Good Hope Archives

March 2, 2013February 28, 2022

A House in Haarig

I love prowling alleys. You can find the most interesting things. Mother and I stumbled onto this old house between Good Hope and Morgan Oak Streets. It was 615 of some street that wasn’t identified in Google Maps, so I’m going to assume that it was an unnamed alley.

I must have missed it before because of all the foliage that grows up around it when the weather is warm.

UPDATE: This was Shinbone alley

You can read a little of the history of Shinbone Alley in this 2007 Missourian story (and see a Fred Lynch photo of the same house).

Not in the National Register area

It’s technically not in the official Haarig Commercial District National Register of Historic Places – comprised of a limited number of buildings in the 600 block of Good Hope Street and the 300 block of South Sprigg street – but it is still in the area that most of us would consider Haarig.

If you are not familiar with the term “Haarig,” I’ll point you to the National Register of Historic Places application. It will tell you all about this small German settlement inside Cape Girardeau.

2018 Update: The house is gone

When I cruised down Shinbone Alley on May 15, 2018, all that was left of the old yellow house was a vacant lot.

Earlier posts about Good Hope and Haarig

Old house photo gallery

Here are some other shots of the old 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. If you have any information about the house, please chime in.

February 19, 2013

A Rainy Night in Cape Girardeau

Ever wonder why car ads always show wet roads, but it’s never raining? It’s because all the reflections are REALLY neat. This is southbound on Kingshighway south of Broadway. (You can click on the photos to make them larger.)

I had to make a run to UPS to send a thumb drive full of photos to the Athen (OH) Historical Society and Museum. When I stopped by there last month, I left off a bunch of photos I took when I worked in Athens back in the late ’60s and early 70s. Friend Jan and I had barely gotten out of town when curator Jessica Cyders pinged me to ask if I thought it would be possible to put together an exhibit on the Martin Luther King National Day of Mourning I shot in 1968 by February 27 to cap off a Black History Month conference. Since Jessica and Danielle Echols were doing to do most of the heavy lifting, I agreed.

I’m flying out to speak to the group at the end of the month, and I’m busy putting together a show catalog right now. It’s neat that someone thinks my old stuff is worth sharing.

Tuesday I’m supposed to speak to a historical preservation class at Southeast Missouri State University. I threw in a lot of new Cape-specific stuff this afternoon, so what I say is going to be as big a surprise to me as it will be to the class.

Stop light at Pacific and Independence

After I dropped the drive at UPS, I decided I’d drive around looking for rain art. Photographers always thought life was unfair. Reporters did weather stories by calling the weather bureau, digging out clips about the Last Big Storm and, if they could be bothered, looking out the windows. Photographers had to get their shoes muddy.

Old Traffic Bridge

Downtown was kinda blah, so I stopped by what remains of the old Traffic Bridge.

Since I retired, my new contract says that I don’t go hungry, get wet or lift heavy objects. These photos were all taken from inside my van with the heater running.

Haarig or Good Hope

The wind and rain were really whipping from the south when I paused on Good Hope looking west toward Sprigg. It was coming across the road in sheets.

Pacific looking south from SEMO

I figured I’d better scope out where I’m supposed to be presenting Tuesday, so I went up Pacific to the Carnahan Building. On the way back I tried to capture the rain coming up the street and down the hill. These are the times I envy the TV guys with their video. It’s tough to get across the concept of driving rain in a still.

Through the windshield

When an oncoming car lit up the water droplets on the windshield, the camera’s autofocus thought that’s what I wanted to shoot. It’s neat, and I’m glad it happened, but it wasn’t my target.

September 6, 2012September 2, 2015

632 Good Hope and LeBlanc’s

This iconic sign on the door at 632 Good Hope caught my eye. I’m not sure what “LeBlanc’s” refers to, although a steaming cup should give some kind of clue. Unnerstall’s Drug Store, at 630 Good Hope, had a similar “name” door sign. (Click on the photos to make them larger.)

The 1968 City Directory lists Covington’s Midtown Restaurant at that address. The 1979 directory had it listed as Mary Dee Cafe. The May 13, 1927 Missourian had a large ad for Krogers at 632 Broadway, 42 North Main Street, 632 Good Hope Street and 1133 Broadway. (You could buy 1-1/2 lb. Double Loaf Bead for 10 cents or a “large bunch” of carrots for 6 cents.

Was Farmers’ and Merchants’ Bank

The National Register of Historic Places registration form for Haarig says the 632 address originally housed the Farmers’ & Merchants’ Bank, and was home to photographer G.A. Kassel, and dentists Shelton and Popp.

Built around 1900

The register continues: This two-story brick building displays Italianate influences and was built ca. 1900. The original storefront has been removed and replaced with ca. 1960 brick bulkheads, aluminum and glass display windows, and an aluminum and glass entrance. The transom has been covered with metal panels. In the west bay of the storefront is an entrance leading to the second floor staircase. This entrance has a ca. 1970 solid wood door. In the upper facade are original one-over-one wood sash windows with added metal storm windows. The windows have stone sills and header course segmental arches. Above the windows is a row of corbelled brick and recessed panels with metal grilles. At the roofline is corbelled brick and terra cotta coping.

“Dutch” one of Dad’s laborers, lived in an upstairs room in this block. It might have been in this building.

June 19, 2012

Hirsch’s Midtown

Reader Bob Reese was kind enough to loan me a copy of Cape’s 1956 Sesquicentennial book. It took me half a day to scan it, but it’s a treasure trove of information, just for the advertisements alone. A lot of them are plain text “Congratulations for surviving 150 years,” but there are a few with logos and artwork I don’t remember seeing. (You can click on the images to make them larger.)

Hirsch Bros stores sold in 1955

The Southeast Weekly Bulletin had a story on December 22, 1955, that Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Hirsch have announced sale of the Hirsch Bros. Company’s two retail outlets in Cape Girardeau, Mr. and Mrs. Vernon V. Fee having purchased the Hirsch Bros. No. 1 store at Good Hope and Sprigg Streets, and George Hirsch now being the owner of the Hirsch Bros. No. 2 store at Main and Mill Streets.

Mr. and Mrs. Fee, who will operate the No. 1 store, plan to call it Hirsch’s Midtown. They have indicated that they will consolidate the grocery and variety departments and operate them as a self-service unit. Gilbert Popp will be assistant manager, with Bob Fee assisting in management of the food section and Richard Riddle in charge of the meat department.

The No. 2 store will be known as Hirsch’s Northtown, with Mr. and Mrs. George Hirsch in charge. The store will be redecorated, with some interior changes made.

The Hirsch Brothers Co. will remain an active corporation, retaining ownership of the store buildings and its other holdings. An office will retained in the Hirsch Building and the present officers will continue. They are Alfred Hirsch, president; George Hirsch, vice president, Mrs. Florence Hirsch Fee, treasurer, and Mrs. Alfred Hirsch, secretary. Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Hirsch have announced their complete retirement from the retail business.

Building is holding up well

The old Midtown building is still in pretty good shape, compared with its neighbors on Haarig’s Good Hope Street.

I can remember going in there with Mother when I was a kid, but we were more of a Broadway and Child’s customer, probably because we lived on the north end of the world. I’m almost positive that I was never in the Northtown store at Mill Street and Main.

Wife Lila, who lived just a few blocks from the store, remembers it more as a department store. I remember it for groceries. I guess it all depends on what kind of shopping your parents did there.