MID-SOUTH MEMORIES
25 years ago — 1999
The 75 or so middle-aged men decked out in coats and ties wandered into Colonial Country Club, girls on their arms. They’d come for a night of dinner and dancing — an annual ritual for the junior and senior girls at St. Benedict at Auburndale. Fathers from all parts of the eastern half of the county taking their daughters on a date. The evening, appropriately, was called the Father-daughter Dance.
50 years ago — 1974
Fourteen weeks after the first “Gasless
Sunday,” motorists found gasoline was a little easier to get than usual this weekend, particularly in resort and tourist areas. The station operators started shutting down from 9 p.m. Saturday until Monday morning on Dec. 2 in response to a request by President Nixon who said the Sunday sales ban would save fuel. By the middle of December, as many as 95 percent of the stations in some areas were locking their pumps on Sunday.
75 years ago — 1949
The Diesel-powered Harry Truman, pushing upstream against strong currents,
was expected to pass Memphis early this morning. When last reported she was about three hours behind the time of the Rob’t E. Lee in its recordbreaking run 79 years ago.
100 years ago — 1924
NASHVILLE – Southern Baptists have collected $48,500,000 in their $75,000,000 campaign started four years ago, Dr. L.R. Scarborough, director of the movement announced upon arrival at the church’s headquarters here today. Another year is allowed in which to collect $26,500,000 needed to reach the original goal.