Photos around Cape Archives

October 7, 2015October 7, 2015

Second Baptist Church

The small white church at the corner of South Frederick and Jefferson has a sign on the front that says “The Bridge Outreach Center.”

A Missourian Bicentennial feature by The Rev. Wesley T. Tillman in 1976 said “Although the Second Baptist Church congregation erected its present church building at 428 South Frederick in 1864, it had been organized in 1867 as the Missionary Baptist Church.

First Baptist Church became all-white

Prior to the Civil War, members of the First Baptist Church (which had been organized in 1834) who owned slaves or had black servants encouraged them to attend that church, and blacks held membership in that congregation.

After the war, however, matters changed. Some accounts say that the black Baptists decided they wanted to meet separately from the members of the “Mother Church.” Other accounts say they were “lettered out” (released from membership by being given a written statement) of the First Baptist Church, which then became all-white.

For eight or nine years, the black Baptists met in the homes of members of the congregation. Then, in 1873, a lot at the northwest corner of South Frederick and Jefferson streets was purchased from Mrs. Amanda Giboney Brown (presumably the widow of Dr. Wilson Brown, who was serving as lieutenant-governor of Missouri at his death in 1855).

Clarification

I had a little trouble sifting through Rev. Tillman’s account, so here’s how I interpret it: the First Baptist Church, the first Protestant church in Cape Girardeau, organized in 1834, originally welcomed black slaves and servants and actually allowed them to join the congregation. After the Civil War, they either chose to leave or were “lettered out” of the “Mother Church.” If I had to guess, it was probably the latter.

That’s when the small church on the corner of South Frederick and Jefferson was founded.

October 6, 2015

The Bootery

I’ve probably been in Broussard’s a dozen or so times when a Cajun craving hit, but I never noticed “The Bootery” set into the entrance before this visit.

If you click the photo to make it larger, you can see my reflection in the glass. It was a warm day, so I didn’t commit the terrible fashion faux pas of wearing socks with my sandals.

Search came up empty

A search of The Missourian archive for “Bootery” turned up empty. I turned to Google next. It took me to a 1959 Life Magazine ad for Roblee shoes. The word “bootery” was used by a lot of shoe stores, but the only listing for Cape was C.S. Gaylor.

Gaylor’s was where we usually went to buy shoes. I was always disappointed that Mother wouldn’t let me play with the neat fluoroscope that let you see your toes inside your shoes (while delivering a mass of x-ray radiation to your gonads). You can read more about the machine here.

What was at 120 Main?

My next trick was to search for the store’s address, 120 North Main street. Still pretty much dry except for a 1938 ad for The Smart Shop. The building next door at 118 North Main was being vacated by Vogelsanger Hardware Company.

The Smart Shop was showing furs from St. Louis, but you could buy a quality rayon Giana crepe for $6.50 at Hecht’s. (I don’t know whether you’re supposed to eat, hang or wear a crepe, so you’ll have to tell me if that’s a good deal.)

Follow Santa’s Trail

The Smart Shop was mentioned in this Christmas contest ad in the December 6, 1939, Missourian. It’s fascinating to see how many businesses were still around 30 years later. You’re definitely going to have to click this one to make it larger to read the names.

Bootery mystery

Someone else is going to have to fill me in on the background of The Bootery. I couldn’t come up with any information about it.

September 20, 2015

Wimpyburgers Went Flying Out

I never expected so many people to show up for Wimpyburgers made using the original recipe and cooked by members of the Lewis family. The folks at the Centenary United Methodist Church told me they were printing 600 tickets good for two burgers, fries and a drink, but I thought they were being optimistic.

Running late

Brothers Mark and David converged on the house Saturday morning to talk strategy about how we were going to tackle Mother’s house next week with the help of Laurie Evertt of Annie Laurie’s Antique Shops. That made me miss the 11 a.m. start of the burger fest.

(It also meant that I have a bunch of my iconic Wimpy’s left prints that you’ll be able to pick up at Annie Laurie’s and at the Cape County History Center on the square in Jackson in a couple of days. They are $5 each.)

Photo gallery of the Wimpy extravaganza

I didn’t have much of an opportunity to wander around taking pictures. In fact, I got one of the last burgers off the grill just as everything was winding down. Fred Lynch did a nice video interview with Freeman Lewis that is worth watching. Click on any of these photos to make them larger, then use your arrow keys to move around the gallery.

Wimpy’s Day at Centerary United Methodist Church 09-19-2015

September 18, 2015

Wimpy’s and Other Prints

If you were lucky or quick enough to get one of the 600 tickets to September 19th’s Wimpy’s Day at the Centenary United Methodist Church, look for me if you’d like a photo of what Cape’s iconic hangout looked like in the day and night of 1966. An 8-1/2 x 11″ print will go for $5 (with 10% of net going to the church).

Here’s one in the stack

I’ll also have a bunch of 11 x 17″ photos from Cape, Perry and New Madrid counties for you to look through. I know you’ll recognize SOMEBODY in at least one of them. I’m tired of hauling them around, so I’ll part with those for $10 each. Here’s where this photo was taken. Click on it to make it large enough to see if you were dancing in the bank lot.

Here’s my earlier post about the event.