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Historical Markers and War Memorials in Shelby County, Tennessee

 
Clickable Map of Shelby County, Tennessee and Immediately Adjacent Jurisdictions image/svg+xml 2019-10-06 U.S. Census Bureau, Abe.suleiman; Lokal_Profil; HMdb.org; J.J.Prats/dc:title> https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Usa_counties_large.svg Shelby County, TN (490) Fayette County, TN (18) Tipton County, TN (34) Crittenden County, AR (27) Mississippi County, AR (52) DeSoto County, MS (27) Marshall County, MS (29)  ShelbyCounty(490) Shelby County (490)  FayetteCounty(18) Fayette County (18)  TiptonCounty(34) Tipton County (34)  CrittendenCountyArkansas(27) Crittenden County (27)  MississippiCounty(52) Mississippi County (52)  DeSotoCountyMississippi(27) DeSoto County (27)  MarshallCounty(29) Marshall County (29)
Memphis is the county seat for Shelby County
Adjacent to Shelby County, Tennessee
      Fayette County (18)  
      Tipton County (34)  
      Crittenden County, Arkansas (27)  
      Mississippi County, Arkansas (52)  
      DeSoto County, Mississippi (27)  
      Marshall County, Mississippi (29)  
 
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Touch blue arrow, or on map, to go there.
201 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Civil War in TennesseeMemphis during the War
On Riverside Drive south of Jefferson Avenue, on the right when traveling south.
In 1860, Memphis had Tennessee's largest cotton and slave markets and was a strategic Mississippi River gateway. The naval battle of Memphis in June 1862 took place as thousands of residents watched nine Union vessels defeat eight Confederate ships. . . . Map (db m55313) HM
202 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Clayborn Temple
On Hernando Street just south of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue (U.S. 78), on the left when traveling south.
This building. designed by architects Long & Kees with E. C. Jones supervising, was dedicated to the worship of God on Jan. 1, 1893. It was the second home of Second Presbyterian Church (organized Dec. 28, 1844) until sold to the AME Church in . . . Map (db m148963) HM
203 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Cobblestone Landing
Near Riverside Drive.
There were several boat landings in this general area during the nineteenth century. An 1827 drawing shows a public landing approximately on-half mile north of this spot, but changes in the "batture" or built-up bank caused by the river moved the . . . Map (db m88262) HM
204 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 1 — Cobblestones
Near Union Avenue at Wagner Street, on the right when traveling east.
The Cobblestones that line the river landing once stretched all the way to Front Street, from Beale Street north to Court Avenue. The cobblestones were installed between 1859-1881 and are still intact underneath the pavement on Union Avenue.Map (db m148901) HM
205 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Confederate History of Memphis
On Front Street south of Jefferson Ave., on the right when traveling south.
This bluff was fortified by Gen. Pillow May 1862. Thirty seven companies were equipped here for the Confederate service. The Confederate Ram, Arkansas, one of the first ironclad battleships in the Navy, was built and partially armored here, but . . . Map (db m82848) HM
206 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Confederate ParkReunions and Memorials
Near North Front Street at Jefferson Avenue, on the left when traveling north.
Opened in 1906 as part of the Memphis Park and Parkway System, Confederate Park commemorates the Battle of Memphis. When Confederate forces retreated to Mississippi after the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862, unfortified Memphis became vulnerable to . . . Map (db m82849) HM
207 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Congregation B'Nai Israel(Children of Israel) — First Permanent Jewish House of Worship in Tennessee —
On Main Street at Exchange Street, on the right when traveling south on Main Street.
Jews have been part of Tennessee’s economic, social and political life since the late 18th century. Congregation Children of Israel, chartered by the State of Tennessee, March 2, 1854, rented and eventually purchased a building near this site at . . . Map (db m84648) HM
208 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — A-4 — Cora James
On Barboro Alley at South Main Street, on the right when traveling east on Barboro Alley.
In the 1860s, Madame Cora James claimed to give psychic predictions, recover stolen goods, and cure insanity and nervous diseases from her room around the corner on Main.Map (db m221385) HM
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209 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 4 — Cotton Exchange Building
Near Union Avenue at South Front Street, on the right when traveling east.
The Memphis Cotton Exchange, was first organized in 1873 and is still operating today, though cotton trading is now done by computers. In the early 1950s a seat on the Exchange could cost a new member $17,000. Memphis was the largest spot cotton . . . Map (db m116725) HM
210 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 49 — Court Square Saved
On North 2nd Street (State Highway 14) at Court Avenue, on the right when traveling south on North 2nd Street.
Court Square was almost sold to developers in the 1870s to pay back debts incurred in the yellow fever epidemics. It was almost sold again in the early 1900s for a skyscraper, and still again in the 1940s for parking.Map (db m148966) HM
211 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 42 — D.T. Porter Building
On North Main Street at South Court Avenue, on the right when traveling north on North Main Street.
The D.T. Porter Building was Memphis’ first skyscraper and the tallest building south of St. Louis when completed in 1895. Some city officials believed a building that tall would blow over in a strong wind. Visitors paid 10 cents to ride one of the . . . Map (db m148974) HM
212 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 4E 183 — Danny Thomas1912 - 1991
On Beale Street just east of South November 6th Street, on the right when traveling west.
Thanks to entertainer Danny Thomas, who founded St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital in Memphis, this road bears the name Beale Street. Created as an avenue in 1841, locals began calling it Beale Street after the African-American blues legend W.C. . . . Map (db m154265) HM
213 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Dermon Building
On North B.B. King Boulevard north of Court Avenue, on the right when traveling north.
This property has been placed on The National Register of Historic Places by order of the United States Department of the InteriorMap (db m221410) HM
214 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Dorothy "Happy" Snowden Jones — 1937 - 2017 —
Happy Jones was born a member of the socially prominent Snowden family, but she embraced society in the largest possible sense. She involved herself in every imaginable public issue aimed at broadening justice and opportunity for citizens at large — . . . Map (db m205427) HM
215 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 4E 75 — Elizabeth Avery Meriwether — 1824 - 1917 —
Near North Front Street at Court Avenue, on the left when traveling north.
Born in Bolivar, Elizabeth Meriwether spent much of her life in Memphis. A noted author, her more famous works include The Master of Red Leaf, Black and White, and Recollections of 92 Years. Mrs. Meriwether toured many states lecturing in support of . . . Map (db m55308) HM
216 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Equality TrailblazersHonoring 100 Years of Woman Suffrage
Near North Front Street at Madison Avenue, on the right when traveling south.
During the last two decades of the 19th century and the first two decades of the 20th, dedicated Tennessee women campaigned relentlessly for woman suffrage. Remembered here are the stories of some of these trailblazers whose perseverance in . . . Map (db m203851) HM
217 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 4E 61 — Eugene Magevney
On Adams Avenue, on the right when traveling west.
Born in County Fermanagh, Ireland, 1798: immigrated to the United States, 1828; settled in Memphis, 1833. His home was the scene of three important religious occasions in Memphis: first Catholic mass, 1839; first Catholic marriage, 1840; . . . Map (db m32518) HM
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218 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 20 — Face-off
Near Monroe Avenue south of South Main Street, on the right when traveling east.
U.S. Marshal Orville Webster and Memphis police detective Will Smiddy, who was also a bootlegger, shot each other outside Smiddy's saloon in a face-off during the early days of Prohibition.Map (db m221388) HM
219 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 6 — Farnsworth Building
Near Union Avenue at South Main Street, on the right when traveling east.
Before 88 Union Center was renovated in the 1980's, it was known as the Three Sisters Building for the ladies apparel store that opened here in 1938. Before that, the 1927 building was called the Farnsworth Building after its financier, C.F. . . . Map (db m148904) HM
220 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 5 — First "Talkies"
On Union Avenue east of South Front Street, on the right when traveling east.
Parking can be fun, but not as fun as a show at Loew's Palace, where "talking movies" debuted in Memphis in 1928. The theater, where Harry Houdini and others performed in the 1920s, was razed in the 1980s.Map (db m116720) HM
221 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 8 — First Black Radio Station
On Union Avenue at November 6th Street, on the right when traveling west on Union Avenue.
On October 25, 1948 at 4p.m., Nat D. Williams signed on at WDIA radio, becoming the first black disc jockey on the South's first all-black radio station. His revolutionary rhythm and blues program followed a show called "Hillbilly Party" and . . . Map (db m116723) HM
222 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — First Court House, First Newspaper
Near North Main Street just south of Winchester Avenue, on the left when traveling south.
Shelby County's first court house, a $50 cabin, was built here in 1820. The court moved to Raleigh, and the cabin then housed the first newspaper, the Memphis Advocate, which began January 18, 1827.Map (db m148633) HM
223 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 4E 176 — First Tennessee Bank
On North 2nd Street at Court Avenue, on the right when traveling south on North 2nd Street.
Despite the hardships and divided loyalties of the Civil War, First National Bank of Memphis received Charter No. 336 from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency on March 25, 1864. Renamed First Tennessee in 1971, the city's first federally . . . Map (db m148967) HM
224 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Former Criminal Courts Building
On Washington Avenue east of North 2nd Street, on the left when traveling east.
Designed by Jones & Furbringer, Architects, this building opened in 1925 as the Criminal Courts Building, housing two divisions of criminal court, a 300-bed county jail, and various offices. The limestone exterior features several design elements of . . . Map (db m63366) HM
225 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Forrest and the Memphis Slave Trade
On Adams Avenue at B.B. King Boulevard (Tennessee Route 14), on the right when traveling east on Adams Avenue. Reported damaged.
From 1854 to 1860, Nathan Bedford Forrest operated a profitable slave trading business at this site. In 1826, Tennessee had prohibited bringing enslaved people into the state for the purpose of selling them. As cotton and slavery grew in . . . Map (db m117144) HM
226 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 4E 38 — Forrest's Early Home
On Adams Avenue at North 3rd Street, on the right when traveling west on Adams Avenue.
In a house which stood here in antebellum days lived Nathan Bedford Forrest. Born in middle Tennessee, 1821, he spent his early life on a Mississippi plantation. Following marriage in 1845, he came to Memphis, where his business enterprises made . . . Map (db m115931) HM
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227 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 23 — Fort Adams, Mississippi/Old River Control Structure/Homochitto CutoffPanel # 23
On Riverside Drive.
A. Fort Adams, Mississippi Mile 311.9 AHP This high bluff was first named Davion’s Rock, for a French priest who lived here with the Tunica Indians in the early 1700’s. It was later called Loftus Heights, for a British Major Loftus whose . . . Map (db m115004) HM
228 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Frances Grant Loring — 1923 - 2009 —
Near Front Street west of Madison Avenue when traveling west.
Frances Grant Loring, a sixth generation Memphian, spent her life trying to build a better community wherever she was. She empowered women and minorities, helped further literacy, supported adult education, and was passionate about civil rights, . . . Map (db m205021) HM
229 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Gayoso Hotel1842
On South Front Street at Peabody Place, on the right when traveling north on South Front Street. Reported unreadable.
Opened in 1842, named for the early Spanish governor, this hotel's main entrance was originally here. Capt. William H. Forrest, raiding into Memphis under his famous brother in the early morning of August 21, 1864, rode his horse into the lobby, . . . Map (db m221383) HM
230 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 4E 96 — George Jackson
On Beale Street, on the right when traveling east.
In 1893, George Jackson established on Beale Street the Jackson Drug Store, also known as the New Era Pharmacy, the first drug store in Memphis to be owned and operated by a black person. Jackson received degrees from Oberlin College and the . . . Map (db m162727) HM
231 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 22 — Greek Influence
Near South 2nd Street (State Highway 14) at Monroe Avenue, on the left when traveling north.
In 1929, the architects of the National Bank of Commerce wanted to convey the strength of the bank by basing their design on ancient Greek temples. It's built according to the "Golden Section" rule, meaning that its width to length ratio is almost . . . Map (db m148958) HM
232 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 50 — Hattie Manely
Near South 2nd Street (State Highway 3) at South Court Avenue, on the right when traveling south.
August 2nd, 1885: A riot broke out after police arrested 16-year-old Hattie Manely of Xenia, Ohio. Manely was an African-American who didn't realize she was committing a crime when she sat in a chair in Court Square vacated by a white man.Map (db m148971) HM
233 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Here, on April 4, 1968 … / … Today, a Place of Remembrance
Near Mulberry Street at East Butler Avenue.
Here, on April 4, 1968 … Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stood on the balcony in front of Room 306, discussing that evening's sanitation strike meeting with aides. King requested his favorite spiritual, “Precious Lord,” be played that night. . . . Map (db m183598) HM
234 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — A-6 — Heroic Hooker
On South November 6th Street at Gayoso Avenue, on the right when traveling south on South November 6th Street.
“The Mansion,” one of the many brothels that lined Gayoso Avenue when prostitution was legal in the late 1800s, stood here. It was the home of madam Annie Cook, who died treating victims of the yellow fever epidemic after she turned her house . . . Map (db m221386) HM
235 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 4E 159 — Hooks Brothers PhotographyEstablished in 1907
On Beale Street.
Side A Established by Henry A. Hooks, Sr. and his brother Robert B. Hooks, Hooks Brothers Photography Studio was the second oldest continuously operating black business in Memphis. Located during its early years at 164 Beale Street, it . . . Map (db m32512) HM
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236 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Hotel Claridge
On Adams Avenue at Center Lane, on the right when traveling east on Adams Avenue.
This property is listed in the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the InteriorMap (db m221387) HM
237 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Ida B. Wells1862-1931
Near North Front Street at Madison Avenue, on the right when traveling south.
Ida Bell Wells was born enslaved on July 16, 1862, in Holly Springs, Mississippi. She came of age during Reconstruction and was educated at Rust College After she was orphaned in 1878 at the age of 16, she became a caregiver to her five younger . . . Map (db m204391) HM
238 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 4E 85 — Ida B. Wells1862–1931
On Beale Street, on the right when traveling south.
Ida B. Wells crusaded against lynchings in Memphis and the South. In 1892 while editor of the Memphis Free Speech, located in this vicinity, she wrote of the lynching of three Black businessmen. As a result, her newspaper office was destroyed . . . Map (db m9306) HM
239 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — James A. Hyter, “Ol’ Man River”
On Riverside Drive, on the right when traveling south.
Born in Athens, Alabama, on February 2, 1922, James Alfred Hyter moved to Memphis with his family when he was one week old. From 1978 to 1998, he sang "Ol' Man River" in his deep resonant voice at the annual Memphis-in-May Sunset Symphony. He . . . Map (db m193158) HM
240 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — James H. MaloneOct. 31, 1851 - June 29, 1929
On North 2nd Street.
The 35th mayor of Memphis, 1906-1910. Author of "The Chickasaw Nation". He shared a legal office on the 11th floor of the exchange building, overlooking Court Square, with his younger brother Walter Malone. Judge of the second circuit court of . . . Map (db m74800) HM
241 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — John Grisham
On Union Avenue east of South Front Street.
Author John Grisham immortalized downtown Memphis, particularly Front Street, in his novel The Firm. In 1993, he became the first author to have four books on the best seller list at the same time. Rooted deeply in the South's rich literary . . . Map (db m116357) HM
242 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 4E 51 — John James Audubon
On Riverside Drive, on the right when traveling south.
On Friday, Dec. 1. 1820, this naturalist and artist landed nearby, on his way by flatboat from Cincinnati to New Orleans. He kept a diary and sketched animals and birds seen en route. Near here, he saw gulls, cormorants, “white-headed eagles, . . . Map (db m193148) HM
243 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Joseph Hanover — 1888 - 1984 —
Joseph Hanover came to the United States from Poland at the age of five with his mother. His father had come earlier to begin a new life, save money, and send for them. Later, Hanover became a lawyer in Memphis and served for one term, 1919-1921, in . . . Map (db m204807) HM
244 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 4E 158 — Josiah T. Settle1850 - 1915
On Poplar Avenue, 0.2 miles east of N. Main Street, on the right when traveling west.
Josiah T. Settle, one of the earliest African-American 19th century Memphis lawyers, was born in the Cumberland Mountains of East Tennessee. Educated at Oberlin College, Settle was a member of the Howard University's first law school graduating . . . Map (db m225704) HM
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245 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Lansky BrothersClothier to the King
On Beale Street at South 2nd Street, on the right when traveling west on Beale Street.
Lansky Brothers was founded in 1946 by Bernard and Guy Lansky with a $125 investment from their father, S. L. Lansky. The store began at 126 Beale Street as an army surplus store, but gradually changed to accommodate customers interested in a . . . Map (db m63367) HM
246 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Lauderdale Courts / Presley Family at Lauderdale Courts
On North 3rd Street (Tennessee Route 14) at Winchester Avenue, on the right when traveling north on North 3rd Street.
Lauderdale Courts Built in 1936 by the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works, Lauderdale Courts was one of the first federal housing projects in the nation. It replaced substandard housing with clean, modern dwellings for the . . . Map (db m87028) HM
247 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Let Freedom Ring
On Madison Ave. just west of B.B. King (Tennessee Route 14), on the right when traveling west.
For someone to choose this country and live through 17 U.S. Presidents is amazing. Eugene Magevney was born in 1798 in Ireland. He must have heard the call of freedom from America as a child while our nation was still in its infancy and John Adams . . . Map (db m115917) HM
248 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Lide Smith Meriwether1829 - 1913
Near North Front Street at Madison Avenue, on the right when traveling south.
Lide Smith Meriwether of Memphis was a major leader of the woman suffrage movement in Tennessee in the 19th century and nationally known in the 1890s. She had taken part in earlier organizations to help women and children, but it was in working . . . Map (db m204206) HM
249 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Lulu Colyar Reese — 1858-1926 —
Near North Front Street at Madison Avenue.
Lulu Colyar Reese was a socially prominent clubwoman who became active in Memphis education and politics as an advocate for free textbooks and child labor laws. In 1916, she was one of the first two women elected to the Memphis City Board of . . . Map (db m204266) HM
250 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Lung Kong Tin Yee Association / The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882
On South B.B. King Boulevard (U.S. 64/70) at Lt. George W. Lee Avenue, on the left when traveling north on South B.B. King Boulevard.
Lung Kong Tin Yee Association Chinese settlers established the Lung Kong Tin Yee Association at 233 South Third Street in the 1920s, later moving to 250 Vance Avenue, to offer mutual assistance in the New World. Most of these settlers came from . . . Map (db m221392) HM
251 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 4E 73 — Malcolm Rice Patterson1865 - 1935
On Washington Avenue at North B.B. King Boulevard (Tennessee Route 3/14), on the right when traveling east on Washington Avenue.
A native of Somerville, Alabama, Patterson moved to Memphis with his parents in 1872. Educated at Christian Brothers College and Vanderbilt University, he was admitted to the bar in 1883. From 1894 to 1900 he served as attorney-general for . . . Map (db m221415) HM
252 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Marion Scudder Griffin1879-1957
Near North Front Street at Madison Avenue, on the right when traveling south.
Marion Scudder Griffin was the first practicing female attorney in Tennessee as well as the first woman to serve in the Tennessee House of Representatives. Upon moving to Memphis, she worked in Judge Thomas M. Scruggs' office as a stenographer . . . Map (db m204740) HM
253 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 4E 152 — Marion Scudder Griffinca. 1879-1957
On Madison Avenue at North B.B. King Boulevard, on the right when traveling east on Madison Avenue.
Marion Scudder Griffin, although qualified, was refused a Tennessee law license for seven years solely because she was a woman. In 1907, she became the first woman attorney in Tennessee after she successfully lobbied the legislature to admit women . . . Map (db m116302) HM
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254 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 4E 68 — Market Square
On Market Avenue just west of North 2nd Street (Tennessee Highway 3), on the right when traveling west.
Before selling Memphis lots, developers set aside this park as Market Square in 1819. Facing it was the first courthouse, built in 1820, which was also used as a church and newspaper office. Near the square was a frontier hotel, the first . . . Map (db m148628) HM
255 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Mary Church Terrell1863-1954
Near North Front Street at Madison Avenue, on the right when traveling south.
A champion of racial and gender equality, Mary Church was born on September 23, 1863, in Memphis to business owners Louisa and Robert R. Church. "Mollie,” as she was called, earned bachelor's and master's degrees from Oberlin College, taught . . . Map (db m213321) HM
256 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 4E 123 — Mary Church Terrell1863 - 1954
On Beale Street east of South 4th Street, on the right when traveling east.
Born in Memphis in 1863, Mary Church Terrell was noted as a champion of human rights. The daughter of millionaire Robert Church, Sr., she was graduated from Oberlin College in 1884 and later made her home in Washington, D.C. In 1904, she was a . . . Map (db m63342) HM
257 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Maxine Atkins Smith — 1929-2013 —
The only woman leader of the struggle to desegregate a major Southern city, Maxine Atkins Smith was an academic and activist who was called the "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement in Memphis.” Born on October 31, 1929, she finished high school at . . . Map (db m205158) HM
258 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Memphis and Shelby County Medical Society
On N. Front Street.
In Memoriam 1917-------------1918 In Memory of The Four Members of The Memphis and Shelby County Medical Society Who gave their lives in the service of their fellow men in the World War Capt. Robert B. Underwood - Lieut. A.P. . . . Map (db m88260) WM
259 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 4E 164 — Memphis Queen II
On Riverside Drive.
Built in 1955 by the Dubuque Boat & Boiler Company, the Memphis Queen II was the first all-steel passenger ship on the Mississippi River. Measuring 85 feet long by 43 feet wide, it features two decks, two smokestacks, and a stern wheel . . . Map (db m88257) HM
260 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Minerva J. Johnican — 1938 - 2013 —
Near Front Street near Madison Avenue.
Minerva J. Johnican made history in city and county politics as a trailblazer and for her determination to work across racial lines. Johnican-county commissioner, city council member, criminal court clerk, as well as candidate for congresswoman and . . . Map (db m205784) HM
261 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Mississippi River Park
Near Riverside Drive at Court Avenue, on the left when traveling north.
When Riverside Drive was constructed in the mid-1930's, this park was built on what had been an old dumping ground for construction debris and dredge soil. It was enlarged to its present size in 1937, using material dredged from the river. . . . Map (db m88264) HM
262 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Modern Movie~Making In Memphis
On G.E. Patterson Avenue at South Main Street, on the right when traveling east on G.E. Patterson Avenue.
Front On this South Main Street corner in 1988 the modern wave of Memphis movie making was born, in great measure through the efforts of the Memphis & Shelby County Film Commissioner Linn Sitler and Shelby County Government official . . . Map (db m116289) HM
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263 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Mud Island
On Riverside Drive.
Mud Island, across the old Wolf River channel before you, began to be formed by the Mississippi River around 1900. By 1916 there was concern that it would grow so far south that it would block access to the harbor, so the island was connected to . . . Map (db m88265) HM
264 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 4E 104 — Nat D. Williams
On Beale Street, on the right when traveling west.
In 1948, Nat D. Williams became the first black radio announcer in Memphis when he began broadcasting for WDIA. He was a cofounder of the Cotton Makers Jubilee and is credited with giving the celebration its name. A history teacher in the Memphis . . . Map (db m13748) HM
265 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Naval Battle of Memphis, 1862
On North Front Street south of Jefferson Avenue, on the left when traveling north.
Atop these bluffs in the early morning hours of June 6, 1862, the citizens of Memphis gathered in excited anticipation as the Confederate River Defense Fleet steamed out into the Mississippi to meet the descending Union Gunboat Fleet. The . . . Map (db m116185) HM
266 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — A-2 — Opera House Fire
Near Barboro Alley at South Center Lane, on the right when traveling west.
In 1883, flames from a store on the north side of Barboro made it across the alley and burned down the city's old opera house, the Greenlaw.Map (db m148961) HM
267 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 11 — Peabody Hotel
Near Union Avenue (U.S. 70) just west of Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous Alley, on the right when traveling west.
Everyone knows that ducks swim in the Peabody's fountain, but for a short time in the 1930s the fountain also contained baby alligators. During World War II, enlisted men who had nowhere else to stay were allowed to sleep on the floor of the lobby . . . Map (db m148910) HM
268 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 12 — Peabody Lobby
Near Union Avenue (U.S. 70) at Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous Alley.
"The Mississippi Delta begins in the lobby of the Peabody Hotel and ends on Catfish Row in Vicksburg … If you stand near its fountain in the middle of the lobby, where ducks waddle and turtles drowse, you will see everybody who is anybody in the . . . Map (db m148912) HM
269 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 13 — Peabody Revitalization
Near Union Avenue at South B.B. King Boulevard (Tennessee Highway 3), on the right when traveling west.
Designed by Chicago Architect Walter Ahlschlager in 1925, the Peabody was restored by Philip and Jack Belz in 1980. During the restoration, workers removing a basement wall to install a pipe accidentally discovered the hotel's original blueprints . . . Map (db m148914) HM
270 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 4E 83 — Pee Wee Saloon(P. Wee Saloon)
Near Beale Street.
Pee Wee's Saloon was the favorite meeting spot for Memphis musicians in the early 20th century. W.C. Handy used the cigar counter to write out copies of the Beale Street Blues for his band members. One of those songs, written for the 1909 political . . . Map (db m9302) HM
271 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Phi Beta Sigma/Abram Langston Taylor
On Beale Street east of South 4th Street, on the right when traveling east.
Phi Beta Sigma Native Tennessean Abram Langston Taylor, near this spot, 423 Beale Avenue, conceived the idea of establishing an international organization of college and professional men dedicated to “Culture for Service and Service . . . Map (db m63343) HM
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272 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 4E 110 — Piggly Wiggly
On Jefferson Avenue at 2nd Street, on the right when traveling east on Jefferson Avenue.
Marker Front: With a brass band, a beauty contest, flowers for the ladies, and balloons for the children Clarence Saunders of Memphis opened the first Piggly Wiggly, America's first completely self-service grocery store, at 79 Jefferson . . . Map (db m88646) HM
273 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Poplar Tunes / One-Stop Shop306-308 Poplar Avenue
On Poplar Avenue at North Lauderdale Street, on the right when traveling west on Poplar Avenue.
Poplar Tunes Calling itself "Memphis' Original Record Shop," Poplar Tunes lived up to its billing. Founders Joe Cuoghi and John Novarese opened the store in 1946, selling records for the retail, wholesale and jukebox trade. Demo records . . . Map (db m87025) HM
274 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Pre-Civil War Lynching at Market Square
On North 2nd Street north of Market Street, on the left when traveling north.
Near this spot on January 1. 1851, a mob of 1,200 to 1,500 people lynched an unidentified black man for the murder of John Chester, the Memphis City Recorder. The victim was likely a passenger aboard the SS Winfield Scott. which had ported . . . Map (db m148626) HM
275 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 3 — Promenade
Near Union Avenue at South Front Street, on the right when traveling west.
The Public Promenade was deeded to the City of Memphis by its original proprietors in 1828 for public walking and leisure. It originally included 36 acres along the west side of the Mississippi Row, now Front Street, from Union to Jackson Avenue.Map (db m148903) HM
276 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — R.S. Lewis & Sons Funeral Home
On Vance Avenue, 0 miles east of 4th, on the left when traveling east.
Founded in 1914 by Robert Stevenson Lewis Sr. and later operated by sons Robert Jr. and Clarence, the family business became committed to improving the quality of life for African-Americans in the community. Among their achievements, in the 1920s . . . Map (db m107484) HM
277 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 4E 119 — Rufus Thomas, Jr.
Near Beale Street.
(Obverse) Born March 26, 1917, in Cayce, Mississippi, this legendary entertainer known worldwide, began his career in the 1930s with the Rabbit Foot Minstrel Shows. He was the organizer and master of ceremonies of the amateur shows in the . . . Map (db m9303) HM
278 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 4E 138 — Sara Roberta Church1914-1995
On Beale Street east of South 4th Street, on the right when traveling east.
In 1952, Roberta Church became the first black woman in Memphis to be elected to public office and to the Tennessee Republican State Executive Committee. She served as an official in the administrations of Presidents Eisenhower and Nixon. In 1987, . . . Map (db m63290) HM
279 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Schools For Freedmen
On South Main Street at Beale Street, on the right when traveling north on South Main Street.
The first free "colored" school in the city was opened in early 1863 in a barrack building in South Memphis. In 1864 the U.S. Army issued a general order authorizing its officers to help with these schools for the education of freedmen. In 1865 . . . Map (db m82858) HM
280 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Shelby County Archives and Hall of Records / Former Criminal Courts Building
On Washington Avenue west of North B.B. King Boulevard, on the right when traveling west.
Shelby County Archives and Hall of Records After the Shelby County criminal courts and jail moved from here in 1982, this National Register Historic District building stood empty until 1998, when extensive renovations were completed and . . . Map (db m116295) HM
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281 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Shelby County Courthouse
On Adams Avenue at Second Street, on the right when traveling west on Adams Avenue.
Designed by Architect James Gamble Rogers and dedicated on January 1, 1910, the Shelby County Courthouse is the largest and most ornate in Tennessee. Quarterly Court Chairman James Hill Barret led the movement for the imposing structure with modern . . . Map (db m82860) HM
282 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Site of First Memphis Telephone
On G.E. Patterson Avenue at South Front Street, on the right when traveling east on G.E. Patterson Avenue.
on October 18, 1877, at residence of Col. Mike Burke, 673 Shelby, Superintendent of Miss. & Tenn. RR, which was connected only with RR office and home of Col. H.A. Montgomery at Poplar & Bellevue.Map (db m116291) HM
283 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Solvent Savings Bank
On Beale Street.
The Solvent Savings Bank and Trust Company founded by Robert Church, Sr., first Negro bank established in Memphis, opened at this site, 392 Beale Street, in 1906. It survived the money panic of 1907 and became the fourth largest black bank in the . . . Map (db m48758) HM
284 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — St. Mary's Catholic Church
On North Third Street at Market Street, on the right when traveling south on North Third Street.
Parish founded in 1852 by German Catholics desiring ministry in their native tongue. Cornerstone laid 30 Sept. 1864 at this site while Union soldiers fired a salute. Second oldest Catholic church in Memphis. Designed by noted architect James B. Cook . . . Map (db m87022) HM
285 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — St. Peter Catholic Church
On Adams Avenue at North Third Street, on the right when traveling west on Adams Avenue.
St. Peter's was founded in 1840, the first Roman Catholic parish in West Tennessee and given to the Dominican Order in 1846. The present church was built 1852~1855 around a smaller church which was then dismantled and carried out the doors. Within . . . Map (db m32516) HM
286 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Statuary at the Shelby County Courthouse
On Adams Avenue at Third Street, on the right when traveling west on Adams Avenue.
Exterior statuary at the Shelby County Courthouse includes, most prominently, six seated figures carved from single blocks of Tennessee marble, representing Wisdom, Justice, Liberty, Authority, Peace, and Prosperity. Near the top of the north facade . . . Map (db m82861) HM
287 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Tennessee Club
On Court Street.
Bronze Plaque This property has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior. Corner stone Tennessee Club founded in 1875 by General Colton Greene. Club house built in 1890. Building . . . Map (db m74805) HM
288 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 154 — The Blues Foundation
On South Main Street at East Nettleton Avenue, on the right when traveling south on South Main Street.
Front The Blues Foundation, the world’s premier organization dedicated to honoring, preserving, and promoting the blues, was founded in Memphis in 1980. Mississippi-born performers and business professionals in the Foundation’s Blues Hall . . . Map (db m63288) HM
289 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 72 — The Blues Trail From Mississippi to Memphis
On 3rd Street at Lt George W Lee Avenue, on the right when traveling north on 3rd Street.
The bright lights of Beale Street and the promise of musical stardom have lured blues musicians from nearby Mississippi since the early 1900s. Early Memphis blues luminaries who migrated from Mississippi include Gus Cannon, Furry Lewis, Jim Jackson . . . Map (db m82863) HM
290 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 9 — The Fire of 1872
Near Union Avenue at South 2nd Street (Tennessee Highway 14), on the right when traveling west.
In 1872 every building in this city block was leveled in what was called "the worst fire in Memphis history". The entire cost of the damage was $266,000 or about the cost of one large new house in 2003.Map (db m148907) HM
291 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 4E 71 — The First Lee House
On Adams Avenue west of North 4th Street, on the left when traveling west.
Built in 1869 by James Lee, Jr. (1832–1905), lawyer, riverman and leader in the development of Memphis, the first Lee House was designed by architect Joseph Willis. In this home of Italianate-Victorian design also lived James Lee, Sr. . . . Map (db m82864) HM
292 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 4E 122 — The Gillis Brothers
On Beale Street just east of Rufus Thomas Boulevard, on the right when traveling west.
Starting business in 1900, Clarence Gillis and brothers Andrew and Cornelius were noted entrepreneurs. They adopted the name "Gillis Brothers” and engaged in several business ventures, the first of which was a grocery located on Polk Street. . . . Map (db m147558) HM
293 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — The Grand Opera House / The New Orpheum Theatre
On Beale Street at South Main Street, on the right when traveling west on Beale Street.
On this corner the Grand Opera House was dedicated on September 22, 1890. "The Grand" was destroyed by fire October 17, 1923 The New Orpheum Theatre was rebuilt and opened November 19, 1928 For over a century this corner has been the . . . Map (db m148900) HM
294 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 23 — The Hole in the Wall
Near Monroe Avenue just west of Maggie H. Isabell Street, on the right when traveling west.
Cousins Tony Angelos and Charles Skinner emigrated from Greece together and opened "The Hole in the Wall" cafe behind the old Peabody Hotel in 1911. In 1923, they opened the Bon Ton Cafe, which became a favorite haunt of Elvis in his early days and . . . Map (db m148960) HM
295 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — The John Alexander Austin House
On South Front Street at East Pontotoc Avenue, on the right when traveling north on South Front Street.
has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior 1873Map (db m221380) HM
296 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — The Lee Sisters
On South Main Street near Gayoso, in the median.
During the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, Jet magazine reported in 1965 that members of the Lee Family of Memphis “have been arrested 17 times for civil rights activities and claim the title of the Most Arrested Family'' in the . . . Map (db m129505) HM
297 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 4E 95 — The Lorraine Motel
On Mulberry Street at Hulling Avenue, on the left when traveling south on Mulberry Street.
Originally the Windsor Hotel (c. 1925) and later one of only a few hotels for blacks, it hosted such entertainers as Cab Calloway, Aretha Franklin, Count Basie, B.B. King, and Nat King Cole. Walter and Loree Bailey bought it in 1942, renaming it . . . Map (db m82865) HM
298 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 4E 27 — The Memphis Daily Appeal
On South Center Lane at Madison Avenue, on the left when traveling north on South Center Lane.
From this spot press and type of the Appeal were loaded on a freight car at Main and Madison in early morning, June 6, 1862, just before a naval battle. This paper kept the journalistic flag of the Confederacy flying from Grenada, Miss., then . . . Map (db m148921) HM
299 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — The Memphis Home of W.C. Handy
On 352 Beale Street west of South Danny Thomas Boulevard (Tennessee Route 1).
Musician • Composer • Publisher. 1873–1958. Father of the Blues. In this house was born Memphis Blues, St. Louis Blues, Beale Street Blues and other great songs. This house was moved here from 659 Janette Street in 1983 and . . . Map (db m3240) HM
300 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 19 — The Peabody Legacy
Near Monroe Avenue at South Center Lane, on the left when traveling east.
This was the site of the original Peabody Hotel from 1869 until 1923. George Peabody was a businessman who set aside $3.5 million to improve education in the South in 1868. After his death the following year, friend and business associate Robert . . . Map (db m148956) HM

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May. 23, 2024