Almost Yesterday

Wednesdays at 7:31 a.m. & 5:18 p.m.
  • Southeast Missouri State University

Almost Yesterday is a glimpse into the rich history of our region. Dr. Frank Nickell takes listeners on a journey to specific moments in time, such as the first radio broadcast on KFVS, the history of Farmington’s Carlton College, and the short-lived safari on a Mississippi River island. A gifted storyteller and local historian, Dr. Nickell’s wit and love for the past are combined with sounds and music that augment his narrative.

On Saturday, June 7, 2008, Almost Yesterday received First Place in the "Special Programs" category at the Missouri Broadcasters Association Awards Banquet in Kansas City, Missouri.

Local support for Almost Yesterday comes from Heartland Custom Flooring.

Almost Yesterday: Cape Girardeau Celebrates "Taft Day"

By • Jul 30, 2019
President Taft was the first chief-of-state to visit Cape Girardeau.
Southeast Missouri State University

It seems like almost yesterday that President William Howard Taft visited Cape Girardeau. His purpose was to promote the deepening and stabilization of the Mississippi River channel.

Almost Yesterday: KFVS Radio Makes its Debut

By • Jun 25, 2019
KFVS-12 beginnings were humble - Oscar W. Hirsch's living room, the location of KFVS Radio's first broadcast.
Southeast Missouri State University

It was more than 90 years ago but it seems like Almost Yesterday that KFVS Radio first went on the air.

It was the evening of June 22, 1925. Hundreds of citizens of Cape Girardeau gathered in front of the house at 318 South Frederick Street. The street was closed to traffic and the crowd gathered on the sidewalks and the yard and the living room of the Oscar W. Hirsch home. The windows were open and individuals pushed forward to both see and hear this historic event. Peg Meyers' Melody Kings was encircled by a curious audience.

Almost Yesterday: Cape Girardeau Municipal Band Begins

By • Jun 4, 2019
The Cape Girardeau Municipal Band was first formed in 1900. The group was originally called "Schuchert's Cornet Band."
Southeast Missouri State University

It seems like Almost Yesterday that a group of young men in Cape Girardeau, Missouri decided to start a band. Under the leadership of Captain C. F. Schuchert, twelve young men who were musically inclined – and had instruments - came together and became a popular group, performing at parades, picnics and public events. In their first years they were identified as “Schuchert’s Cornet Band.”

In 1910 Captain Schuchert’s son, Clarence, assumed leadership of the band and changed the name to “Schuchert’s Concert Band.”

Almost Yesterday: Morgan Hill of Cape Girardeau, Missouri … and Morgan Hill, California

By • May 21, 2019
Southeast Missouri State University

It seems like Almost Yesterday that the transcontinental railroad was completed at Promontory Point in Utah. The year was 1869. Within a few months, Hiram Morgan Hill and his sister Sarah Althea Hill were on the new “Pacific Train” heading to California in search of fame and fortune.

At the time, “Morgan” Hill was 22 years of age; Sarah was 20. They were the orphaned children of Samuel Allen Hill, an attorney and Missouri legislator, and Julia Sloan, daughter of Hiram Sloan, who had operated a mill on Sloan’s Creek at the northern edge of Cape Girardeau.

Almost Yesterday: The Day the Streetcars Stopped

By • May 14, 2019
The Day the Streetcars Stopped
Southeast Missouri State University

It seems like almost yesterday that streetcars in Cape Girardeau stopped rolling through the city. On August 10, 1934, the last car was driven into the north Main Street barns at 9:30 p.m., signaling the end of a community service that had been available for 29 years.

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