Going My Way Episode 122: President Reagan Visits Senator Baker's Tennessee Home

[Music] going my way with Alan Williams brought to you by the Lawson Family Foundation planning positive seeds for the future welcome to your life the long- awaited movie of President Ronald Reagan portrayed by Dennis Quaid is set to hit the theaters it's a reminder to many of us when the president visited East Tennessee in 1982 and it wasn't a quick stopover after landing at McGee Tyson he made his way to open the world's fair I wish all of you a good time and hope that as you stroll around these grounds you're as grateful and proud to be an American as I am two years into his presidency after winning more than 60% of Voters in East Tennessee folks were overwhelmed but the president and wife Nancy had just begun their trip they decided to spend the night in our own backyard after open the fair they hopped on the presidential copter heading for little Huntsville Tennessee and the home of longtime friend and then Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker the visit was only a few months after the assassination attempt on Reagan's life and security here was tight Senator Baker was going to show President Reagan his view of the river out on the deck and the Secret Service had the blinds and drapes nailed and President Reagan just jerked them loose and C breaker opened the sliding doors and then showed President Reagan his view that night a big dinner party included Lamar Alexander wife honey Nashville great Chad Atkins and singer Dina Shore who came unannounced appeared by a helicopter and was almost shot out of the sky that's the Secret Service did let her land but they didn't know she was coming the next morning they went to church a couple of blocks away Senator Baker passed away in 2004 14 the house and grounds are now owned by Knoxville Railway owner Pete Clawson while much of the inside guest house has changed you can still get a perspective of what the Reagan experienced this is just as it was in 1982 in president ran visited the kitchen there's not much in here is it no there is not small kitchen wow and the dining room is the same uh the furniture of course is different all the furniture is different um but you an idea though yeah very small yeah and okay the living room here here's the living room mhm and out here is the deck that I referenced where President Reagan grabbed the curtains and blinds that the Secret Service had nailed down and ripped them into the president's room okay so this is where this is where they stay spent the night president Mrs Reagan in May of 1982 spent the night here now the F lot some of the furniture is different well the furniture probably is all different different but some of the photographs are Senator Baker's product like this one and this one is not he's in it okay Ronald President Reagan signed it but you know Fred for a president to stay in this little you know you you think oh this should be palacial but it's no it's very small and and uh you know got the seal on the floor and it's indicative of you know where a president stayed and everything but uh not a lot there's nothing a retired Governor can do about the Soviets but a president now he can do a thing or two as this new movie hits theaters it lends a reminder when a presidential couple overwhelmed a small town spending the night in a little cabin in our own backyard going my way in Huntsville Tennessee I'm Alan Williams driven by the belief that every life has equal value the Lawson Family Foundation strives to make a difference for East tennesseans this week we honor the Beardsley Community Farm the organization Works toward a healthy Community providing locally grown produce and resources for gardening for all ages the beerley community farm and the lawon Family Foundation sewing seeds for the future