
Money View of Cape Girardeau. Shade lithograph by Charles Robyn and Co., St. Louis, ca. 1858. (Wikipedia commons)
The over impression has been reproduced quite a few times in the web pages of the Southeast Missourian, but never ever in shade. Relationship to about 1858, “Money See of Cape Girardeau” supplies pictures of the Cape Girardeau riverfront and the “north west perspective” of the metropolis, as well as some of the most prominent constructions then in existence. Few nevertheless remain.
On June 10, 1921, the Southeast Missourian printed an short article that describes an “antique, framed drawing” owned by Cape Girardeau jeweler Otto Frederick. From the descriptions incorporated in the tale, it really is obvious that “Capital Look at of Cape Girardeau” is the similar artwork Frederick possessed.
Here is that story:
Structures THAT LOOMED IN ’58 Even now STANDING IN GIRARDEAU THIS Town, 50 % CENTURY In the past
An attention-grabbing antique, a framed drawing of the Cape Girardeau river front as it existed in 1858, alongside one another with residences of popular adult men of that time and primary company residences, is in the possession of Otto Frederick, jeweler on reduced Independence and an aged Cape Girardeau citizen.
The image has been nicely preserved and while age-marked, a single can see distinctly how the river entrance of that time time period and how the river appeared as a watch from the northwest corner in a posture in which Instructors University now stands. It contains personal shots of properties, some of which are nevertheless in Cape Girardeau.
A residence, prominent in the picture and which stands today, is the home of George H. Cramer, corner of Pacific Road and Broadway, sitting down back in a large garden. The home is of body and has preserved its visual appeal very well. Mr. Cramer was previous mayor of Cape Girardeau and the father of Wilson Cramer, Jackson law firm.
Other residences nonetheless surviving are the Brunn dwelling, near the corner of Broadway and Henderson, the S.H. Kimmel home on South Spanish, situated on a big garden near St. Vincent’s Academy,
the J.R. Wathens residence on North Main,
and the J.B. Phillipson household, reverse Bartels store on Broadway.
Small business areas still in Cape Girardeau are the James Reynolds mill on Drinking water Street a limited distance north of the aged Frisco depot,
C. Stamm’s brewery on North Sprigg, now at the edge of town,
St. Charles Lodge, corner of Key and Themis,
Filbrun and Sloan fee dwelling on the corner of Themis and H2o streets,
C.F. Heinrich’s grocery keep reverse St. Mary’s Catholic Church, corner of Sprigg and William streets, which is now employed as a residence.
Did major business enterprise
According to Mr. Frederick, the James Reynolds mill on Drinking water Street was crafted in 1858 and did a terrific river business before the railroads pushed by way of. Its solutions delivered in good boatloads up and down the Mississippi to the time when W.F. Pott took demand.
Mr. Pott ran it several a long time and at last went out of business enterprise. It is now utilised as a site for the Nu-Way flour mill and a portion of its higher floor area has been a storeroom for Meyer-Albert Grocer Enterprise.
A brewery, owned by Frederick Hanny, locale of which was on the location exactly where the Blue Ribbon Ice Firm now has its workplace, is demonstrated in the image. It was torn down in afterwards a long time. (A 1956 write-up locates the Hanny Brewery “above Pleased Hollow off of Frederick Street.” – Sharon) The old brewery constructing now located on North Sprigg was then well known as the area where Weis beer was created, a drink which Mr. Frederick remembers usually tickled one’s nose when he drank it.
Slave labor built the Johnson Property, which was in afterwards yrs transformed and named the Riverview Hotel. This constructing burned 6 years back. (Basically, it burned in 1916, five many years ahead of this post was revealed. – Sharon) Probably the oldest residence shown is the Wathens home, a creating that is continue to staunch in its aged colonial attractiveness on North Primary. It was created in 1838 from sandstone dug from the hills around its place.
On the internet site of the Have faith in Developing stood at that time a lovely home owned by J.N. Whitelaw. The residence was eliminated to make area for the massive composition. (The 1956 post locates the Whitelaw property on the website of the H.-H. Developing, now the Courtyard by Mariott Resort. – Sharon)
The top churches
Two important churches ended up then the Methodist Church, located where the Presbyterian Church now stands on Broadway, and the Baptist Church, then wherever the church of the very same identify stands now on Broadway. (Mr. Frederick may perhaps have been perplexed about these church buildings. An previously Presbyterian church stood in which the 1921 church of that denomination was positioned on Broadway. That earlier Presbyterian church is the a single pictured in “Cash See.” As for the Baptist church, the one particular pictured here was on the west facet of Lorimier Road, amongst Themis and Independence. – Sharon)
Educational facilities were held in them ahead of the Civil War, and Mr. Frederick suggests he attended in both of those of them when he was a boy.
St. Charles Resort stays the similar today, help you save for a roof cupola, which has due to the fact been taken off and which was utilized for a band stand. (Most regional histories point out the cupola was eliminated to the Prevalent Pleas Courthouse. On the other hand, Invoice Eddleman in a 2019 heritage column built a potent scenario for this legend to be just that: A legend with no factual basis. This article’s suggestion that the lodge cupola was eradicated and was reworked into a band stand is the first time I have examine that idea. – Sharon.)
The Filbrun and Sloan shop, nevertheless holding its queer type of arched doorways on Water Road, is now employed as a secondhand retailer.
Hunt & Albert keep is occupied by the Albert boat retail outlet.
The place Hirsch’s keep is positioned in Haarig, the H.T. Allers retailer and home, a big a few-story setting up was positioned in 1858. (A 1956 report locates the Allers home at the corner of Superior Hope and Frederick streets. – Sharon) A Presbyterian seminary for boys and girls has presented way to the Opera Dwelling, corner of Broadway and Lorimier avenue.
A very small residence next to (St. Vincent’s) Catholic Church on Spanish Avenue, the big steeple of which has been taken off considering that generating the photo, marked the home of Don Louis Lorimier, who initial established Cape Girardeau, and in whose honor Lorimier Street was named. The house has been torn down and in its position stands a sycamore tree. Lorimier lived in the property and was surrounded by welcoming Indians, who experienced camps on quite a few hills in the town boundaries and aided him to protect himself from enemy tribes.
The initial courtroom ever held in Cape Girardeau was conduced in the oldest home in the town, a dilapidated building, on the corner of Themis and Center streets, which was taken off about a few decades in the past on account of its age to furnish place for the Charles Rueseler home. Mr. Frederick thinks that the initially metropolis govt of Cape Girardeau held its conferences in this house.
From 1856 to 1858, Mr. Frederick says, the annual county fairs had been held south of Haarig, close to Sprigg and Frederick streets, and that he remembers when the race tracks stretched from Fantastic Hope to School Avenue. In the course of the Civil War no fairs were being held, he suggests, and in 1870 the previous fairgrounds were utilised and in 1900 the new fairgrounds (now Capaha Park – Sharon) arrived into services the to start with time.
Listed here are the other drawings from “Capital View” not shown previously mentioned. The Missourian’s Sesquicentennial Edition, posted Aug. 18, 1956, offered a lot more data on some of the buildings revealed.
Typical Pleas Courthouse
St. Vincent’s Younger Women Academy on South Spanish Road, between William and Superior Hope streets.
The Charles Davis home was on Bloomfield Highway, “and afterwards the home of Frank Burrough.” (1956 article)
The Judge Michael Dittlinger home and farm was situated around exactly where Kent Library is now on the campus of Southeast Missouri Point out University.
1956 posting: “John A. Frank cafe east facet of Major, in the vicinity of Independence Road.”

1956 report: “…the initial Lutheran Church, then found at 512 William St.”
1956 short article: Corner of Broadway and Spanish Avenue.
1956 short article: “Razed this summer time…” Situated roughly where by the Cape Girardeau Central Junior Significant Faculty campus is.
1956 post: “… on Pacific Avenue, involving Themis and Independence streets.”
