December 2012

December 7, 2012

Flo’s Only Accident in 29 Years

On the way to or from a basketball tournament Feb. 27, 1967, I encountered Flo’s Cab which had been involved in a minor crash. The hit was hard enough to dislodge the luggage rack from atop the station wagon, but I don’t see any windshield dimples, so it must not have been too bad. On top of that, it looks like I rated it worth only one shot.

What I didn’t know until I just read a Nov. 23, 1974, Missourian story was that I managed to capture Flo’s only accident. “Flo said she was involved in one minor accident in 1967 when the pavement was wet from rain. Her parked cabs have been struck at times by other moving vehicles, she said.”

As far as I know, I never photographed Flo. She was one of those formidable characters who intimidated me.

Flo stories

When you are one of the first female cab drivers and you are a fixture for 29 years, you are well known.

December 7, 2012March 2, 2021

It’s All About the Sno Cone

I confused so many people with my photos of what might have been an American Legion / Babe Ruth group shot that I’m going to play it safe. If you can believe the names on the uniforms, this contest was between the Cardinals and the Red Sox.

This Red Sox player is enjoying his sno cone on his way off the field. HE knows what’s important: it’s not whether you win or lose; it’s whether or not you get a post-game sno cone.His mother would probably swear the youngster has a halo over his head, but I can attest to it being the lights on the field in the background.

(Even THIS post has a confusing element: I saw the sugary concoction made from flavored syrup and crush ice spelled “sno cone,” “sno-cone” and “snow cone.” Take your pick.)

Red Sox and Cardinals photo gallery

Here are photos from the Cardinals – Red Sox baseball game some time in the late middle ’60s. Click on any image to make it larger, then click on the left or right side of the photo to move through the gallery.

December 6, 2012

Cape’s Dew Drop Cafe

When I wrote about the Dew Drop Inn in Bloomsdale, I mentioned ones in nine other states. What I didn’t know until contacted by Jeffry Lynn Boswell Hawk was that Cape had its own Dew Drop at 111 North Main Street. She was kind enough to share some photos of her grandparents and the interior of the store. Here is her account:

MY GRANDPARENTS (Homer and Madge Boswell) OWNED A SMALL CAFE CALLED “DEW-DROP IN” IN THE LATE 40’S. It was located next door to The (OLD) First National Bank on Main Street. It was in the building that recently housed Brown Shoe Store (which has now moved out on Broadridge) in Cape.

As a little girl of about 3-4 years of age, I spent a lot of time with my grandparents in their cafe. The Tot & Teen Shop was a couple doors north next to Osterloh’s Book Store. I would run up there and see Miss Mercer, who would dress me in real cute little outfits and then tell me to “run back down and show your grandma how cute you look.” Of course, my grandparents couldn’t resist the outfits and I had many beautiful clothes as a little girl!

One day, I ran down the street in front of Hecht’s where a fire hydrant was sticking out between Hecht’s and the adjoining building. Curious, I stuck my hand in the hydrant to see what was in there and IT GOT STUCK on the swinging flap (like a Japanese finger lock). Anyway, the old night watchman, Sam Tucker, heard me hollering for my Grandma and helped me get out of the big trap and took me up to my Grandparents’ DEW-DROP IN and told them what happened. Everyone knew everyone on Main Street and they all watched out for each other. Those were some wonderful days!

Inside the Dew Drop Cafe

The Missourian had a business brief September 10, 1945: H.O. Boswell of Cape Girardeau has purchased the Dew Drop confectionery, 111 North Main Street, from Charles Barranco, who has operated the business on Main for 36 years. Mr. Barranco will retain the building.

Mr. and Mrs. Boswell will operate the business, and he said meals, as well as fountain service, will be featured. He and a son, Homer F. Boswell, for a year have operated the Plaza Cafe on Broadway, and Homer Boswell now has taken full charge of the Plaza. Mr. Barranco said he will retire from business, at least for the present.

December 4, 2012

Riding the Bus

This shot of kids boarding the bus on the south side of Central High School in 1966 has some interesting things in the background. First off, Millikan Car lot is loaded with cars. Griff’s Burger Bar is just out of the frame. There’s a billboard pitching Suedekum and Son Hardware. The Sinclair Dino gasoline in Cape Girardeau sign is for Huckstep Oil Company.

In the far background you can see students walking home down Caruthers.

Standing room only

I remember some days that the bus had late riders standing in the aisle, but I didn’t think it was THIS crowded. I think the Class of 66 might have been bigger than the Class of 65, so that would explain it.

I didn’t mind riding the bus. The driver was a SEMO student picking up some spare money. He was a nice guy; in fact he and his girlfriend would come by the house some evenings and I would help them with their homework and provide them reference materials. I think he was writing some papers on topics we covered in debate.

Bright and early

Maybe I’m wrong, but it seems like the bus came by the house at an ungodly hour, like 7 a.m. I had a curious study routine. I found out that if I did my homework before going to bed that I would drag it out and procrastinate for hours.

If, on the other hand, I calculated about how long I thought it would take me to do the homework and got up, leaving just enough time to do it, eat breakfast and get dressed before the bus got there, I could get a decent night’s sleep. It was the classic adage of “A task will expand to occupy all of the time available to it.” Seeing that deadline marching toward me allowed me to focus on the job, something that I always liked about the news business.

When I moved to North Carolina, I was surprised to see they allowed high school students to be bus drivers. The driver would take his (it was a guy thing) bus home at the end of the route and start out from home at the start of the next day. I think the safety record was amazing. I don’t recall ever working a wreck involving a student driver, which is pretty amazing, considering some of the roads they had to go on.