Downtown Memphis in Shelby County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

1866 Memphis Massacre

Photographed By Mark Hilton, April 8, 2018

1. 1866 Memphis Massacre Marker

Inscription. On May 1, 2 and 3, 1866, mobs of white men led by law enforcement attacked black people in the areas near South St. (aka Calhoun & G.E. Patterson). By the end of the attack, the mobs had killed an estimated 46 black people; raped several black women; and committed numerous robberies, assaults and arsons. A congressional investigative committee reported that four churches, twelve schools and 91 other dwellings were burned. Although no one was ever prosecuted for this massacre, it became a rallying cry in the battle over the nation's reconstruction following the Civil War. Ultimately, the outrage that followed the massacre helped to ensure the adoption of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Erected 2016 by the Memphis NAACP and the National Park Service.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Churches & Religion • Civil Rights • Notable Events. A significant historical date for this entry is May 1, 1866.

Location. 35° 7.972′ N, 90° 3.399′ W. Marker is in Memphis, Tennessee, in Shelby County. It is in Downtown Memphis. Marker is at the intersection of G.E. Patterson Avenue and South Second Street, on the right when traveling west on G.E. Patterson Avenue

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. Located in Army Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 161 GE Patterson Avenue, Memphis TN 38103, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Welcome To The National Civil Rights Museum (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Modern Movie~Making In Memphis (about 600 feet away); Arcade Restaurant (about 700 feet away); The Lorraine Motel (about 700 feet away); Here, on April 4, 1968 … / … Today, a Place of Remembrance (about 700 feet away); The Blues Foundation (approx. 0.2 miles away); WLOK Radio Station (approx. 0.2 miles away); Site of First Memphis Telephone (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Memphis.

More about this marker. This marker is just around the corner of the site of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Lorraine Motel.

Also see . . . Wikipedia article about the Memphis Riots of 1866. (Submitted on April 14, 2018, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)

View of marker and City of Memphis "Army Park" image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mark Hilton, April 8, 2018

2. View of marker and City of Memphis "Army Park"

1866 Memphis Massacre Marker at Army Park. image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mark Hilton, April 8, 2018

3. 1866 Memphis Massacre Marker at Army Park.

Illustration in Harper's Weekly of the Memphis Riot of 1866 image. Click for full size.

Public domain

4. Illustration in Harper's Weekly of the Memphis Riot of 1866

Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 14, 2018, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 1,659 times since then and 234 times this year. Last updated on May 5, 2018, by Byron Hooks of Sandy Springs, Georgia. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 14, 2018, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.