Nashville Then: Five highlights from September 1967

The 101st blowing things up

Members of the Company C, 236th Engineer Battalion, 101st Airborne Division demolished the old Couchville Pike Bridge over the Stones River Sept. 28. Some of the shrapnel hurled 1,300 feet over the trees from the powerful blasted as the bridge falls into the river. The 280-foot, two-span, steel and truss bridge was the 11th to be demolished by the 101st in the area to make way for the lake that will be created by the Percy Priest Dam been built.

Downtown landmark building sold

Four Nashville businessmen, brothers Henry and John Jay Hooker Jr., Frederic Gregg Jr. and John R. Ozier purchased the Andrew Jackson Hotel for more than $1.3 million on Sept. 26. They became the first locals to own the building, located on the corner of Sixth Avenue and Deaderick Street, since it was built and opened in 1925 by an Atlanta, Ga. financier. The presently manager Leon Womble will continue to be the hostelry manager under the new owners. The new owners immediately announced plans for a $500,000 major renovation despite the new city urban renewal plan calls for it removal in the future.

Making hats as a career

Jack McConnell, a native of Lewisburg, Tenn., is a prominent New York milliner. Gus Mayer hosted McConnell during a two-day visit to Nashville to show off his fall collection and to talks with customers at the downtown department store. The milliner also hosted a fashion show with outfits from Gus Mayer and his hats for Ladies Day at the Richland Country Club.

The newest Grand Champion Walking Horse of the World

Go Boy’s Sundust, with rider Doug Wolaver, won the $10,000 Grand Championship Walking Horse during the final night of the 29th annual Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration in Shelbyville, Tenn. Sept. 2. A record crowd of 26,291 playing customers saw Go Boy’s Sundust became the new Grand Champion Walking Horse of the World by defeating all the other entries, including fan favorite and defending champion Shaker’s Shocker with rider Betty Sain.

New and old automobiles in the spotlight

First, some more than 600 checked out 82 entries of antique cars in a field in Red Boiling Springs, Tenn. for the annual meeting of the Antique Automobile Club of America for Kentucky, Indiana and Middle Tennessee Sept. 10. The weather causes them to be fewer cars than normal become some of the owners didn’t trust their ancient vehicles to the vagaries of a rainstorm. Then on Sept. 12, about 500 of Nashville leading citizens go to check out a 30-car display of the Ford Motor Co.’s new 1968 models, including the Mustang 2+2 Fastback, 10 days before they appear in dealer showrooms around the country. They were guests of Nashville’s Ford Glass Plant that sponsor the event.

Source: The Tennessean