TIMELINE

1905 - From "Out of the Past" Column quoting 2/15/1905 Daily Republican- "The bridge across the Mississippi River at Thebes, Ill., is nearing completion, work on the last span being now well underway".

On June 20, 1905, Mr Witt sold 1800 acres to the Chaffee Real Estate Co of St. Louis.

From "Out of the Past" Column of 8/22/05 quoting 8/22/1905 Daily Republican - "An earthquake, the strongest within memory of living residents, visited Cape Girardeau last night ... the undulations of the earth were perceptible, and the rattling of walls and windows was plainly heard; floors appeared to be waving, and many say a low rumbling was heard".   and from same issue: "Following the visit yesterday of two members of the state board of health, a quarantine is put in place today, with the city's health board supervising the work; two doctors meet the noon trains, demanding that all passengers from the South, where yellow fever is epidemic, show health certificates".

Post Office established in Chaffee on September 3, 1905

From "Out of the Past" Column of 9/30/05 quoting 9/30/1905 Daily Republican - "Announcement has been made that a newspaper will be issued for the people of Chaffee, MO., the new town in Scott County; the first issue will be published in St. Louis, from the office of the Chaffee Real Estate Co, and later from Chaffee; the newspaper will be known as the Chaffee Review.

From "Out of the Past" Column of 10/30/05 quoting 10/30/1905 Daily Republican - "President A.J. Davidson of the Frisco Railroad came down last night in his private car, and this morning goes down to Chaffee with Superintendent J.H. Elliott; they are inspecting the new yards being constructed there for the Frisco."

From "Out of the Past" Column of 11/12/05 quoting 11/12/1905 Daily Republican - "Chaffee, Mo. has finally been given official recognition by the Frisco Railroad; on the time card which will be circulated this week for the new trains that will be put on next week, the words "Chaffee Division of the Third District" appear instead of the familiar "Cape Girardeau Division," as has been the case since the establishment of the road."

On Dec 9, 1905, mementos are placed in cornerstone at construction site of the Chaffee State Bank.  (This cornerstone will remain intact until 1997.)  See ..... Cornerstone contents revealed in 1997

1906 - "The first bank of Chaffee was opened on May 31, 1906 as the Chaffee State Bank."

From "Out of the Past" Column of 6/28/06 quoting 6/28/1906 Daily Republican - "People living at and near the Frisco-Gulf-Cotton Belt junction at Illmo and Edna petitioned the Frisco Railroad some time ago to build a depot there, offering to donate $800 in that behalf; their offer, however, has been turned down cold; the Frisco plans to build a passenger station at the new town of Chaffee, and it will cost $10,000".

From "Out of the Past" Column of  8/06/06 quoting 8/06/1906 Daily Republican - "Addie Parrott, a trained nurse of Cape Girardeau, is called to Chaffee, MO., to care for two children in one family who are desperately ill of typhoid fever.  Because of the large number of similar cases, there is a great demand for nurses in the swamp town.

From "Scott County Signal - (Chaffee Chatters column, August 5, 2007) On August 6, 1906, citizens of Chaffee filed the following petition with James McPheeters, Clerk of the County Court of Scott County: "We the undersigned taxable citizens of the Town of Chaffee, Scott County, Missouri, do hereby respectfully petition your Honorable Court that we are desirous of incorporating said Town of Chaffee into a city of the 4th class, being entitled hereto under the law for Government of Cities, to organize as such, having a population of between 500 and 3,000 people."  This petition was signed by most of the citizens in town.  In the same petition, they asked for the appointment of the following men to act as city officials until a general election could be provided for by law.:  Robert Wright, mayor; Frank Wilkinson, marshal & collector; and August Heeb, C.D. Rice, J.D. Foucht, Otto Stiehl and L.E. Lentz, alderman.  This petition was granted on Dec 8, 1909.  Chaffee became a 3rd class city in 1922.

From "Out of the Past" Column of  10/05/2006 quoting 10/05/1906 Daily Republican - "The Cape Girardeau Commercial Club has formed a committee to examine freight rate conditions on the Frisco Railroad; according to reports, freight rates on forest products have been raised more than 150% and have been going up gradually since Frisco officials started the Chaffee, MO., town-lot scheme; local manufacturers say they will be ruined by the high rates."

1907 - Astoria Hotel (NW Corner of Main & Yoakum) was built in 1907.  Building had been started by the Chaffee Real Estate Co. J. J. Astor bought it for $40,000 and finished it.

From "Out of the Past" Column of  11/26/2007 quoting 11/26/1907 Daily Republican - "A merchant of Chaffee, Mo., who came in on the noon train, informs the Republican that smallpox has broken out in Chaffee and that the health conditions are very serious."

"Chaffee Signal Newspaper founded"

1911 - "A meeting of citizens was called for the purpose of creating a corporation for the manufacturing of ice to handle the storage needs of the town.  J.S. Wahl was elected president and board of directors was H.C. Shults, D.C. Shoptaugh, W.H. Brooks, and William Pfefferkorn."

"The German-American State Bank was organized and opened for business in January 1911."

Under Mayor Massengill the first electric street lights were installed and in an issue of the Signal in 1911 the account of lights being placed at the intersections of 2nd and Yoakum and 3rd and Gray."

1913 - Fire Destroys Astoria Hotel on Dec 14 (built in 1907)

193 -  "Eli Payne opened a bowling alley in the Metz building adjoining Finley’s Drug Store"

1914 - "German-American Bank changed name to Chaffee Trust Company."

From Chaffee Signal "50 Years Ago" Column of 12/10/1964 quoting Signal of December 1914, "Mrs Tisdale, widow of the man found hanging to a tree just east of Chaffee over a year before, won her case in the court of Common Pleas in Cape Girardeau.  She sued the insurance company for $1,000.  The company had refused to pay the claim on the grounds that death was due to suicide."

1915 - "Union Park Cemetery Established"

1916 - "High School constructed at Yoakum & 5th Street (3 story)

1917 - "Chaffee Trust Company (former German-American Bank) changed name to Security Savings Bank."

1925 -  In Mayor's race of 4/7/1925 X.O. Ray Defeats Incumbent Mayor G.W. Nunn by a vote of 514 to 257. (The Chaffee Signal Newspaper had endorsed X.O. Ray)

"Security Savings Bank (Former Chaffee Trust Company &  former German-American Bank) closed on Nov 15, 1925"

FIRE - Fire which began at 205 W Yoakum, resulted in the most disastrous fire in the history of Chaffee."

L.C. Bisplinghoff purchased the interest of C.H. Horstman in the Chaffee Hardware, Plumbing & Undertaking Company.

Chaffee Signal reports Public School enrollment of 700

1928 - Frisco Railroad Bridge Collapse - Employee killed

From 4/9/2003 Southeast Missourian "Out of the Past" quoting 4/9/1928  - "Contract for new Frisco railroad bridge across Diversion Channel, six miles south of Cape Girardeau, has been let and work on new span will begin immediately, new span, which will be built by Kansas City contractor, will replace one which collasped more than week ago under weight of northbound freight, locomotive of which remains in channel despite efforts to raise it."

1931 - "Chaffee's first bank (opened 1906 as the Chaffee State Bank) closed its doors in November 1931.  (Great Depression Years)"

1935 - "The old Premier Manufacturing Company building was taken over June 13, 1935 by Oscar Bukstein and began operations as the Chaffee Manufacturing Company with 29 employees and 16 machines."

Signal -"Opening of the Checkerboard Inn which has been purchased by Miss Elizabeth Ashley and Denton Cline."

1936 -

1937 - "On August 21, 1937 the Bank of Chaffee opened"

1938 - "Work began on the municipal swimming pool"

1938 - U.S. Senator Harry S Truman gave speech at Horstman Theatre

1939 - "An expansion program for the Chaffee Manufacturing Company was launched, bonds sold and the plant enlarged.

"On Nov 6, 1939 (in he Bumper Factory building that was later  used by the Collins-Morris Shoe Company) the Sports Specialty Shoemakers, Inc. took its place with Harry Ostermeier of St. Louis as president and L.R. Ward, as vice-president and Homer A Turner superintendent."

1942 - "City (and various organizations) practices procedures to avert enemy bombing"

"Keith Moore has leased Standard Service Station at corner of Main & Yoakum"

On March 10, 1955 ground was broken for $8,822.40 construction contract of new city library at 2nd & Wright St. (This property deeded to city by Lon C Bisplinghoff in 1954).  The construction was completed that same summer".

1960 - "Tywappity Lake officially opens on May 29, 1960"

 1960 -  "Chaffee Leader Newspaper purchased by Ralph Mattocks & merged with Chaffee Signal"

1961 - "Free's Grocery Store goes out of business"

1961 -  "Hadden Ancell buys Rafferty Grocery Store"

1962 - Large FIRE at NW Corner of Main & Yoakum destroys several businesses (2/25/62)

1962 - House fire takes life of Chaffee High School Senior Jim Limbaugh  (3/5/62)

"Chaffee Public School District sells ground to new hospital board."

2006

Police chase ends in 2 deaths .... See Police Chase 

Mayor Bill Cannon resigned 10/16/2006, effective 11/1/2006 because of health reasons.  See Mayor Cannon Resigned

Police Chase

Mayor Cannon Resigned