Tag: Smelterville

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I Only Borrow the Souls

One of the most rewarding things about doing this blog is the opportunity to connect readers with their pasts. I’ve been asked a lot of times over the years how to take pictures. Most of the times I dismiss the question by saying something like, “I walk in, draw a box around a tiny segment of time, then walk out.”

Or, I might paraphrase Bob Greene, a Chicago columnist, “I make people love me for 28 minutes, then I steal their souls.”

Doing this blog has taught me that I didn’t really ‘steal” the souls. I merely borrowed them for three, four or five decades. Now I’m returning them.

When I started circulating photos I had taken in Smelterville in the mid-60s, one of them made it into the hands of Fay Powders. It was her mother, and it was the only photograph she has of her. Watch the video to hear Fay talk about it.

Cheating death

When I ran the story about Lester Harris, a SW Bell repairman who would cheat death by dangling from a cable chair suspended over the Diversion channel (a cable that had probably been damaged by people shooting at it), family, friends and coworkers all shared stories about the man. He was also featured in a story about stock car racers at Arena Park.

I particularly like this one from Jennifer Adams: Lester Harris is my grandpa. I live next to him and when I came home today he was telling me all about this. He always told me stories of him working for Southwestern Bell but never saw pictures of it until today. Thanks for posting these pictures!!”

Lester’s daughter, Sandy Harris Lyke, sent this update September 24, “My Dad has been very ill this past year. He could use all the prayers people want to send his way.”

“Great operator, greater father”

Judy Finley spotted her dad operating a crane in a story about construction projects at SEMO. I’m using that photo and quote in my Altenburg presentation.

When I shot pictures of the last days before The Palm Beach Post farmed out its award-winning production department, I wrote, “I’ve always believed that every worker should be able to show his or her kids and grandkids what they did for a living.”

 

 

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Lohmann Fixture Company

Lohmann Fixture Company is about the only old building left in what used to be called Smelterville. You have to look hard to see it peeking above South Sprigg Street.

The road has been raised to keep it from flooding. Seeing how far Lohmann’s is below street level will give you an idea how low the community was and why it flooded every few years.

Lohmann’s in 2008

Brother Mark and I paused on one of our bike rides to shoot a few photos of the building in 2008.

Lohmann’s in 2010

Niece Laurie Everett wanted to go on a photo ramble in the fall of 2010. We spent some time down at the 1929 railroad bridge over Cape LaCroix Creek, then we did some “peeling paint” photos of the old building.

Tool Ghosts

I always like to spot traces of things no longer there.

Not much info on business

I saw some Missourian briefs about rummage sales to be held in the building, but not many other stories. The 1968 City Directory had a listing for Lohmann Fixture Company at 2300 South Sprigg. The building has 2200 on the front of it, but I assume it’s the same business. Clarence A. Lohmann was listed as the president of the company.

Clarence A. Lohmann

I found an obituary for Clarence A. Lohmann in the October 13,2008, Missourian.

“Clarence A. Lohmann, 89, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008 at The Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau.

He was born May 11, 1919, in Cape Girardeau, son of Edward and Emma Kohlfeld Lohmann. He and Vera (Felter)Lohmann were married Nov. 18, 1939, in Chaffee, Mo.”

Served in World War II

“Lohmann was owner of Lohmann Supply Co. and Semo Leasing for 60 years. He served in the U.S. Navy in World War II and was a member of VFW Post 3838 and American Legion Post 63. He was a member of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, where he served as Eucharistic Minister, and was a member of Cursillo, St. Vincent Society Men’s Club. He also was a member of Father Marquette Knights of Columbus 11205 and Thomas A. Langen 4th Degree Council and served as Faithful Navigator. He belonged to the Jesuit White House Retreat.

He was a former member of the Jaycees and charter member of the Exchange Club of Cape Girardeau for 50 years. He formerly belonged to Kimbeland Country Club and the Refrigeration Service Engineer Society. He graduated from Rankin Technical School of St. Louis.”

Mr. Lohmann’s family

“Survivors include his wife, Vera Lohman of Cape Girardeau; a son, Dan (Tammy) Lohmann of Cape Girardeau; a daughter, Jane Lohmann of Houston; a grandson, Kirk Lohmann of Cape Girardeau; and a brother, Elmer Lohmann of Scott City.

He was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers, Elvis Lohmann, Arnold Lohmann and Richard Lohmann; and a sister, Erma Richter.”

Photo gallery of Lohmann’s Fixture Company

Here are a few more photos of the building, including an aerial. Click on any photo to make it larger, then click on the left or right side of the image to move through the gallery.

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Smelterville’s Billy and Margaret

In the spring of 1967, I had a Missourian assignment to shoot a cleanup in Smelterville – called South Cape or South Cape Suburb in Missourian style. I mentioned in an earlier blog post that I used that as an excuse to wander around the community taking pictures of kids, adults, homes and piles of trash.

When I unearthed the photos a couple of years ago and started showing them around, I realized I had half a treasure: I needed to track the subjects down to see what had happened to them. I kept following promising lead after promising lead until this weekend when I struck pay dirt.

Family reunions

I was lucky enough to be in town for the First Annual Vine Street Connection and a reunion of the pioneer families of Smelterville: the Turners, Phifers, Wrens, Beals, Robinsons, Underwoods, etc.

My biggest break was sitting down with Fay Beal Powders, who is related to almost everybody I had photographed in the ’60s and knew most of the rest. One of my subjects was her mother. It was the only photograph of her she had ever seen. “I had the picture in my car and I had to pull off the road twice because I was so overcome by emotion,” she said.

On Saturday, she tracked down the adult versions of the two kids with the cat.

Here is her brother Billy (it’s Bill now, he says pointedly) Beal and his first cousin Margaret Turner. The cat, I was told, had exhausted all nine of its lives long ago and wasn’t available

Title is going to change

I’m going to turn the project into a book. The couple dozen prototypes with me were snatched up as quickly as I could hand them out. Even if it doesn’t make it into general circulation, there are a lot of folks who like to remember the caring, tight-knit community they grew up in. I wish I had spent more time documenting it.

My working title – Smelterville: The Shame of Cape – is going to change. Everyone I talked with was confused. “We weren’t ashamed,” they pointed out.

I had to explain that the shame was that Cape Girardeau would neglect a part of town in a way that would never have been acceptable north of Tollgate Hill.

I’ve heard some wonderful and moving stories in the past week and I have a list of more folks I have to interview. You’ll be hearing a lot about Smelterville as  work my way through it.

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$2 Million Shawnee Park Center

June 17, 1959, The Missourian reported that citizens and churches were trying to raise $5,500 in operating expenses for the Smelterville Civic Center to be opened in the renovated Hartle building..

Fifty-two years later, a March 16, 2011, story by Scott Moyers said that the $2 million Shawnee Park Center was going to open March 28. Quite a contrast. (Click on any photo to make it larger.)

For years, residents in the central area had the Arena Building for activities; the Osage Center and the water park was built later for the northern part of the city. South Cape, always the municipal step child, was pretty much neglected until the Shawnee Park Center was built at 835 S. West End Blvd, next to the Shawnee Sports Complex..

14,541 square feet

The 14,541 square-foot facility includes:

  • 6,500-square-foot gym.
  • 870-square-foot fitness room.
  • 720-square-foot activity room.
  • 1,540-square-foot meeting room that can be divided into two rooms.
  • A full-service kitchen.

Stories about old Civic Center

  • June 17, 1959 – A special committee composed of 70 Cape Girardeau groups planned to raise $5,500 for operating funds for a Smelterville Civic Center. The funds would come from three sources: many churches agreed to contribute 10 cents per communicant to provide start-up money; donations from civic clubs and industrial firms would be solicited, and a giant variety show using local talent would be held.
  • May 9, 1960 – Report of accomplishments: attendance increased from 15 to 20 children on a Saturday to over 100; demand grew so much that arrangements were made to use the May Greene School gym for Saturday athletic programs; a state-sponsored program taught many women in Smelterville the use of sewing machines; a quilting program had been started; the county medical society gave assistance and an eye clinic was held.
  • May 11, 1960 –  Stephen Limbaugh, Miss Bertie Cleino and Rev. Owen Whitfield were elected to the Civic Center board of directors. Henry Ochs reviewed the center’s accomplishments and said that plans were being made to add washing machines and bathing facilities to the building. Gary Rust talked about expansion plans. Fred Thomas reported on Saturday activities. C.C. McClue announced a fundraising drive for June.
  • May 10, 1961 – Mississippi River was expected to crest at 39 feet, the fourth highest point since the modern record of 42.4 feet on May 27, 1943. [That compares with 48.49 ft on August 8, 1993.] Some Smelterville families move into the Civic Center when their homes flooded. The rise was unexpected. The river came up 6.9 feet in 48 hours.
  • Dec. 23, 1966 – SEMO students insured that Christmas presents were available to children at the Civic Center.

Links to old Civic Center photos

I’ve done two stories with photos of old Civic Center activities:

 

 

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