Cape Girardeau History and Photos
News photos that have grown whiskers and have become history
This photo was taken in 1966 or 1967. I read somewhere that this is one of the best views of the Mississippi River you can get without leaving the comfort of your car.
If you don’t mind a short walk, I like the overlooks at the Trail of Tears State Park north of Cape or the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers in Cairo.
It’s hard to imagine your parents being young. Here’s a shot of L.V. Steinhoff when he was 14. The photos are from a scrapbook he put together when he was in high school on Pacific Street.
Dad’s full name was Louis Vera Steinhoff. The Vera came from an aunt’s name, if I remember correctly. He didn’t exactly advertise his middle name. The “Junior” nickname was because he was named after his father.
He dropped the “Junior” when he got older. (Much like I’ve tried to get shed of “Kenny.”) Only a handful of his oldest friends and family used that term. Most of the men who worked for him called him Louie or L.V.
You can barely read the fading “Big Feet”caption on this photo. It says underneath the photo that it was taken at May Greene School. He must have been friends with some of this teachers because he has pictures of some of them in casual poses around the school grounds..
Maybe being a photographer gave him access that normal students wouldn’t have had. He and Master Photographer Paul Leuders were contemporaries and members of the Kodak Club in high school.
One of the most frequently-asked questions is “What is that symbol on the side of Central High’s wall over the auditorium entrance?” Nobody has come up with an answer.
Here’s a look at it on a rainy day, probably in 1965. I think Mrs. Muegge is the woman in the dark dress on the left. The two women in the doorway on the right may have worked in the library. You can click on the photos to make them larger.
Here’s a view of it at night that appeared in the back of the 1965 Girardot. I shot it using the school’s Crown Graphic 4×5 camera.
I went back to recreate the photo in 2009. Here’s how the photos were taken then and now.
From The Missourian: Sylvester Johnson, Cape Central’s football and basketball standout, fulfilled one of his greatest dreams – to wear Principal Dallas Albers‘ suspenders – at the recent basketball homecoming dance.
Mr. Albers, an inveterate suspenders-wearer, noticed Syl admiring the pants-holder-uppers at an assembly one day, so he made a “deal” with him: if the team won the homecoming game with Sikeston, Syl wouldn’t have to worry about his pants falling down at the dance – they would be securely held up by the coveted suspenders.
To make a long story short, Central did just that – and Mr. Albers, is shown here wearing a belt (“because I had confidence in my boys”) pinning the prize on the season’s high scorer.
Miss Beth Barringer, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Barringer of 1012 North Middle, was crowned Central High School Basketball Homecoming Queen. The queen and her court are, from left, Miss Mary Ann Sides, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.O. Sides of 1403 Bessie; Miss Debbie Elfrink, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Elfrink of 1216 Butler; Miss Barringer; Miss Linda Stone, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Stone of 1744 Themis, and Miss Ruth Wilson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Walter A. Wilson of 527 Amethyst.
Serving as escorts were Brad Horky, son of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Horky of 1447 Broadway; Terry Robinson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Robinson of 1708 Montgomery; Mike Johnson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel B. Johnson of 1301 Bertling; Richard Baker, son of Dwight Baker of 121 North Clark, and Sylvester Johnson, son of Mrs. Lula Mae Johnson of 910 Giboney.