While rooting through some of Dad’s old files, I ran across a bid that Steinhoff, Kirkwood and Joiner, General Contractors, had proposed to do the site clearing and grading for the “New High School Building, located on Caruthers Avenue, north of Independence, Cape Girardeau, Missouri.”
They offered to do all the excavation, fill and drainage work (except for the removal of rocks and trees), for $25,000
Trees and rocks were extra
The charge for removing trees would be based on the number of inches around, measured 18″ above existing grade. It would cost $2 per inch of diameter.
They would be paid $3 per cubic yard for rock removal.
The job went to Dixie Contractors
Unfortunately for Steinhoff, Kirkwood & Joiner, the school board awarded the job to Dixie Contractors of Cape.
I went through almost a month of Southeast Missourians to see what the winning bid was, but I either missed it, or the meeting where it was announced was outside the window I checked.
Should have been familiar with the neighborhood
Dad should have been familiar with the future site of the high school. We lived in one of the first homes built in the block of Themis just east of the school.
Mother often talked about how the site CHS sits on was once a swampy field with a dead horse in it.
Surety bond was returned
Since SK&J didn’t get the job, the school board returned their surety bond. I’ll post that as a gallery in case anyone knows any of the people who signed it. You can click on any of the three images to make it larger, then use the arrows to move through the other documents.
The bond was issued by United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company, doing business as W.E. Walker in Cape. Other names mentioned included P.F. Lee, G.P Moore, Dorothy Drexel, and M. Luther Pittman.
