MID-SOUTH MEMORIES
25 years ago — 1995
Nashville – Promising “to make government your servant and not your master,” Don Sundquist became Tennessee's 47th governor Saturday. More than 2,000 people braved 30-degree cold, snow flurries and a biting wind on the Legislative Plaza to see the torch pass from Democrat Ned Mcwherter to Republican Sundquist, 58, of Memphis. The crowd cheered Sundquist's vows to make streets safer, make government smaller and less intrusive, and to encourage “every family to write its own story of success, large or small, in the soil of Tennessee.”
50 years ago — 1970
Memphis baseball star Tim Mccarver wants to talk to sports-minded youngsters on Saturday. He'll be at the youth building of St. Louis Catholic Church from 10 a.m. until noon Saturday. With the Philadelphia Phillies catcher will be Marv Throneberry, another Memphian, who has had what must be called an “interesting” career with the New York Mets. The purpose is twofold: To communicate with the young, and to obtain donations for the Madonna Day School. 75 years ago — 1945
To acquaint the next-of-kin of war prisoners with conditions in enemy prison camps, a group of Americans who have escaped or been repatriated from such camps will tour the United States beginning Feb. 1, and will address a Memphis audience on March 22, the War Department announced yesterday.
100 years ago — 1920
Mayor Paine said yesterday the city may start charging rent to business firms that encroach under and over Memphis sidewalks. In many instances, basements extend under the sidewalks and often there are connecting passageways between buildings.
125 years ago — 1895
Today an election will be held in Germantown, which is exciting the greatest interest. It is a runoff between George King and Thomas Shepherd, who tied for a seat on the board of aldermen in the fall elections. The preachers and women have been working hard for prohibitionist King, but Shepherd's friends have not been idle. If King wins, Germantown's two saloons are done for.