Businesses Archives

July 25, 2011September 18, 2011

“The Barn” for Good Fishing

Faithful reader and regular contributor Keith Robinson was in town from Kansas City for a family reunion and suggested that we get together. He was a little young to be on my radar, but he was in Scouts with my brothers and Dad. He’s a great resource because he’s a model railroader who is attempting to recreate a layout of all of Cape’s railroads between Nash Road and Cape Rock. I think he’s accounted for every spike that’s ever been driven in this area.

He came out to the house and we looked at old photos for a couple of hours. He spotted a landmark that I’ve thought about often, but would have sworn I never documented. When I started school and we moved out of the trailer that Dad and Mother hauled from job site to job site, we rented a house at 2531 Bloomfield Road. It was a great house for a kid: there was a flat field west of us that was great for playing catch. A sloping field on the east side had some climbing trees at the bottom.

Cape LaCroix Creek oxbow

Best of all for a budding fisherman, The Barn was close enough that I could persuade Mother to take me down to fish in what I thought was a pond, but looks in the aerial to be an oxbow of Cape LaCroix Creek. The Barn, sometimes called The Red Barn, is on the lower right. (Click on the photo to make it larger.)

Cape Ready Mix is center left. Rueseler’s Chevrolet is across the street. Click here to see the Chevy dealership at night from the ground.

I couldn’t find many stories about The Barn as an eating establishment. As I recall, their specialty was barbecue, but I think they also sold watermelon in season. I think they also had fireworks for the Fourth.

South Kingshighway today

The area looks entirely different. The Barn is long gone. It was located about where the S Kingshighway label is. The shopping mall is in the upper right-hand corner. Southern Parkway, which connects I-55 to the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge didn’t exist in the 60s.

South Kingshighway – Bloomfield Road

This was taken slightly north of the previous photo and shows the intersection of South Kingshighway and Bloomfield Road. On the far right-center of the photo, where the highway crosses over Cape LaCroix Creek is a small building that I think was Central Packing Company. Whatever it was, it produced the most nauseating stench on a hot day. They had to have been dumping offal into the creek. I’ve often wondered if the current occupants are aware of what the building had been used for.

Stories about 607 South Kingshighway

Even though I didn’t find any stories about The Barn as I remembered it, there were plenty of stories in The Missourian about businesses at that address.

Oct. 18, 1968 – Ad: 8-hour liquidation sale on appliances. Barn Discount Appliance. 607 Kingshighway (south of Plaza)
Dec. 6, 1968 – Ad: Liquidation Auction Sale. New merchandise – name your own price. Red Barn. 8 big sales days before Xmas. Terms: Cash Everything sells. Located 607 South Kingshighway, across from Rueseler Chevrolet.
Oct. 17, 1969 – City council news: Upon a report of the police department, refused the application of Thomas H. Armbruster for a liquor by the drink license at the Barn, South Kingshighway. [Note: I wonder if that’s what killed it as an eating and dining establishment?]
Nov. 15, 1969 – Fronabarger business column: There will be a new retail shoe outlet in the city. Dee Dee’s Shoe Outlet, specializing in women’s footwear, will occupy the site of The Barn on Kingshighway south. The outlet is now located at Dutchtown and is owned and operated by Kenneth Corbin. The store is to be opened soon.
Mar. 1, 1979 – A string of burglaries was reported. “The Dee Dee Shoe Outlet, 607 South Kingshighway, was also reported burglarized. Two six-packs of Coors beer were reported missing.” [Note: beer break-in at a shoe store?]
June 27, 1982 – A burglary was reported at Dee Dee’s Shoes, 607 South Kingshighway. Entry was gained by removing a padlock from a door on the south side of the building. Taken were eight pairs of women’s shoes, a 15-inch color television set, a radio and a fire extinguisher. Loss was estimated at about $275. [Note: Total loss for all of that was $275?]
Dec. 29, 1986 – Kingsway Nissan, 607 S. Kingshighway, joined group ad urging readers not to drink and drive.
July 11, 1988 – Michael S. Hurt reported a car stereo stolen Sunday morning at 607 South Kingshighway. (Coad Chevrolet, across the street, was also hit for an AM/FM cassette car stereo.)
Feb. 23, 1989 – A Jetsound AM/FM cassette radio and power booster belonging to Kingsway Nissan was stolen from 607 South Kingshighway, it was reported Wednesday. [Note: I wonder if it was an 8-track? It would be fun to see if I could find the date when the last 8-track stereo was stolen in Cape. Last week?}
Sept. 28, 1989 – Auffenberg Nissan – Jeep – Eagle looking to fill full-time office position for someone experienced in computer accounting, car deals, accounts payable, accounts receivable and payroll.
Feb. 24, 1994 – Business wrapup: Crown Cadillac Old Nissan, which moved from Independence to 607 S. Kingshighway last year, reported a healthy increase in sales in 1993.
Mar. 30, 1998 – Business personnel column: Ray Drury is retiring from the automotive industry after 39 years. Drury will retire Tuesday from Crown Cadillac Olds Nissan, 607 S. Kinghighway, after six years with the company as salesman.

July 11, 2011February 14, 2016

Dexter’s Corner Stop Cafe

I’ve spent the past two days trying to find some folks I shot in New Madrid 44 years ago. It’s a long, hot story that we’ll cover later. My quest today took me to Sikeston, which isn’t far from Dexter. I managed to convince Mother that riding around with me was more fun that mowing the lawn when the heat index is 114 (she was mowing the lawn, not me). This is a mowing photo taken several years ago in Dutchtown to show her style.

Madeline DeJournett, Advance reporter and avid reader of this blog, has been touting a new restaurant in Dexter called the Mediterranean Steak House “on Locust, south of the Ben Franklin store.” That’s the way you give directions when you live in a small town. There’s no way to enter that in my GPS, so we got quite a tour of Dexter.

Dexter provided an education

I remember Dexter well. Jim Kirkwood and I got to help build Hwy 60 going through the town the summer that our two dads, L.V. Steinhoff and James Kirkwood of Steinhoff & Kirkwood, decided that we should learn the value of education. They wanted to get us smart enough NOT to do what they did for a living. I kept looking for a landmark that would help me find the stretch of road we helped pour, but it’s changed a lot.

Anyway, at 33 minutes past Hungry o’clock, we pulled up in front of the steak house. It was closed on Monday. We went back to the main drag and passed predictable fast food joints.

Corner Stop Cafe

I thought I remembered see a small local diner just up the street from the steak house, so we headed back down Locust, past the Ben Franklin store, until we came to the Corner Stop Cafe. There were a few cars around it, it looked clean and it looked new, so we decided to give it a shot.

As soon as we opened the door, I felt right at home: a voice said, “Watch your step.” I’ve been getting that advice for years, but then I looked down and saw that you had to step down to get into the restaurant. We apologized for showing up at closing time, but our server, who turned out to be the owner, was gracious. I asked for advice and Phyllis Kull said that she sells about 500 of their “Nothing Like It Chicken” a week, so it must be good.

The menu described it as “Chicken salad, cranberry, smoked Gouda cheese and Granny Smith apples slices, served on Texas toast.” All of that, plus a side (some great potato salad) for six bucks. My foodie friend, Jan Norris would have taken a photo of the plate, but I had more important things in mind – finishing it off so I could have some strawberry pie. Mother had a bacon quiche (hold the bacon) with toast and a generous serving of fresh fruit. They forgot to hold the bacon, but it was served on top, so I got it and pronounced it excellent.

I apologize to Phyllis for sticking her outside where the lighting was so harsh. She’s much more attractive than the picture would lead you to believe.

Mural done by local artist

The inside of the cafe is attractive, without being cutesy. The mural, a work in progress, is being done by a local artist. Phyllis is from Colorado. Her husband, Alan, has family in the area, so they wanted to move closer to them. They opened the place March 16, 2010, and have been doing well. “Dexter is a great community. We’ve been blessed.” One of the customers when we walked in was the mayor, she said.

I normally avoid sweet tea, but they had it just right. After being out in the hot sun, I downed three glasses of it. I told Phyllis that I had been shooting in a church in New Madrid Sunday when it was equally as hot. “When the preacher started talking about hell, fire and brimstone,” I said, “I jumped to my feet and shouted, ‘Thank you, Jesus, for bringing us some relief.’ At first I thought I might not have that testifying thing figured out exactly right, but an old man in the back row hollered, ‘AMEN,’ so I guess I did OK.”

Mother, who normally takes everything with a grain of salt, looked at me in horror and said, “You DIDN’T?” For once, I couldn’t milk it for all it was worth. I had to tell her I was kidding.

How was the pie?

I ordered the strawberry and Mother had the blackberry. They used fresh fruit, but the filling was a Jello-style that I’m not really fond of. It was good, but not my favorite. Of the two, I liked the blackberry better. The actual, non-Madeline-style address is 5 South Locust, Dexter, Mo.

I’m not sorry the steak house was closed. This place is a great find: good food in good quantities, served by some nice people. I sure wish they were in Cape and West Palm Beach.

July 10, 2011September 22, 2011

Wimpy’s Corner Redone

Yet another bank is moving onto the corner of Cape Rock Drive and Kingshighway where Wimpy’s used to be. This time it’s First Missouri State Bank. The signs just went up in the last 10 days or so.

Corner of Kingshighway and Cape Rock

Get ready for the rains to come. I see the Southeast Missouri State Fair is due to start Sept. 10. Here’s what the fair looked like in 1964 (including rain).

Here’s how we remember Wimpy’s

You can see photos of Wimpy’s in 1966, 1967 and 2009 here. I bet a bank never gets the traffic that Wimpy’s did, particularly at night.

June 8, 2011September 18, 2011

507 – 515 Broadway’s Past

Reader Larry Points left a comment on yesterday’s story about Bob’s Shoe Service that set me off to do the research I should have done last night about businesses at in the 500 block of Broadway:

Am I mistaken, or was Wissman’s barber shop in this location prior to Bob’s Shoe Service (or perhaps it was in a storefront that went away for the adjacent parking lot)? My Dad’s Parisian Cleaners was across the street at 510 Broadway.

Here’s aerial photo taken April 17, 2011, that shows the neighborhood in question. Bob’s Shoe Service is at 515 Broadway. Wissman’s Barbershop was were the parking lot is to the east of Bob’s. Trinity Lutheran Church is at right center. Annie Laurie’s Antiques is the white building on the northeast corner of Broadway and Frederick. Shivelbine’s is across the street from Annie Laurie’s.

515 Broadway Background

Taken from stories in The Missourian:

June 17, 1921 – Ad for Scott’s Coffee Store offered 10 lbs. pure cane sugar for 75 cents and promised freshly made peanut butter while you wait.
Oct. 14, 1921 – G.W. Tallent had an addition built onto his barber shop because he couldn’t find a bigger building to buy.
Dec. 11, 1924 – The Square Deal Variety Store advertised you could buy a velocipede for $2.75 up to $12.
Dec. 15, 1930 – Curious ad says “Regardless of what your stamp book may state, Bankers’ and Merchants Christmas Saving Stamps are now good any time before or after the first of the year. Do your Christmas shopping with these Christmas Savings Stamps – Profit-Sharing Stores. (Then it lists more than a dozen merchants whose names you’ll recognize)
July 15, 1935 – Square Deal Variety Store celebrates 20th anniversary with double Eagle Stamps.
April 16, 1942 – The battle to defend Australia, New Zealand and the islands of the South Pacific against the Japs is of particular interest to Mr. and Mrs. C.H. Shively, who own and operate the Square Deal Variety Store. They spent about 13 years in Australia before coming to Cape Girardeau. He was a representative of an American firm selling merchandise in that area. They didn’t reside in any particular place, but were traveling all the time. Mr. Shively said that he stayed in at least 500 hotels, as many as three in one day.
Oct. 29, 1945 – Norval Randol, recently discharged from the Army after five years of service, has completed negotiations for the purchase of the Square Deal Variety Store and building from Mr. and Mrs. C.H. Shively. Mr. and Mrs. Shively have operated the store for 29 years, 22 of them in the present location. Prior to that, it was located in the I. Ben Miller drug store building.
May 22, 1948 – Narvol A. Randol, owner of the Square Deal Variety Store, has installed a complete sales and service department for Maytag appliances. Walter R. Balcom is manager of the department.
April 7, 1967 – Bob’s Shoe Shop, which has been located the past nine years at 633 Broadway in a building owned by Martin Hecht, has moved to new quarters at 515 Broadway. It now occupies triple its former space in a building purchased by the shop’s owners, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Fuller, from Rex Lambert, who formerly operated a fabric shop there, but has since moved to a new location on Kingshighway north.
June 29, 1975 – A story and pictures about Bob Fuller turning cowhide into fine saddles.
June 20, 1985 – Bob’s Shoe Service has expanded several times to offer the largest selection of boots between St. Louis and Memphis. The latest expansion was to acquire the adjoining building at 517 Broadway. This has been converted to the BOOT ROOM, a showroom featuring over 2,500 pairs of boots.

507 Broadway

A number of buildings were torn down on the south side of the 500 block of Broadway to create this parking lot. This photo is looking west toward Bob’s Shoe Service at 515 Broadway.

Missourian stories and advertisements:

June 14, 1922 – Miss Minnie Brandon is expected to return home within the next few days from St. Louis where she purchased a stock of goods for a novelty store, which will open at 507 Broadway. The building she will occupy is now nearly completed. Miss Brandon is the niece of William Vedder.
Jan. 13, 1928 – Walter Mehrle will open the “Handy Grocery Store” at 507 Broadway, Saturday, and announced he will handle a complete line of groceries, vegetables, with a specialty of the last two. The building was formerly occupied by a fruit store. Mehrle was previously associated in the Mehrle Grocery Co. on the corner of Spanish and Independence streets.
Oct. 26, 1933 – Advertisement: J. Hughes Watchmaker & Jeweler. Repair work a specialty.
Jan. 4, 1936 – Attention: I have sold my interest in the Broadway Barber Shop and am now located at the old Talent Shop, 507 Broadway. Lester Wissman.
Mar. 18, 1938 – PATRICK – A son born yesterday at St. Francis Hospital to Mr. and Mrs. Lester Wissman, 1108 Independence street, was named James Patrick, his birthday being St. Patrick’s Day. Mrs. Wissman, formerly was Miss Marjory Davis of Jackson and Wissman operates a barbershop at 507 Broadway.
Aug. 31, 1939 – DAUGHTER – Mary Ann is the name that has been selected for the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lester Wissman, 101 North Boulevard, born Tuesday. She is the third child in the family, but the first girl, the others being Joe and Pat. She weighed 10 pounds. The father is the owner of a barber shop at 507 Broadway.
Nov. 29, 1946 – A plate glass window was broken out of the Lester Wissman barbershop, 507 Broadway, early Wednesday night. Police said some young people were playing old-fashioned whip cracker and that a girl was swung around against the glass, breaking it. It was also said the girl’s hand was cut against the glass.