<p align="center"><strong>Dear Governor</s></p>

<p align="center"><strong>Introduction</s></p>

Elected officials receive many letters from their fellow citizens during their time in office. As the state’s top elected official, people often look to governors first when seeking information on local issues, current events, pending legislation, or simply an autograph. Beginning with Tennessee’s first governor John Sevier, Tennesseans and citizens from across the country have been contacting the governor about matters that are important to them.

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Letter to Governor John Sevier from John Browders, undated.

John Browders asked Governor John Sevier to investigate the case of a stolen black horse. In his description, Browders said the horse measured “14 hands” or about 56 inches high.

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Letter to Governor William Carroll from Kentucky Governor Joseph Desha, 1827.

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During a pistol duel in 1826, General Sam Houston wounded War of 1812 veteran General William White. The Kentucky governor, Joseph Desha, requested that Governor William Carroll arrest Houston, but the case was soon dropped. In 1828, Houston was elected governor of Tennessee, and later the president of the Republic of Texas.

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Telegram to Governor James D. Porter from Mayor J. C. Hailey of Humboldt, Tenn., 1878.

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In 1878, the deadly yellow fever epidemic spread throughout West Tennessee and the surrounding region. Some health boards thought the germs could be killed by firing cannons into the air, a method called the “concussion theory.” Mayor J. C. Hailey asked Governor James D. Porter to send them a “canon” so he could try to stop the virus from spreading in Humboldt.

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Letter to Governor Hill McAlister from H. E. Pace of Thomasville, Tenn., 1935.

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By the 1930s, only 10% of rural Americans had access to electricity. The Roosevelt administration created programs like the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to help address this problem. H. E. Pace of Thomasville asked Governor Hill McAlister how his community could get access to rural electrification.

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Letter to Governor Prentice Cooper from Mary H. Farrow of South Carolina, 1940.

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In 1940, Mary H. Farrow of South Carolina asked Governor Prentice Cooper if there were “any women members in the Tennessee General Assembly.” At that time, Wilma Harrison Brown of Hickman County was the only active female legislator. She was elected to finish the term of her late husband.