October 2010

October 11, 2010April 12, 2015

Cape’s Alice’s Restaurant

Becky Hoppe Jones left a message after I ran the aerial photo of the area around the Common Pleas Courthouse:

I’d be interested in seeing a photo of the old Baptist church just up Broadway from First National Bank. You can see the white steeple in some of your aerial photos.

I went to church there until the early to mid-70’s. Then our congregation sold it to another congregation. It was left empty awhile later and then around 2000 was renovated and opened with an antique store in the sanctuary. The classroom space in the back of the building had been remodeled into living quarters.

As I recall there was a small room up a flight of stairs from the back of the sanctuary that would have been in the base of the bell tower. You can see the arched window in your first shot. Not sure I’d want to live there, though.

Made me think of Alice’s Restaurant

When I photographed the church last fall, I saw the realty sign on the front and immediately thought of Arlo’s Guthrie’s Alice’s Restaurant:

“Now it all started two Thanksgivings ago, was two years ago on Thanksgiving, when my friend and I went up to visit Alice at the restaurant, but Alice doesn’t live in the restaurant, she lives in the church nearby the restaurant, in the bell-tower, with her husband Ray and Fasha the dog.”

Boyd Hobbs painted steeple in 1967

The Missourian cutline that ran under one of my photos read, “Boyd Hobbs, a Cape Girardeau painter, is silhouetted against the sky as he applies a fresh coat of paint to the steeple of the General Baptist Church at 200 Broadway.”

How did he tie the rope?

The cutline continued, “The Rev. Elvis O. Wilson, pastor, said he believes both the church and steeple were built in 1893. The steeple was last painted seven years ago.” The question that DIDN’T get answered was, “How did he get the rope loop that he’s hanging from tied to the steeple?

Steeple due for more paint

Looks like Mr. Hobbs better pull out his rope again. The steeple’s beginning to show some rust.

Now it all started two Thanksgivings ago, was on - two years ago on
Thanksgiving, when my friend and I went up to visit Alice at the
restaurant, but Alice doesn't live in the restaurant, she lives in the
church nearby the restaurant, in the bell-tower, with her husband Ray and
Fasha the dog.

October 9, 2010March 3, 2015

Al Spradling Jr and III

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that this is Al Spradling, Jr., commonly known around Cape as Senator. Spradling was the youngest person to be elected to the Missouri Senate in 1952, when he was 31. He retired from the Senate in 1977, after a 25-year career. He championed mental health programs and helped pass the state’s open meetings law.

He died in 2004 at 84. The Missourian’s obituary contains some interesting tidbits about Al Spradling Jr. that I didn’t know.

Al Spradling III

Al was in the class of ’65. It was a scary thing when I heard that he was actually Mayor of Cape Girardeau. People you grew up with don’t have any business running towns and the country. There are more photos of Al III (I don’t recall anybody ever calling him that in high school) in some negatives Jim Stone had squirreled away.

Al Spradling III and Andy McLean

I shot this photo of Al Spradling III at some event at SEMO, probably a football game. The fellow with his hand brushing his nose is Andy McLean, the best man at my wedding in 1969. I met Andy, another photographer, at SEMO. We ran around together until I transferred to Ohio University.

Sometime in the 80s, long before Google, the newspaper bought a collection of CD-ROMS that had telephone numbers for everybody in the country on them. Of course, we all spent time in the newspaper morgue (that’s what we called the library before political correctness) looking up old friends and relatives.

When I got a chance, I searched for Andy, who had lived in the St. Louis area.

“May I speak with Andy McLean?”

“Hello,” I said. “May I speak with Andy McLean?”

“He’s dead,” a male voice on the other end of the line said matter-of-factly.

Somewhat taken aback, I stumbled on. “The Andy McLean I’m looking for was the best man at my wedding in 1969. I got a letter saying he had been drafted, then nothing else. Are we talking about the same one.”

“OK, I’m not dead.” Andy McLean fessed up. “You’d be amazed at how that cuts down on telemarketing calls.”

Now that I think of it, that was the last time we talked. I guess I should see if he’s still Not Dead the next time I visit Bro Mark in St. Louis.

October 7, 2010

Arena Park Stock Car Scuffle

Not all of the action happened ON the track at the Arena Park stock car races. Police officers break up a dust-up along the sidelines.

Nobody seems particularly worked up about the scuffle. Even the guy getting stuffed into the police car seems to be taking it in stride. Things were a lot more casual in those days. I can’t imagine a cop letting a perp get his hand that close to his sidearm today.

I think one of these photos may have won a minor prize in a Missouri Press Association contest, which says more about the quality of the competition and the dearth of spot news in the state than it does about the quality of the pictures.

October 6, 2010September 17, 2022

Auto Shop Class

Back in May, I published a gallery of photos of shop classes at Central High School, along with some of my musings about my mechanical ability. It didn’t get much response.

I just found more photos of what I assume is auto shop class. I don’t remember Central having this large a workshop, so I’ll let someone tell me what school it is if it’s not Central.

Gallery of auto shop photos

Click on a photo to make it larger, then click on the left or right side to move through the gallery.