Ken Steinhoff, Author at Cape Girardeau History and Photos

June 15, 2012February 19, 2016

Old McKendree Chapel in 1962

Old McKendree Chapel is one of those other places I always swing by when I’m home. Maybe one of the appeals is the way the site changes so little. This photo was taken in 1962.

Some trees are missing

Storms and old age have taken their toll on a lot of the trees, but the grounds look much the same in this photo from 2006. One of the biggest changes in the building itself was the removal of the weatherboard siding in 1977. There’s some controversy over which is the “authentic” rendition of the building. You can read a more complete history of the church in a 2010 post where I described the nefarious trap the Methodists set to recruit wayward Lutherans.

Logs had been covered

The same Lutheran-snagging door shown in this 1962 photo is still there, even if the siding is gone.

Photo used on phone book

One of my 2010 photos was used on the cover of the Cape-Jackson telephone directory.

Lane leading to chapel

The old chapel sticks out when the leaves are off the trees.

June 15, 2012

Who’s Who or Who’s That?

Memory is a funny thing. I looked at this Central High School auditorium assembly and immediately started assigning names to folks I hadn’t thought of in years, but then I looked at faces that were very familiar and couldn’t dredge up a name to save my soul.

I don’t know if this is a photographic Who’s Who of Central’s finest or if they cause a flicker because I’ve seen them on the wall of the Post Office. Click on the photos to make them larger.

I see, in no particular order, Shari Stiver, Claudia Modder, Chuck Dockins, Gail Tibbles, Marilyn Maevers, Craig Brinkman, Stephen Crowe, Don Call, Lee Dehringer, Yvonne Askew, Joan Amlingmeyer, Janey Crites, John David Finch, Jay Fred Waltz and David Stovall. I don’t see Pat Sommers, but he’ll be pleased to know that there is at least one student in the photo shooting me the bird. Maybe Pat sent in a substitute.

Packed hallways

Whatever was happening in the assembly must have been good. The hallways are packed with students headed to the auditorium. That looks like Randy Morse in the striped shirt on the right.

No hallway rage here

There is plenty of congestion, but nobody seems to be particularly put out at the gridlock.

Wayne Goddard has eye on Jim Feldmeier

Assistant Principal Wayne Goddard, left, has his eye on Jim Feldmeier, student body president. He’s sure Jim is cooking up something behind that cherubic expression. I don’t know who the girl next to him is, but she’s eyeing the podium with a look of fright. She and Jim appear to be the only ones clutching notes.

I can’t tell from the mix of teachers what might have been going on. I recognize art teacher Edna Glenn. Third from the right is English teacher Cecile Busch and, to the right of her is Latin teacher Susan May. I can’t place the man on the end. Principal Fred Wilferth is at the podium.

Take it from someone who has stood behind that podium, it was both a massive wooden structure and a tiny splinter that never felt big enough to hide behind when you were facing a packed auditorium of your peers.

Journalism, music, sports

The right side of the stage has an even more eclectic mix. Henry Crites, left, taught journalism; Ken Webster, physics; Gene Bryant, vocal music; Coach Robert Goodwin is staring intently at Mr. Wilferth. He’s thinking, “As soon as the principal clears the stage, I’m gonna have that scrawny photographer running around the track until his wheels fall off.” I don’t know the two on the right.

June 14, 2012June 14, 2012

1963 Faculty Softball Game

From time to time, there’d be student vs faculty ball games, but this appears to be an all-faculty softball game on the southeast corner of the Central High School campus. The negatives were dated 1963. You can click on the pictures to make them larger.

That might be Senor Dan Moore, Spanish teacher, pitching.

Calvin Chapman is on third

Debate coach Calvin Chapman is tagging up on third. I don’t know who the other players are. It’s a real high-class game: they’re using a baseball mitt for home plate.

Coach Goodwin crosses plate

Coach Robert Goodwin crosses the “plate,” but it’s hard to tell if he beat the throw.

You can see from my shadow in the lower righthand corner that I’m trying as hard as possible to hide behind the school’s 4×5 Crown Graphic camera. Hiding from Coach Goodwin was something I practiced as often as possible. My ilk was usually beneath his notice, but when he DID notice me, nothing good happened.

June 13, 2012April 20, 2025

Ross’s Leaves Downtown Jackson

Longtime downtown Jackson business Ross Furniture is moving to East Jackson Blvd. from South High Street, a story in The Missourian reported June 12, 2012. The store had been at that location since 1979. As Cape’s business center has shifted west, I guess it’s only logical that Jackson’s would move east. The furniture store had one of the two bay windows that existed in the Courthouse Square area. It must have been exciting to look up and down the street and toward the courthouse Back in The Day.

[Editor’s note: I have been taken to task by some readers who have pointed out that Jackson has an UPtown, not a DOWNtown, like Cape.]

Looking north toward Courthouse

Late afternoon isn’t the best time in of the day to shoot a north-south street. I was limited to shooting the businesses on the east side of the street because of dark shadows.

Even though I worked at The Jackson Pioneer, I have very few memories of Jackson’s main drag. I covered lots of governmental meetings and school activities, but there must not have been much happening in the business district.

Well, I have vague memories of a bit of a stir when one of The Pioneer’s editors developed a strange obsession with a local high school girl a third his age. When the girl’s father, one of our largest (and, to be honest, few) advertisers refused to let them date, the editor picketed the father’s place of business. I’m not sure even that was enough to get you fired at The Pioneer, but he didn’t last long. One of these days I’ll get around to writing about the collection of misfits we had working there.