I noticed land being cleared on William west of Sprigg. It’s one of those things where you say, “Something’s different, but I don’t know what.”

Here’s an aerial taken November 6, 2010, showing the area. The yellow arrow marks the spot. William Street runs from the bottom of the frame to the top of it, and we’re looking east toward St. Mary’s. The building to the left of the big black parking lot houses Fred’s Super Dollar Store and the Save-A-Lot food store.

Click on the photos to make them larger.

Site will be a Family Dollar Store

A November 25, 2013, Missourian business column reported that “an acre of land that includes four properties on William Street between Sprigg and Ellis streets has been sold to Family Dollar store and the deal is closed, according to Thomas M. Meyer of Exit Realty. All the properties now are commercially zoned and will be demolished to street level for the building of Family Dollar.”

It’ll be interesting to see if the project continues in light of news stories that “Family Dollar closing 370 stores and lowering prices after revenue falls 6%.”

Should have shot in when weather was good

I should have gone from St. Mary’s to the vacant lot on a day with the temps were in the high 70s and the sky blue.

I procrastinated, though, and shot these when the wind was gusting, the thermometer was heading south into the low 40s and my bald head was being pelted by rain trying to get up enough gumption to turn to sleet.

This photo was taken from an alley on the east side of the property looking west toward the houses on Ellis.

April 14, 2014

N’Orleans becomes O’Ferrell’s

One of the first things I spotted on the way down Broadway was the name change on The Royal N’Orleans – Creole Steakhouse Est. 1954. The old name was still on the entrance canopy, but the two signs facing Broadway now read Katy O’Ferrell’s Publick House.

Dr. Lily Santoro, Chris Kinder and I tried to stop there for lunch after the Techniques in Local History class last week, but it was closed.

A March 17, 2014, Missourian story said Mark Dirnberger, the owner, got his start working at the Burger King on Broadway when he was 16. He also owns Bella Italia. I’ll catch Katy’s when it’s open and report back to you.

The Royal N’Orleans closed in 2009. I have to admit that I was concerned when it was still dark in 2011. I hope Dirnberger can make a go of it.

April 13, 2014

Cape River Heritage Museum

Friday night was an open house at the Cape River Heritage Museum. I was prepared to say I hadn’t been in there before, but there was a Willard Duncan Vandiver display with a quote I recalled having seen on an earlier visit and had stolen for my office wall.

I come from a state that raises corn and cotton and cockleburs and Democrats,

and frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me.

I am from Missouri. You have got to show me.

Whenever a new vendor started his spiel, I’d hold up my hand and point to the quote.

Building has long Cape history

Taxpayers approved a $7.000 tax levy in 1907 to build a new police station and jail. After that, the fire department was added to the plans, and the building opened in 1909.

Conveniently located across the street was the Wood Building, which has been described as arguably Cape’s most infamous house of ill repute.The building, if not its former trade, has been restored.

The River Room

One of the most interesting exhibits is the huge Ary Marbain mural “Metrapolis,” donated by The Missourian and restored by artist Craig Thomas. The perspective is a little off, so it’s fun and challenging to identify the landmark buildings, many now gone, that are in the mural. For more information, you can visit the museum’s website.

Museum hours

A recent Missourian story said the building is open from noon to 4 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. The museum website says that is from mid-March through mid-December. That must be why I’ve only visited it once in years; it was always closed when I wanted to drop in.

Shameless plug: The gift shop DOES carry my book Smelterville: A Work in Progress. It’s also available at Annie Laurie’s Antiques at Broadway and Frederick.

Lily pond still there

The small lily pond behind the old fire station looks a little rough after the harsh winter, but it still could pass for the one I was photographed with over six decades ago. As always, you can click on the photos to make them larger.

April 12, 2014April 12, 2014

St. Mary’s to Reopen April 13

The Cathedral of St. Mary of the Annunciation in Cape Girardeau, better known as St. Mary’s, will hold Palm Sunday church services April 13, after being closed most of 2014 for a facelift.

Buddy Dick McClard, Class of ’66, sent an email saying he had just finished installing six 7-foot-tall windows facing Sprigg Street and wanted to know if I wanted a sneak peak at the inside of the church. St. Mary’s and St. Vincent’s have been on my list for a long time, so this sounded like a perfect excuse.

Rather than pretend I know much about the history of the church (even though Wife Lila and I were married there in 1969), I’ll point you to a blog by Missourian librarian Sharon Sanders.

The bells of St. Mary’s

I tried to shoot things that haven’t changed, things that have been uncovered and things that have been added. In addition, I climbed into the bell tower to capture parts of the structure that everyone in the neighborhood has heard, but few have seen. I felt comfortable doing that because Sharon had sent me a clip saying that the bells had been reinstalled in 1988 after it was feared the 2500-lbs bells might come crashing down into the church entrance. Indeed, the staircase leading to the bells was steep and narrow, but solidly built.

Photo gallery of Cathedral of St. Mary of the Annunciation

Here is a link to a Christmas Novena I shot at the church in 1967. You can compare the front of the church to these photos I took Friday afternoon. Click on any photo to make it larger, then use your arrow keys to move through the gallery.