It started in Memphis (Knoxville, Maryville: condos, crime, new home)

[ballcoachdave]

Memphis does have much to be proud of. I have an uncle who is now in his eighties, and has lived here since he returned from France after WWII. He loves to reminisce about Memphis. He loves this city.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by ballcoachdave

Memphis does have much to be proud of. I have an uncle who is now in his eighties, and has lived here since he returned from France after WWII. He loves to reminisce about Memphis. He loves this city.

It would be fascinating to sit down and listen to your uncle reminisce! Has he lived in the same neighborhood since returning from WWII?

[ballcoachdave]

Yes he has actually. He lives in Mid-town near Overton Park. He refuses to "give" his house away, even though the neighborhood isn't what it once was. I love visiting him and listening to his stories about Memphis and what little he will share with me about WWII.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by ballcoachdave

Yes he has actually. He lives in Mid-town near Overton Park. He refuses to "give" his house away, even though the neighborhood isn't what it once was. I love visiting him and listening to his stories about Memphis and what little he will share with me about WWII.

What a great place to live, too! I love the area around Overton Park, even the neighborhoods that have gone downhill somewhat. Memphians really do have a lot to be proud of. Does your uncle have any old photos or newspaper clippings from the early days of Memphis?

[Pearlbob]

I love to see old photos of Memphis. Especially the ones of midtown, which was "east" memphis back in the day, dirt roads, horse drawn carriages, etc. I like how they have kept some of the old street signs in place along Union, that calls it "Union East."

[Smoothtopper]

Originally Posted by JMT

Are you asking because you honestly don't know? Or are you merely trying to add a negative post to a positive thread about Memphis?

Good catch...JMT...I'll be moving the area shortly and plan to visit Lenny's and Backyard.

[strumpeace]

Midtown was Memphis' first suburb. Back in the day, people who lived in the real Memphis rode in horse-drawn carriages that had stickers that said 'Downtown Is Memphis' and they looked down on those ignorant, tasteless hicks living in suburban hell -- Midtown. And no, Mud Island wasn't part of the excitement of the real city.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by Smoothtopper

Good catch...JMT...I'll be moving the area shortly and plan to visit Lenny's and Backyard.

You're in for a treat! You've got the best fast-food burgers in the country there at BYB, and Lenny's has GREAT subs, infinitely better than the processed plastic meats you get at Subway.

I hope you enjoy living in Memphis. I was fortunate to live there for 5 years in addition to going there often while a student at Ole Miss. In spite of the high crime (and there really is a lot in Memphis), I absolutely adored living in Memphis and really love the place. Best of luck with your move!

[ParkTwain]

There's lots of historically interesting things, some obscure, about Memphis.

Do you know about the "Jewish connection" with Elvis Presley and Memphis's old neighborhood known as "the Pinch"?
(Elvis and his parents formerly lived at 150 Alabama Ave., which address no longer exists?)
Map of 462 Alabama Ave Memphis, TN by MapQuest
Schmelvis (Excerpts) (broken link)
Elvis Jewish Chosen Tonight - San Diego Jewish Journal
Jewish and Israel News from New York - The Jewish Week (broken link)

About the Pinch district:
TN Encyclopedia: PINCH DISTRICT

//
The area of North Memphis commonly known as the “Pinch District” has played an important role in local immigration since the early nineteenth century. The city’s first business district, the Pinch encompassed all of Memphis north of Adams Street. Although fluid in its application, the name Pinch expanded southward to Market Street, much to the dismay of some local citizens who viewed the classification as a pejorative.

The area was originally known as Pinch-Gut, a seemingly derisive term that referred to the area’s starving Irish immigrants who were so thin that their stomachs were pinched by their belts. In addition to the Irish, the area was home to significant numbers of Jewish, Italian, Russian, and Greek immigrants. From the 1890s to the 1930s, the Pinch was the center of activity for Memphis’s substantial Jewish community. While the area was impoverished, there existed a great sense of entrepreneurship among first-generation immigrants who sought upward mobility for their children.

World War II greatly changed the dynamic of the Pinch District. America’s post-war affluence, along with opportunities provided by the G.I. Bill, led many young families to relocate to the eastern parts of the city where they could purchase single-family homes that provided more living space and yards. While family businesses initially remained in the area, they soon followed the residents toward East Memphis. The once vibrant Pinch District quickly deteriorated and was devoid of significant commercial development for many years.

Since the late 1980s, however, urban renewal has changed the character of the neighborhood once again. Endeavors such as the construction of the Pyramid and the development of downtown trolley lines revitalized the area. As a result, popular restaurants and bars now distinguish the Pinch District, and developers have recognized it as a promising area for the construction of new residences such as condominiums and townhouses.

Lauren Elizabeth Nickas, Middle Tennessee State University
//


Ever heard of Ida B. Wells, the very important journalist and civil rights activist?
Ida B. Wells - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Ever heard of Robert R. Church, Sr., the first prominent black businessman in Memphis and first African-American millionaire, and his descendants?
The Society of Entrepreneurs
TN Encyclopedia: ROBERT R. CHURCH SR.
TN Encyclopedia: ROBERT R. CHURCH JR.


Ever heard of John Wayles Jefferson?
(He was the son of Eston Jefferson, a slave of Thomas Jefferson who was freed at Jefferson's death and possibly the youngest illegitimate child of Thomas Jefferson and his slave Sally Hemings. J.W. Jefferson opened a cotton brokerage business in Memphis and was also a lieutenant-colonel in the Union Army's 8th Wisconsin Regiment.)
http://www.monticello.org/gettingword/JWJefferson.jpg
Finding Aid for the Jefferson Family Papers, 1861-1975
AmericanHeritage.com / THOMAS JEFFERSON’S UNKNOWN GRANDCHILDREN


In June 1858, in an improvised Memphis hospital room, steamboat captain Samuel L. Clemens (later to be known as the writer Mark Twain) witnessed the tragic death of his younger brother Henry, who had been injured six days prior by the explosion of the boilers on the riverboat Pennsylvania where he was working.
Mark Twain, A Biography by Albert Bigelow Paine: Part I The Tragedy Of The "Pennsylvania"
Mark Twain at Large: The Mississippi River


Dunavant Enterprises, Inc. of Memphis is the largest privately owned cotton merchandiser in the world.
Company History

Story about Billy Dunavant (of Dunavant Enterprises) and his nephew Paul Tudor Jones (native Memphian, alumnus of Memphis Univ. School, and a billionaire futures trader in NYC):
http://www.guyetteandschmidt.com/livingarts.pdf

[strumpeace]

The Pinch had a mini-revival when the Pyramid was built, but as we all know, that was short-lived. There are a few struggling businesses left down there, but not many.