25 years ago: 1987
ST. LOUIS — Searching for clues to the future of its downtown, Memphis might well look 300 miles upriver to St. Louis, another river town that has made a stunning comeback in the 1980s. According to a number of studies, downtown St. Louis has done a dramatic about-face. The media dog that lost more than 60,000 jobs between 1979 and 1983 has become the media darling on the strength of its two new downtown shopping centers: the $110 million St. Louis Centre and the $130 million Union Station. St. Louis leads the nation in restoring and renovating older buildings for tax purposes. Its famous Gateway Arch attracts 3 million visitors a year and has been a city symbol for 21 years. A Fourth of July riverfront festival draws more than a million. Laclede’s Landing is a successful riverfront entertainment and office district . All this and the Bowling Hall of Fame and, soon to come, the National Dog Museum, too.
50 years ago: 1962
Mrs. L.K. Thompson of 1785 Harbert, a leader in cultural activities, has been appointed to the executive committee of the Metropolitan Opera’s National Council. The appointment was made here yesterday by Howard Hook Jr. of New York, chairman of the council, who also announced the formation of a Mid-south regional board which Mrs. Thompson will serve as chair.
75 years ago: 1937
The $90,000 addition to