Portion of 25-E to be named ‘Eleanor Yoakum Highway’
Friday, June 17th, 2016
Several officials gathered together Saturday June 11th naming a portion of U.S. Hwy. 25E in honor of Claiborne County’s Eleanor Yoakum. Attendees included Sexton, Niceley, former Commissioner of Transportation Bruce Saltsman, Gov. Don Sundquist, comptroller of the treasury Justin Wilson, Speaker of the House of Representatives Beth Harwell, Congressman Jimmy Duncan and chairman of the LMU board of trustees Autry O.V. “Pete” DeBusk.
“I believe that it’s vitally important to honor people like Eleanor who have made sacrifices and worked hard to make our state a better place to live,” said Sexton. “By recognizing Eleanor and thus the Yoakum family, it is my hope that it will inspire younger generations to take an active role in their communities.”
Mrs. Yoakum has numerous accomplishments, many of which were named during ceremony. Sexton told of her leading a tobacco warehouse in the eight-state burley belt as the first woman to blaze a pathway in the local tobacco industry. She later went on to work at her family’s First Century Bank and now sits as chairman of the board of directors.
“I accept this honor today for the Yoakum name,” she remarked during the ceremony, adding how special her home county is to her. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Congratulations to one of our own!
