Casino/Shoe Factory Archives

April 2, 2013December 28, 2014

Mississippi River Water Haul

Firefighters call a false alarm a “water haul.” I had a water haul on April 19. 1967. I saw that The Missourian was going to run some stories that the Mississippi was reaching flood stage, so I cruised around shooting “wild art” hoping that jBlue might be looking for something to illustrate them. Unfortunately for my pocketbook, the water never got high enough that it warranted more than brief stories with no pictures.

The river WAS backing up into Sloan Creek, but it had a long way to go before it was going to cause any problems in the Red Star District. That’s the shoe factory in the background. Here is a history of one of Cape’s leading employers, now the site of the casino.

Honker’s Boat Dock

This youngster is tempting fate at Honker’s Boat Dock. You can see the water get higher in these photos taken in June.

August 14, 2012December 28, 2014

Cape Casino Update

Here’s a panorama of the Isle Casino Cape Girardeau taken August 3, 2012. Click on the photos to make them larger.

August 17, 2011

Here’s what it looked like a year earlier. Here’s an account of how the photo was done.

Earlier Casino / Shoe Factory stories

June 21, 2012December 28, 2014

Hirsch’s Northtown

When I published a piece on Hirsch’s Midtown, formerly known as Hirsch Bros. No. 1, and the establishment of Hirsch Bros. No. 2 as Hirsch’s Northtown, I mentioned that I didn’t think I had ever been in the Mill Street and Main Street store.

Susan Fee Means commented on Facebook, “Ken – if you’d ever been to The Mule Lip, across from the old shoe factory on Main St, then you’d been to the Hirsch #2 store. Or at least the building.”

I led a sheltered life. I was never in The Mule Lip or its reincarnation as Margarita Mama’s. Now that the casino has leveled that area, I guess I missed my chance.

[Note: we made it as far as Lake City, Fla., tonight. I’m staying in a nice Comfort Suites I’ve stayed at before. I pulled in shortly before midnight after driving through moderate to heavy rain most of the day. The desk clerk gave me her “Your eyes sure are bloodshot super discount” that she said was even better than the alphabet soup list of names I usually give her.]

January 16, 2012

Knights of Columbus Hall

This photo of men was taken in the Knights of Columbus Hall on April 2, 1967, if the note on the negative sleeve is to be believed. I searched for it in The Missourian, but didn’t see it. Either it didn’t run or I shot it as a freelance job.

Some of the men look familiar, but the only one I can identify for sure is the man in the back row, on the left. That’s Ray Seyer, Wife Lila’s uncle. You’ll be hearing more about him soon. Lila went back to Cape for his 90th birthday party Saturday.

These are men who wear serious, built-to-last wingtip shoes. I wonder if they were made in the Cape Shoe Factory? Click on any photo to make it larger.

The KC Hall

The Knights of Columbus Hall that overlooks the Mississippi River is one of those buildings that I would recognize at a glance, but haven’t had many occasions to visit. My most vivid memory is abandoning my date – probably Lila – in my car in the parking lot one night while I dashed off to shoot a fire in a neighboring building.

Casino vs. Bingo?

Will the Bingo players keep coming or will the Casino dry up that income for local charities and groups?

A family photo

The last time I was inside the KC Hall was after Lila’s mother’s funeral. The family gathered there to reminisce and to snack on food friends had brought. Inevitably, cameras came out and the picture-taking started. This sequence shows Son Adam with his Uncle John Perry. The family resemblance is plain.