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Life in the city of Cape Girardeau was focused on the
downtown area from it's beginning in the late 1700's until the I-55
Interstate highway was opened to the west of town, in the mid 1960's.
Even though the majority of growth in Cape is now far removed from
downtown, there has been a resurgence of interest and relocation of new
businesses there in recent years. 
Downtown
River Front at Cape in early 1900's Cape's
Mississippi Riverfront was the lifeblood of the city well into the
1940's. Passenger and cargo service to the north began in 1902.
Freight and passenger train service ended in the 1960's and the train
station was torn down to make room for a parking lot. However,
even today historic paddle wheelers cruising the mighty river destined
for ports in New Orleans, Memphis and St. Louis make regular stops
in the Southeast Missouri town, so passengers can explore the historic
downtown areas. 
Main
& Themis St. (looking West) early 1900's With
over 200 years of existence, many citizens and buildings have come and
gone. However, several fine examples of historic homes,
buildings, and cemeteries still exist. 
45
N. Main St. Downtown Cape (today) A
re-development era is currently in full swing in historic
downtown Cape Girardeau. Tom Kelsey with Lorimont Place, Ltd. has
SOLD one of the largest downtown buildings in recent years located at 45
N. Main Street . The property is in the heart of downtown and
has over 10,000 square feet on the main level with additional space in
the lower portion of the building. It was purchased and is now
being utilized for an antique mall. As
cities grow there is a trend to reflect back on their roots and preserve
their heritage. Downtown is evolving into prime locations for
offices, entertainment venues, restaurants, antique shops and specialty
retailers. Kelsey says he sees these trends to continue and the
demand for downtown real estate to continue as cities like Cape continue
to evolve. (some of the historic
information for this article courtesy of Rose
City Net)
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