Photos around Cape Archives

August 30, 2012

Charles Dockins as Mr. Zuss

I missed Charles Dockins‘ birthday by a day if Facebook is to be believed. I’ve been sitting on these photos of Chuck (I don’t think any of us called him “Charles’) preparing for the role of Mr. Zuss in the SEMO play J.B.

I was hoping to find other pictures of opening night, but they’re hiding. (Click on the photos to make them larger.)

First production in new theater

Matt Sanders wrote an interesting look at the background of the Rose Theater in the April 19,2007, Missourian:

Construction on the theater began in 1964 as part of the Language Arts Building, which would later be named for Dr. H.O. Grauel, a longtime English professor and administrator at what was then known as State College. Two years later the Rose, originally called “The Theatre,” hosted its first production in fall 1966, “J.B.,” a drama based on the book of Job.

The last production was 42nd Street, performed in 2007. Shows since then have been performed at the River Campus.

Dockins, a Boy Scout hero

February 20, 1960, a 12-year-old Chuck Dockins rescued two girls from a burning car. Follow the link for the whole story and to see photos of him in Red Dagger plays at Central High School.

I’m going to slack off

I’m feeling pressure to get some projects done before I head back to Cape in October. I hate to break from my seven-day-a-week posting schedule, but I haven’t figured out a way to fit more than 27 hours in a day. I’m not sure what my temporary schedule will be, but sign up for the email notifications and keep an eye on Facebook to see when I have new content.

August 25, 2012

Lang Jewelers to Close

KFVS had a story that Roger and Judith Ann Lang will retire this fall and close Lang Jewelry and Fine Gifts store. The jewelry store has been in the family and in the same location at 126 North Main Street since 1916.

The story said that the store will be closed to the public from September 8-16 to host private shopping events. They will close their doors forever this fall once all of the inventory and fixtures are sold.

Zickfeld’s is last standing

Someone may contradict me, but I think Lang Jewelers and Zickfield’s were the last two of the original stores left from the 1960s. Hutson’s Fine Furniture goes back that far, but anything south of Independence doesn’t “feel” like main Main Street to me.

August 24, 2012August 24, 2012

Cape Grocers Association

Reader Bob Reese loaned me a copy of Cape Girardeau’s 1956 Sesquicentennial booklet. It’s full of cool historical facts, but I find the advertisements as interesting as the editorial copy. This ad for the Cape Grocers Association – CGA – is a catalog of familiar names. (Click on it to make it easier to read.)

I tried to find out a little about the origin of the group, but didn’t find much. A March 18, 1959, Missourian story said the CGA was enlarging its warehouse at 1901 Independence by 8,000 square feet – an expansion of almost 60 per cent. The membership, the story said, was up to 60 locally-owned retail outlets in Cape, Scott and Bollinger counties in Missouri and Alexander county in Illinois. (On the same page is a photo of an unnamed school being erected near Dennis Scivally Park. It would become Alma Schrader School.)

A June 8, 1932, brief said that additional warehouse space had been leased by the Cape Grocers Association at 111 Water Street.The brief’s not all that interesting, but if you scroll to the left, you can see photos of the Bonus Army converging on Washington.

Fred Lynch had photos of the Water Street building being torn down on his blog.

August 20, 2012

Bow Hunting in Cape

Whether or not to allow bow hunting for deer inside Cape’s city limits has been a big controversy for the past year. Reader Steven McKeown sent me a couple hundred family photos a few months ago; I spotted these three photos of backyard bow and arrow practice. They appear to be after targets, not wild game.

If you click on the photo to make it larger, you can see some interesting objects. First off, look at the shadow of the clothes line in the lower right of the frame. Check out the large silver bell above the target

Looks like a backyard garden

Steven’s family was active in Scouting, particularly Troop 2. He didn’t provide me any info with the photos, so I hope he or someone else will chime in with IDs.

I see a metal trash burner on the left, above the target. Were the stakes sticking up behind the man part of a backyard garden?

A cool day?

Looks like it might have been a bit chilly. The trees have lost all their leaves and both boys are in their winter long-sleeve uniforms. The man and woman are sort of scrunched up like their cold. The woman’s neckerchief is blowing in the wind. There’s metal fencing around the small tree behind the woman, probably to keep rabbits or other animals from nibbling on it.

The Boy Scout is from Troop 2, but I can’t see the Cub’s Pack insignia. It looks like it starts with a 5. I had forgotten that Scout pants had a button on them so you could fold it down for easy access or button it up high for security.

Thanks to Steven for letting me publish these.