Nashville Then: The best photos from 30 years ago in 1990

Employees and passersby watch Metro firefighters douse a kitchen grease fire that put Buddy Killen’s Stock-Yard Restaurant temporarily out of business Jan. 4, 1990. The establishment was expected to reopen the next day.

The old Nashville airport terminal building on Briley Parkway, which opened in 1961 and was closed when the new terminal opened in 1987, is torn down Jan. 9, 1990, by D.H. Griffin Co., which had a low bid of $180,000 for the demolition project.

Workers put the finishing touches on the swimming pool area of the new Metro Centennial Park Sports Complex on Jan. 16, 1990. The facility, with an Olympic-sized pool, is set to open Feb. 1.

Gov. Ned McWherter arrives at the House chamber of the state Capitol on Jan. 31, 1990, to give his budget address to the General Assembly.

TV news cameras follow Sheriff Fate Thomas, center, as he leaves court Feb. 1, 1990, after surrendering on 38 charges contained in a federal racketeering indictment.

The Opryland's General Jackson showboat heads up the Cumberland River on Feb. 10, 1990, as the crew prepares to dock at Hailey's Harbor, miles from its home port because the river was too high to let it pass beneath some bridges between Hailey's Harbor and Opryland. The showboat is returning from a 2,200-mile round trip to New Orleans for maintenance and repair.

Bordeaux landfill protester Rosetta Davis, center, is arrested by East Patrol Capt. Judy Bawcum, left, and Central Patrol Officer Al Gray for blocking the entrance to the landfill during an early-morning protest Feb. 20, 1990.

Student Government Association President jeff carr, center, addresses the crowd of fellow Tennessee State University students Feb. 21, 1990, after barricading themselves inside the building to protest campus conditions.

Maitre d' Jaime Camara, left, and Walther Thrailkill, owner of Arthur's restaurant, toast the portrait of Arthur Bloom, a former waiter for whom the restaurant is named March 6, 1990. The new Arthur's is in the Union Station Hotel.

SGA President jeff carr, center right, hugs President Otis Floyd after a press conference that Tennessee State University sit-in students and administrators have reach an agreement to end the two-week protest March 8, 1990 at Floyd campus office.

A cloud of birds oversees Metro workers compacting garbage on the last day of operation of the Bordeaux Landfill March 21, 1990.

The historic Ryman Auditorium, here April 4, 1990, in downtown Nashville, has completed the exterior renovation, including new roof, restoration of all 144 glass windows, restoring the arched pediment window high on the building, cleaning and remortaring the bricks and replacing all the gutters and downspouts.

Robert Craighead, right, who has owned Craighead Barber shop on Jefferson Street for 50 years, talks about how integration led to the downfall of once-thriving business on Jefferson Street from his shop April 5, 1990. Barber Eddie Washington tends to H. Mayhew in the background.

A view of the Nashville skyline and Cumberland River from the Nashville Bridge Company on a mild spring day April 18, 1990.

Carran Daughtrey, left, smiles as her mother, Judge Martha Craig Daughtrey, adds her signature to documents April 23, 1990, marking her swearing in by Gov. Ned McWherter as the first female member of the Tennessee Supreme Court. More than 400 attended the ceremony in the state Capitol.

The skyline of downtown Nashville rises above the Parthenon in Centennial Park on a hazy morning May 1, 1990.

Former President Jimmy Carter discusses the recent release of two hostages May 1, 1990. He was in town to address the Conference of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons at the Opryland Hotel.

A crowd of about 25,000 spectators watch the first race of the 49th running of the Iroquois Steeplechase at the Percy Warner Park course May 12, 1990. About an hour later, the rains came, marring what had been a lovely but windy day.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, left, raises his hands in excitement during the Fisk University commencement on campus May 14, 1990, as Dr. Henry Ponder reads a proclamation conferring upon him an honorary doctor of laws degree.

People start to appear for the unveiling ceremonies of the 42-foot-tall Athena Parthenos by Nashville sculptor Alan LeQuire at the Parthenon in Centennial Park on May 20, 1990. More than 5,700 walked by to view the replica, which took LeQuire eight years to create.

Gov. Ned McWherter, left, samples a dessert during his reelection campaign announcement activities June 9, 1990, in Rocky Mount, the East Tennessee site where he kicked off his 1986 race.

George Lindsey, better known as Goober from "The Andy Griffith Show," gets out of a replica of the car used by Sheriff Andy Taylor in the still-popular '60s show in front of the Church Street Centre in downtown Nashville on June 9, 1990. He was spending the afternoon with more than 100 fans from all over the country. Lindsey was also in town for a filming of the TV show "Hee Haw," celebrating its 23rd season on the air.

Some of the 800 guests enter the Cheekwood Mansion early for the 28th annual Swan Ball on June 9, 1990.

Metro Mayor Bill Boner, left, discusses his decision not to seek reelection next year with the media in his office at the Metro Courthouse on June 11, 1990. "I want to recapture some of my time" by returning to private life, he said. Seated at Boner's desk is press secretary Mike Kopp.

Actress Debbie Reynolds, right, shows off her legs during a luncheon with more than 100 of her fans at the Nashville Convention Center on June 13, 1990.

A crowd of some 100,000 watch the spectacular 20-minute fireworks display over Nashville during Metro's eighth annual Fourth of July celebration in 1990.

Fighting to save the house she owned at 1244 McGavock Pike, East Nashville landlord Carrie Sissom, left, gives Metro Codes inspector Billy Deering an earful to no avail July 13, 1990. The razing was the end of a two-year battle over codes violations.

Bill "Wild Bill" Jackson, blind since birth, tends to the produce at his stand at the Jefferson Street Farmers' Market on July 18, 1990. "I've been doing this since the market was over behind the courthouse," said Jackson, 55. "It moved here in about 1951. I used to shell butter beans for a nickel a pound."

Ted Newsome is in a perfectly balanced world of his own as he "catches some air" during a skateboard demonstration in the Sports Hall of the Tennessee State Fairgrounds on July 19, 1990.

Aron Schlenger waits for his wife, Gertrude, outside the polling booths at West End Junior High School on Aug. 2, 1990, as she votes on election day.

J.M. Kuno takes a crack at the 20-pound stone toss during the annual Scottish Games Festival at The Hermitage on Aug. 4, 1990.

Thousands from Middle Tennessee enjoy shopping after the grand opening of the $100 million Bellevue Center on Aug. 9, 1990. The mall has more than 940,000 square feet, and the 4,700 parking places around it were filled.

Three-year-old Shivonnta Bryant screams as a registered nurse give him a measles inoculation at the Metro Health Department's Lentz Center on Aug. 9, 1990. Pamela Bryant holds her son as he receives one of his four shots. She said he had to have an updated inoculation record to attend a day care center.

Soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)'s 9th Battalion board a C-5A Galaxy at Fort Campbell airbase for the flight to Saudi Arabia for Desert Shield on Aug. 29, 1990.

Four of the candidates for the world grand champion title take to the ring during the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration is Shelbyville, Tenn., Sept. 1, 1990.

Randy Canter, a route supervisor with Purity Dairies, pulls out a carton of products from his truck to delivers to some homes in Nashville Sept. 7, 1990. Between 200 and 300 dairies still deliver milk to doorsteps in the United States.

Nashville Sounds pitcher Keith Brown (24) watches as his team win 5-4 over the Omaha Royals to even the series at 2-2 before 10,012 fans at Greer Stadium Sept. 8, 1990. The Sounds goes for its first American Association championship in the deciding fifth game of the best-of-five title series the next night.

Morris, the famous cat of the 9-Lives commercials, gets a rub from his veterinarian consultant Dr. Laura Pasten in his Nashville hotel room Sept. 10, 1990. The two are in town as part of a public service campaign tour to promote fitness in cats sponsored by the American Veterinary Medical Association.

A view of the Midway of the 55th annual Tennessee State Fair at the state fairgrounds in Nashville Sept. 14, 1990.

Developer Robert Mathews Jr. poses in his office on the 10th floor of Dominion Tower that overlooks the Ryman Auditorium Oct. 10, 1990. Opryland U.S.A. Inc. may bring live entertainment back to the stage of the historic Ryman and Mathews hopes its the cornerstone of a 2 million-square-foot mixed-use complex he is part of.

Gov. Ned McWherter, with Saturn President Skip LeFauve, drives the first Saturn off the assembly line during the official unveiling at the Spring Hill, Tenn. plant Oct. 11, 1990.

Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan (23) heads up court as Utah Jazz's Jeff Malone pursues during their exhibition game at Vanderbilt University's Memorial Gym Oct. 14, 1990. The Bulls won 101-92 before 15,399 fans.

Pat Paterson, back in mirror, talks with a customer at the sandwich counter while diners Dave Evans, left in mirror, and R. Lee Moss eat at a booth inside Varallo's Restaurant Oct. 17, 1990.

Three of the Red Baron Stearman Squadron biplanes fly in formation during a charity airshow at John C. Tune Airport Oct. 21, 1990 to benefit Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. The squadron is one of the nation's hottest aerial acrobatic teams.

Barry Walker sprays champagne to celebrate the return of his Marathon car to the old Marathon Motor Works administration building across from the former factory on Clinton Street in Nashville Oct. 31, 1990. Passenger Melva Joyner said the 1912 or 1913 model car "rides like a tractor."

Democrats Sen. Albert Gore Jr., left, and Gov. Ned McWherter celebrate landslide re-election victories at the Holiday Inn-Crown Plaza Hotel in downtown Nashville Nov. 6, 1990. Sen. Gore pulled the most votes in the state, with 523,196, to defeat William R. Hawkins of Knoxville.

Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, right, relaxes before the press conference with the local media at the Union Station Hotel Nov. 7, 1990. Kessinger is in town to address a dinner at the Nashville City Club.

The National Life Center in downtown Nashville displays a “Music City Proud” message Nov. 15, 1990.

Groups of hunters wait for the start of the 6 a.m. Thanksgiving Day pigeon shoot on the Main Street of downtown Dickson, Tenn., Nov. 22, 1990. The hunt is to get rid of too many pigeons in the downtown area.

McGavock High School senior Richie Jones blows his trumpet with the McGavock band during filming of a new Toyota holiday sale commercial at the Grand Ole Opry House Nov. 29, 1990. The commercial is one of the automaker’s four major annual national campaigns and, while not the first Toyota commercial to be filmed in Nashville, is the first ad to be filmed at the Opry House. Nashville’s Scene Three filmed the ad for the automaker.

Purity Dairies employee Gerald Green checks boiled custard at the company's Murfreesboro Road facility Dec. 4, 1990. Boiled custard and eggnog are made only during the holiday season, with production beginning just before Thanksgiving and ending at New Year's Day according to Miles Ezell Jr., chairman of Purity Dairies. This year, about 33,000 gallons of boiled custard and 56,000 gallons of eggnog with be produced and distributed.

Jim Hestle, left, general manager of the Thermal Transfer Plant, and incineration opponent Bruce Wood, right, argue about a proposal to expand the plant during the Metro Council meeting Dec. 11, 1990. Caught in the middle are councilmen Buck Dozier, George Armistead and Carney Patterson. Action on the controversial bill was postponed for the second of three readings.

Christie Hauck, president and CEO of Christie Cookie Company, holds up some just-out-of-the-oven cookies as employees are busy at the packing line in the company’s headquarters in Metro Center Dec. 20, 1990. “We run about two tons a day during the Christmas season, or the 2½ weeks before Christmas,” Hauck said. “This is the eighth Christmas we’ve lived through this insanity,” he added as he shakes his head in mock amazement.