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Jimmy Ogle Tours

 
 

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This section is a compilation of previous classes, seminars, exhibits and tours over the past few years.
All new  activities are listed on the first page of the web site.

 

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From The Book Corner . . .

During the course of 2019, I get to be a resource for various authors looking to verify names, dates, times, places, spellings, etc., in Memphis and also enjoy receiving complimentary (signed) copy of the book for my assistance! Dr. LaSimba Gray, Jr. asked me to write a Preface for his book about Beale Street, a distinct honor for me.

Below are three new books about Memphis history that I recommend:

Metamorphosis of the Blues and Beale Street 1819-2019
by Dr. L. LaSimba M. Gray, Jr.

  

 

Revolutions In Black And White
 by Richard Cahan And Michael Williams

 

Bridging the Mississippi: Spans Across The Father Of Waters
By Philip Gould

 

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More Books . . .

Recently, three books of a different Memphis topic have been published that are interesting to read, or would make good "stocking stuffers" this holiday season . . .

 

The Memphis Belle - Dispelling the Myths

by Graham Simmons and Dr. Harry Friedman

  I have known Dr. Harry Friedman for over thirty years and he is has been very dedicated to the legacy of the Memphis Belle B-17, the crew and Memphian Margaret Polk, the namesake. The book covers a long history of the Memphis Belle, and on page 439 there is a photo of Margaret Polk and me sitting on the stage at the dedication, where I was allowed to speak that day and welcome the eyes of world to Memphis.

  When I was General Manager of Mud Island River Park in the 1980s, one of my happiest memories is the involvement with the Memphis Belle Memorial Association (MBMA) and the relocation of the Memphis Belle B-17 bomber from the 91st Bomb Squadron Restaurant near the Memphis airport to the north field of Mud Island, or risk losing it to the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio that year. Credits should also go to Ward Archer, Jr. for leading the fund raising efforts to Save the "Memphis Belle - Home At Last"!

  The staff of Mud Island did a marvelous job coordinating with MBMA and the living crew members of the Memphis Belle, which was the first B-17 to successfully complete 25 missions over Europe in 1942-43 without a loss of a crew member. Margaret Polk, a Memphian and girlfriend of the pilot, Col. Robert Morgan, was also present for the dedication of the Memphis Belle Pavilion on May 17, 1987, as well as eight of the nine living crew members (of the original ten). Over 10,000 spectators filled the banks of the Memphis riverfront and Mud Island for a spectacular air show of seven of the eleven flyable B-17s in the world.

  Eventually the Memphis Belle did move to Dayton. On May 17, 2018, (75th anniversary of the Memphis Belle's last mission over Europe) the Memphis Belle was unveiled at the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio after a multi-year, multi-million dollar restoration. Last year, when I was visiting the abandoned structure on Mud Island, I saw this memo that I had taped to the electrical closet on August 5, 1987 - 30 years later, still there! Many other of my memories of the Memphis Belle will be shared in 2019 in the DETOURS section of this web site.

 

Memphis:200 Years Of Heart & Soul

by Kevin Kane with Samantha Crespo

  The back cover jacket reads: Memphis: 200 Years of Heart & Soul is a celebration of an amenity-rich, sustainable city beloved worldwide. Beginning with a brief history, the book paints the picture of a city that, despite its challenges, became a magnet for dreamers and doers, a place forged by vision and generosity. The book goes on to reveal how these unique conditions created the amenities that make the Memphis we know today. The narrative, told through the eyes of frontline observer Kevin Kane and interviews with community stakeholders, closes on a hopeful note: With such a foundation in place, what might Memphis look forward to in the next 200 years?

  Kevin Kane (President and CEO of Memphis Tourism) and I have known each other since the early 1970s. Samantha Crespo has been covering Memphis in many ways over the past few years (and has been on many Jimmy Ogle Tours), and in Samantha's first edition of "100 Things To Do In Memphis Before You Die", Jimmy O's walking tours were included as one of those things you must do. I was glad to assist Samantha with details and fact-checking on this book. But, the real story is the photography, as the book is dominated with wonderful photos of Memphis scenes and Memphians of all kinds. Check out page 45 for this mug shot of Jimmy O.

 

Overton Park: A People's History

by Brooks Lamb

  Overton Park has been Memphis' "Central Park" for over 100 years, and we all have many memories and stories to tell about Overton Park. I was interviewed by Brooks earlier this year, but now that I have read the book, I marvel at the experiences of the folks that he includes, like Mike Cody, Charles Newman, Willie Bearden, Blanchard Tual, Johnnie Turner, Steve Cohen and even a Zookeeper, Richard Meek.

  The back cover jacket reads: This delightfully informative book, filled with historic photos, offers a history of the park from the perspective of those who lived it. Brooks Lamb interviewed nearly a score of Memphians to learn what the park has meant to them and to discover the transformations they have witnessed. The stories they tell reveal dynamic place that remains, despite changes and challenges, a people's park and, in the words of one resident, "the heartbeat of Memphis".

  Brooks Lamb is currently the conservation projects manager for rural lands at The Land Trust for Tennessee. A graduate of Rhodes College in Memphis and a 2016 Truman Scholar, he wrote Overton Park with the assistance of the Bonner Scholarship and a fellowship from the Rhodes Institute for Regional Studies.
 

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Johnny Cash Historical Marker Update

  About 200 fans of "The Man In Black" enjoyed a sunny day on May 1 (the 60th anniversary of the release of "I Walk The Line" from Sun Studio) at The Galloway House, 1015 Cooper Street, at Walker Avenue. Roy Cash (Johnny's nephew) and W.S. "Fluke" Holland (Johnny's drummer) were very informative and enjoyable as the honorees for the unveiling. Roy, from Collierville, later sang a few songs on stage. Many thank to Legacy Memphis, Visible Music College, Mike Curbs Institute at Rhodes College and Friends of Johnny Cash for sponsoring the marker. And special thanks to Mike McCarthy, Ken Steorts and John Bass for their guidance during the project.

 

 

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The Memphis 13

This year marks the 54th anniversary of desegregation in Memphis schools.

In 1961 the Memphis Board of Education agreed to a plan to integrate the schools, years after the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision ruling that school segregation was unconstitutional. Thirteen African-American first-graders were chosen from a group of 200 recruited by the Memphis branch of the NAACP to integrate four white elementary schools in Memphis.

They “struck a fatal blow to school segregation and claimed their places in Memphis history,” the placards read.

The 13 students were Jacqueline Moore Christion, Sheila Malone Conway, Pamela Mayes Evans, E.C. Freeman Fentress, Menelik Fombi, Alvin Freeman, Deborah Ann Holt, Dwania Kyles, Sharon Malone, Joyce Bell White, Leandrew Wiggins, Clarence Williams and Harry Williams.

Dr. LaSimba Gray with New Sardis Baptist Church started the effort to acquire markers at the schools 14 months ago. He wanted to put up signs during the Memphis 13's lifetime. The "pint-sized pioneers" are now in their 60s.

Friday, October 2nd, four signs went up at the schools to commemorate the students who paved the way.

View this historic event through the wonderful photography of Rob W. Williams.

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"Inside Memphis" With Jimmy Ogle

As of November 1, the local Inside Memphis program is "on leave" for a while and a national format is being broadcast. Stay tuned . . .

From time to time, you have heard Jimmy being interviewed on the Earle Farrell 4 Memphis Show (Monday thru Friday, 3:00-6:00 p.m.) on KWAM AM990 - The New Talk Of Memphis, and Jimmy has even set in the studio in Earle's absence to host the show on occasion.

Now, please join Jimmy with Chris Wade on "Inside Memphis" every Monday-Wednesday-Friday at 6:40 a.m. on KWAM AM990. George Bryant of KWAM has asked Jimmy to talk about anything that he wants to talk about on Memphis, be it about history, upcoming events, "virtual" tours that he has in his head - just anything. So, tune in to KWAM AM990 - The New Talk Of Memphis!

*** UPDATE ***

Radio personality Doug Stephan refers to Jimmy Ogle during his Good Day broadcast.

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Jimmy Ogle will serve as moderator, at the close of screening of Barge,
for the Q/A sessions featuring the film's Director, Ben Powell and Producer, Dave Schachter.
This event is being held at the new Halloran Centre at the Orpheum Theatre, Main & Beale Street.
Contact 901-214-5171 or indiememphis.com for more information!

Directed by Ben Powell
presented with Ben Powell and producer Dave Schachter
Barge Film Sponsor: Henry Turley Co.
All Day and All Night Film Sponsor: The Recording Academy
Venue Sponsor: Paradox Catering


Barge (71 min) is the winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Dallas International Film Festival and Best Feature Film at the Crossroads Film Festival. It captures the life of towboat workers as their boat drifts down the Mississippi headed for the port of New Orleans with its promise of bright lights, a paycheck and a home-cooked meal. On board, dry land’s misfits find purpose and direction twenty-eight days at a time. A green deckhand following his father and grandmother into the family business. A former convict working his way upward job by job, in the hopes of being First Mate. A thirty-eight year veteran engineer in no hurry to retire. An intimate portrait of river life and the machinery of American ambitions.

All Day and All Night (29 min) is a personal look at the neighborhood where the music lasted "all day and all night.” B. B. King recalls Beale Street in its heyday was "a little world all its own.” He, along with Rufus Thomas, Evelyn Young, Rev. Gatemouth Moore, Fred Ford, Honeymoon Garner, Booker T. Laury, and others play jam sessions and tell stories about Beale, revealing the camaraderie, love and respect musicians had, and still have for each other. Produced in 1990 by the Center for Southern Folklore, the award-winning documentary has been lovingly remastered in HD by Chris McKinley for its 25th anniversary.

These documentaries take you from Beale St. to the mighty Mississippi. We begin the program with ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT,
taking us back to Beale Street in 1990 and finish with BARGE, exploring life working on the Mississippi River.

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Meeman Center For Lifelong Learning at Rhodes College
"Memphis History: Centuries of Adventure & Development"
Mondays in June (1, 8, 15 & 22) 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Back by popular demand (!), Jimmy Ogle will present his fifth version of "Memphis History: Centuries of Adventure & Development" at the Meeman Center For Lifelong Learning in Dorothy C. King Hall, 577 University Street in June. The four Monday evening sessions last about two hours each and will cover these topics, and a few surprises:

Before There Was A Memphis / Historic Memphis To Modern Memphis
Modern Memphis & The Civil War / Civil Rights & Memphis
Memphis Memorials / The Memphis Music Story
The Origins & Oddities of the Streets 7 bridges of Memphis / Overton Park

Registration can be found on line at meeman.rhodes.edu
or call 901-843-3965 (office hours, Monday through Friday, 8:30am-5:00pm).

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University Of Memphis Friends Of The University Libraries &
The
University Neighborhood Development Corporation Present
"Know Your Neighborhood"

Part 7: "Centennial Review & More . . ."
12:00 noon - Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Room 225, McWherter Library

After spending many afternoons and weekends during the Summer driving and walking the streets of the six neighborhood districts (Red Acres, University Area, Messick-Buntyn, Joffre, East Buntyn and Normal Station) surrounding the University Of Memphis campus, Jimmy Ogle developed a 6 part presentation for the Friends Of The University Libraries.

The program has been well received as it covered:

1) - the development of the area surrounding the campus
before the University was founded in 1912,

2) - neighborhood changes as the University grew and the City annexation crept
towards and around the University during the middle of the 20th century, and

3) - how the neighborhoods co-exist today with the University as it grows
and expands its impact in the City while continuing to move forward
to a second century of education, community leadership and service.

With Parts 1-4 successfully completed, including two days of walking tours of the perimeter of the southeast and southwest portion of the campus, the focus returns to features of the Neighborhoods in January, 2012 entitled "The Churches" with attention given to the twelve different houses of worship in the six neighborhood districts.
A special nod will be given to
HARC - Highland Area Renewal Corporation and its broad-based efforts to provide many services for the area.

This ongoing program, entitled “The People’s History”, continues the goal of having residents share personal stories and memorabilia from their family history, photo albums and attics. HARC (Highland Area Renewal Corporation) will be gathering and cataloguing materials from residents at the Highland Branch Public Library beginning in January.

Class Info - www.memphis.edu/libraries/about/events/index.php
Friends Of The Libraries –
www.memphis.edu/fol
University Neighborhood Development Corporation –
www.memphisundc.com

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Memphis History: "Centuries Of Adventure & Development"
Meeman Center For Lifelong Learning at Rhodes College - Spring Semester

*** The fourth installment of the Meeman Center course at Rhodes ***

On four evenings, Jimmy Ogle will present various aspects of his studies and life's experiences with Memphis, Tennessee.
From the early explorers and settlers to modern day citizens; from imposing natural landscapes that made Memphis one of the earliest settlements in the nation to the largest metropolis of the Mid-South to the Mississippi River, Cotton, Civil War, Disasters, Beale Street, Memphis Music, Civil Rights, Medicine and the city's modern day impact as the "Nation's Distribution Center" will be covered, including many anecdotes, fun facts, figures and historical achievements of many citizens along the way.

Monday nights in April, 2014  from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

 

April 7: Before There Was "Memphis" (1541 - 1826)
Historic Memphis To Modern Memphis (1819-2012)

April 14: Memphis Memorials, Statues & Sculptures
The Memphis Music Story

April 21: Cotton Men of Elmwood; Civil War; "The Moving Appeal"
Memphis & The Civil Rights Movement

April 28: Potpourri Night featuring Overton Park; Gayoso Bayou: Then & Now;
Origins & Oddities of the Streets & Bridges of Memphis;
Mississippi River Stories . . . and more . . .

 

For  registration and/or more information,
go to http://meeman.rhodes.edu or call (901) 843-3965.

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The Someday Shoppe by Angie Gaddy

An old friend and former Stat Crew member came to town in November to tout her book, The Someday Shoppe. So, I attended a book signing. Angie Gaddy used to "separate" me from Jimmy Hayslip on the Tiger Basketball Stat Crew in The Pyramid days, simply because we could not find a long enough extension cord to put her somewhere else down the line! Angie used a keyboard and typed in the substitutes to the main scoreboard as they entered the game. Angie also worked on the Grizzlies stat crew in the early years and kept us all "gender balanced".

 

So, Angie moved to the Tampa Bay area about ten years ago, and decided to write a delightful book - and even included mention of several Stat Crew members. Way to go, Angie! The inside jacket cover states "Follow the captivating story of the quintessential dreamer in her struggle for contentment and happiness and meet people whom God chose to turn piecrust dreams into reality." You may find it at The Booksellers at Laurelwood and on Amazon.com, in Kindle, paperback and hardcover editions. Enjoy . . .

 

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Dan Conaway - "I Am A Memphian . . . "


Every Thursday morning at 6:01 a.m., I get an email from The Rooster Rant! That email is from Dan Conaway ( a communication strategist), a true Memphian!

  Dan is a Memphian, therefore he is passionate and opinionated, not only about present political circumstances and misfortunes, but also about our City's rich history (good or bad). He is creative, energetic, interesting and informative in his musings. He encourages us all to do better for our community. The thread through all his stories is that he cares, and says so, and writes so. His (new) article appears each week as a column in The Daily News and the Memphis News (in old fashion newsprint). Dan is also the President of the Board of Trustees of Elmwood Cemetery - need I say more . . .

  One day several years ago, Dan called me to join him in a ride into the Arkansas delta across the Mississippi River. The change from urban Downtown Memphis to rural Crittenden County in just minutes is like going through a time machine. Those flat roads, bisecting beautiful cotton fields and shadowed by cotton candy clouds above, slow you down as you cross the levee that lead to Marion, Arkansas. From I-40 to Marion, one passes through a time when there once was a railroad ferry used to cross the river at Hopefield or perhaps better yet one might see a steamboat landing in the old channel near Marion! The Military Road connected Memphis to Little Rock in the 1800s and was an established route for the Pony Express, stage coaches and pioneers journeying to all points west for during the country's westward expansion after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.

  Our quest that day was to visit the Sultana Exhibit on display in a vacated storefront in Marion. For several years, the leadership of Marion has been striving to develop a permanent museum to commemorate the nation's largest maritime disaster. The sinking of the Sultana, which occurred in the early morning of April 27, 1865 near Marion, claimed over 1,700 victims who lost their lives to the violent boiler explosion or treacherous river currents.

  In 2015, the Sultana Historical Preservation Society will meet in Marion and Memphis to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of this tragedy. The past two years leading up to 2015, the SHPS has met in Cahaba (Alabama) and Vicksburg, Mississippi leading up the Marion visit in 2015 and a commemorative cruise northward up the river on Saturday, April 25 (2015) departing from the same (Memphis) cobblestone wharf that the Sultana departed from in 1865!

So, in Dan's book, beginning on page 109 (as published on April 6, 2012) is his eloquent version of our Crittenden Trek that day - enjoy . . .

 

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Art Class From Bolton High School

Attends Inaugural Rubbings Tour

  Over thirty students, teachers, and parents from Bolton High School assembled in Court Square on October 13 for the Inaugural Manhole Cover Rubbings Tour. The Art teacher, Autumn Thron, had attended the July 12 Union Avenue Manhole Cover & History Tour as a part of a class from the Nesin Graduate School of the Memphis College of Art. Autumn picked up on the idea that making various rubbings would be both interesting and challenging to the students. And, of course, learning some Memphis history along way would be a bonus.

  To begin with, students made rubbings on the top of the wall of the Hebe Fountain in Court Square. The names of the fifty citizens who in 1876 donated $1000 each towards the construction of the fountain, as commemoration to our Nation's Centennial Anniversary, are etched in the top along with other names of companies involved in the project. History was given about the founding of Memphis, Court Square and the surrounding buildings in the area, even the fact that Thomas Edison worked in a building across from Court Square and lived just three blocks away east on Court Avenue. The class then proceeded to the Main Street Mall, and dodging trolleys, proceeded to make some superior rubbings from manhole covers that were over 100 years old, as well as the classic Steamboat cover from Vulcan (1986).

  Next on the route was Center Lane, between the historic Falls Building (1912), the largest such building in Memphis built exclusively for cotton merchants at that time and Union Avenue. Along the way, rubbings were made from century-old telephone covers representing several generations of telephone companies (Continental Telephone & Telegraph, Western Union Telegraph Company and even South Central Bell). The history of Confederate Park, streets named for Presidents, the Moving Appeal historical marker, the University of Memphis Law School (formerly U.S. Customs House), Gen. Washburn's Escape Alley, tall buildings and a special surprise visit (and talk) from Carol Perel of the Cotton Museum made the "art" tour a significant and interesting "history" tour, as well. The two-hour tour culminated with a picnic lunch in Tom Lee Park, after a walk and talk along Riverside Drive about the Mississippi River and Memphis riverfront history. We even saw the replica of the Nina (1492) floating up the Wolf River Harbor.

  I was amazed at the creativity of the students as they had the opportunity to make five separate rubbings of any kind. Some students mixed different cover tops together on their paper and used different colors within the rubbing (something that I never would have thought of!). Many thanks to the students of Bolton High School for their interest and talent. Soon on this web site, there will be a special display of many of the rubbings.

Thank you, Autumn Thron for creating the first-ever Manhole Cover Rubbing Tour in Downtown Memphis!

 


!!! UPDATE !!!

Sent from Autumn Parkey, Art Instructor at Bolton High School,
these selections are from a "mixed media" exhibit developed from the rubbings tour.

Click on each picture to enlarge

 

 

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Memphis History: "Centuries Of Adventure & Development"
Meeman Center For Lifelong Learning at Rhodes College - Autumn Semester

On four evenings, Jimmy Ogle will present various aspects of his studies and life's experiences with Memphis, Tennessee.
From the early explorers and settlers to modern day citizens; from imposing natural landscapes that made Memphis one of the earliest settlements in the nation to the largest metropolis of the Mid-South to the Mississippi River, Cotton, Civil War, Disasters, Beale Street, Memphis Music, Civil Rights, Medicine and the city's modern day impact as the "Nation's Distribution Center" will be covered, including many anecdotes, fun facts, figures and historical achievements of many citizens along the way.

September 26:
Before There Was A Memphis (1541-1826)
Historic Memphis to Modern Memphis (1819-2011)

October 3:
Memphis Memorials, Statues & Sculpture
The Memphis Music Story

October 10:
Cotton Men of Elmwood
Memphis & The Civil Rights Movement

October 17:
Potpourri Night: Overton Park; Gayoso Bayou: Then & Now;
Origins & Oddities of the Streets & Bridges of Memphis;
Mississippi River Stories . . . and more.

Optional Field Trip!
Saturday, October 22 at 1:00 p.m. Court Square & Surroundings,
Confederate Park & Cotton Row, and The Riverfront Trolley Loop

Four Monday evenings , September 26 - October 17
5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $120

Registration: Online at http://meeman.rhodes.edu/ or call 901-843-3947 or 901-843-3965.

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Baseball Memphis At West Tennessee Historical Society

Monday, October 10, 2012 7:00 p.m.
Wunderlich Auditorium * Memphis University School * 6191 Park Avenue

 

  Longtime friend and fellow Metro Stats Crew operative, John "JJ" Guinozzo is opening the vaults of his more than fifty-year collection of Memphis Baseball memorabilia. JJ has been the Official Scorer for the Memphis Redbirds and previous professional baseball teams here since 1971, and one of the only eight scorers in Memphis professional baseball history since 1877! JJ has been compiling and annually updates his "Memphis Baseball Encyclopedia" with all sorts of facts & figures, classic photos & trivia, and the general history of Memphis' legacy and continuing presence in the Great American Pastime.

Two performances were held at the Memphis & Shelby County Room of the Benjamin Hooks Central Library on July 7 and August 22. The programs were about 45 minutes long and full of photographs accompanied by JJ's insightful and witty remarks. We are very grateful to the folks that "packed the house" on "Opening Night" on Thursday, July 7. Three exhibit cases will display (through Labor Day), all sorts of "JJ Baseball memorabilia" including pennants, score books, caps, classic photographs of ballparks and many former players, autographed baseballs, championship rings, promotional items like bobble heads, cups & t-shirts, and on and on - a real treasure trove from a very treasured scorer and collector, JJ Guinozzo (2-2-2 - DING!).

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THE WEST TENNESSEE
HISTORICAL SOCIETY
PAPERS

VOLUME LXIV
2010

 

The 2010 West Tennessee Historical Papers are here. Vincent Clark has done another marvelous job of editing this annual publication. Since 1947, the WTHS has published an anthology of formal history papers, notes and documents, and book reviews about West Tennessee topics. In this edition, Jimmy O has his first-ever "book review" published covering A Guide To Historic Downtown Memphis, by William Patton. Bill is the founder, owner and operator of Backbeat Tours in Memphis, which encompasses a wide variety of tour services.

 The origin of the WTHS dates back to 1857 when local residents organized "The Old Folks Society of Shelby County" and began holding regular programs. In 1925, the Memphis Historical Society, a descendant organization of the Old Folks, expanded its scope to include the other twenty counties of West Tennessee (between the Tennessee and Mississippi Rivers).

The WTHS represents the 21 westernmost counties in Tennessee. Monthly meetings are generally held the first Monday evening at 7:00 p.m. in Wunderlich Auditorium at Memphis University School, 6191 Park Avenue, with meetings also in the Jackson and/or Martin areas periodically.

Dr. John Harkins is the President of the WTHS. For more information about the West Tennessee Historical Society, go to wths-tn.org or go to the LINKS section on this web site.

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Memphis College Of Art Community Education Course

“Memphis Uncovered: History Walk & Talk”

Location:

Memphis College Of Art
(Downtown Campus)
Nesin Graduate School
477 South Main Street
(in the South Main Historic District)

Sessions:
(Six Total Sessions)

Classroom (3) - on Tuesday Evenings
April 5, 12 & 26   @   7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Walking Tours Downtown (3) - on Saturday Mornings
April 9, 16 & 30   @  10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Fees:

Tuition: $90.00
Payable to Memphis College of Art
(Registration Will Begin December 6, 2010)

Course:

Description: “Memphis Uncovered: History Walk & Talk”
Discover the history, art and architecture of Memphis with celebrated historian Jimmy Ogle as your guide. The three classroom sessions feature narrated phototours of Memphis from the beginning to present day. On the three Saturdays, walk the streets, alleys, parks, plazas and riverfront of Downtown Memphis, as Mr. Ogle uncovers the abundance of secret treasures our fair city holds.

Instructor:

Classroom Speaker and Tour Guide: Jimmy Ogle
Jimmy Ogle is a genuine Memphis treasure with an encyclopedic knowledge of the city's history. Mr. Ogle is the recipient of numerous hospitality industry awards, including the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau's “Spirit Of Memphis” Award. Those who take Mr. Ogle's walking tours are advised to wear comfortable shoes and pay close attention!

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University of Memphis Continuing Education Course
"Memphis History: The Hybrid Tour"

  If you’ve never been on a Jimmy Ogle tour of Memphis, you are in for a unique treat! Three classroom sessions will be phototours of Memphis from the beginning to present day. During the three Saturday afternoon sessions, we will walk the streets, alleys, parks, plazas and riverfront of Downtown Memphis, including Union Avenue, Beale Street, Cotton Row, Court Square, Adams Avenue, Civic Center Plaza, the Pinch District, and the Riverfront Trolley Loop. You may be a winner of a chocolate milkshake at Front Street Deli or hot fudge pie at Westy’s! Don’t miss out on this great Memphis adventure in the spring-time. When one person registers, a second person can register for only $40! Simply use promo code HYBRID when the second person registers. Saturday tours will begin at 1:30 PM.

Course #: RHS0051W10
Cost: $79
Instructor: Jimmy Ogle
Location: UofM Main Campus

Classroom Sessions: 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, April 6, 13 & 20

Downtown Walking Tours: 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. on Saturdays, April 10, 17 & 24

The focus of the course is on Downtown Memphis!

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Academia Calling

April will be a busy in the lands of Memphis Academia for Jimmy O. On top of the "Know Your Neighborhoods" presentation for the Friends of the Libraries at the University of Memphis and the "Memphis Uncovered" course sessions at the Memphis College of Art, presentations will be made to the following institutions or conferences:

April 13 (10:30 a.m.) Highland Branch Library - "University of Memphis - Neighborhoods, Part One"
April 13 (7:00 p.m.) Seismology Society of America, Cannon Center - "Before Memphis, 1811-1812"
April 15 (11:00 a.m.) Tennessee Preservation Trust, Collierville - "Civil Rights - Unknown Places in Memphis"
April 25 (5:30 p.m.) Meeman Center for Lifelong Learning, Rhodes College - "Historic Memphis"

It is indeed an honor to be asked to speak before these distinguished groups and places, representing "my home town" - Memphis, Tennessee!

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Shelby County History Awards Dinner



2014 SHELBY COUNTY HISTORY AWARDS DINNER
6:30 P.M. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6
HILLWOOD HALL AT DAVIES MANOR PLANTATION
3570 DAVIESHIRE DRIVE BARTLETT, TENNESSEE

Our annual history awards dinner will have several features including he recognition of the Ed Williams History Teacher of the Year Award, the first annual “State of the County History Address” by newly appointed Shelby County Historian Jimmy Ogle, recognition of the winners of the West Tennessee History Day competition held at the University of Memphis on February 22, remarks from Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell and more.

Tickets are $25.00 per person, which includes the buffet dinner and we need your check and reservations by August 1. Please make the check payable to Shelby County Historical Commission and mail to:
History Awards Dinner
c/o Jimmy Ogle
4349 Sequoia Road
Memphis, TN 38117

In 2013, history organizations presenting their annual awards were the West Tennessee Historical Society, Davies Manor Association, Bartlett Historical Society, Main Street Collierville & Descendants of Early Settlers of Shelby and Adjoining Counties.
Your history organization may recognize an individual or accomplishment from the podium for the entire audience to hear and see. Please contact Jimmy Ogle at 901-604-5002 or info@jimmyogle.com.

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HISTORICAL MARKERS BEING DEDICATED SOON

The Shelby County Historical Commission has been active this year with the approval of three more historical markers for the area's landscape - R.S. Lewis & Sons Funeral Home. American Studios and the Normal Station Neighborhood. Please "save the date" for these dedications:

  R.S. Lewis & Sons Funeral Home - The dedication will occur as a part of a recognition ceremony at R. S. Lewis & Sons Funeral Home (374 Vance Avenue) on Sunday, July 27 at 4:00 p.m. R.S. Lewis & Sons is celebrating is 100th year in business and service to the Greater Memphis Community!

  American Studios - Now the site of a Family Dollar store at the northwest corner of Thomas & Chelsea (827 North Thomas), the American Studios marker will be dedicated at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 13 during 2014 Elvis Week. From 1967-1972, Chips Moman (a 2014 inductee into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame) produced over 120 Top 100 songs on the Pop Charts, such as "Son Of A Preacher Man" (Dusty Springfield), "Sweet Caroline" (Neil Diamond), "The Letter" (Box Tops) and "Suspicious Minds" (Elvis Presley).

  Normal Station Neighborhood - Date and Time in September to be determined, but the location will be on Spottswood just south of the Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway Athletics Hall of Fame on the The University Of Memphis campus. This neighborhood stretches between the old Memphis & Charleston Railroad tracks (now Norfolk Southern), Kennedy General Hospital (now UM Park Avenue campus), Audubon Park and Highland Street, and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

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From The Book Corner . . .

Memphis Q

By Peter Calandruccio

Peter published Memphis Q earlier this year and now has a Stocking Stuffer Offers that are pretty good at www.BarBQMemphis.com. Memphis is the BBQ Capital of America and Peter does not offer “opinions, recipes or cute BBQ stories”, but rather a comprehensive guide to 72 BBQ eateries in Memphis.

Each page features a separate BBQ establishment with a picture of the property (exterior, front), a street map locator, address and telephone number. In the front of the guide is also a citywide map of all 72 locations mentioned in the guide.

Peter and his Mother, Betty (pictured here with Jimmy O) have been known to attend to Talks & Tours of Jimmy O, and Betty has been a helpful contributor of information and materials to the cause. Thank you Peter and Betty . . .

 


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A Guide To Historic Downtown Memphis
By Bill Patton

It seems as though a "history of Memphis" is written every twenty years or so, and Memphis deserves that with all of the re-adaptive uses of old buildings and with the new facilities coming on line. But also, the past 250-year or so "history" of the Memphis area needs to be refreshed as seen from a different set of eyes.

Well... Bill Patton wrote a book. You all have seen the Backbeat Tours bus rolling around town giving exciting and musically-fun tours about Memphis history. The owner of the company, Bill Patton, has written a book entitle “A Guide To Historic Downtown Memphis” and it is hot off the presses this month and in local bookstores soon.

The book is 190 pages, 5.5" X 8.5" paperback and one-half-inch thick, so it is very manageable to carry around while you spend several walking the streets of Downtown Memphis and the Riverfront. Chapters in the book include: Beale Street, Front Street, Bluffs & Riverfront, Main Street, Court Square, Civic Memphis, Second & Third Streets, Victorian Village, Madison & Union Avenues, Pinch District-North Memphis, South Main Arts District and Other Places Of Interest.

Bill will be having a few book signings in local libraries, bookstores and museums,
and we will keep you posted on those dates. Congratulations, Bill!

Book Signings

Thursday, November 18 at 12:00 Noon
Cotton Museum at the Memphis Cotton Exchange, 65 Union Avenue.

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Mike Freeman Has Another Book!

Clarence Saunders And The Founding Of Piggly Wiggly

My friend, Mike Freeman, did some research on a building at 79 Jefferson Avenue while working at a restaurant named Jefferson Square in the 1970, operated by Jake Schorr. It turns out that was the location of the first-ever self-service grocery store in America, Piggly Wiggly, founded and open by Memphian Clarence Saunders in September, 1916. Also, it was the subject of Mike's master's thesis and now is a newly published book entitled "Clarence Saunders And The Founding Of Piggly Wiggly".

Mike's book is available online or at The Booksellers At Laurelwood (formerly Davis-Kidd Bookstore).

Now, Mike and I also have the opportunity to work with Greg Averbuch of Summit Management, operators of the three hotel properties on North Main between Jefferson and Madison (Sleep Inn, SpringHill Suites By Marriott & Courtyard By Marriott). Greg wants to decorate the Lobby of the Courtyard By Marriott, which is on the actually 79 Jefferson Avenue site, into a theme that recognizes Clarence Saunders for his accomplishments. More on all this later, and a book signing by Mike there at 79 Jefferson Avenue by the historical marker in September.

Mike has also authored several other books and once lived at 1034 Audubon Drive, Elvis' home before he moved into Graceland. Mike is a premiere tour guide in Memphis (and Tupelo) as well as an authority on many aspects of Memphis music history. (www.mikesmemphistours.com)

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100 Things To Do In Memphis Before You Die
by Samantha Crespo

  I believe that I first met Samantha on the November 6th, 1934 Street Tour on November 6, 2011. She had recently moved to Memphis and was a regular contributor on tourism for the City of Memphis and State of Tennessee. She has been on quite a few tour since, as well as many other attractions and places in Memphis, and enjoys writing about the things that she experiences.

 

  And now a book! "100 Things" is available in several book stores already - Burke's, Bookseller at Laurelwood, South Main Book Juggler, Co-Motion on Cleveland near Sears, St. Blues Guitars on Marshall in The Edge,Cotton Museum with more locations to be added in the future.

 

June book signings with Samantha are:

Thursday, June 5 @ 5:30pm at Burke's, 936 South Cooper (during Cooper-Young Night Out!)
Saturday, June 7 from 10am-3pm in Overton Park during the "A Day For Merrymaking: vent, which proceeds being donated to the Overton Park Conservancy.

www.samanthacrespo.com

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The long-anticipated Grand Opening of the new Zippin Pippin at
Bay Beach Amusement Park in Green Bay was Saturday, May 21. Memphian Steve Mulroy of Remember Libertyland was an honored guest riding on the first ride of the day! Green Bay bought the rights to the Zippin Pippin name and design in 2010 and has developed a fabulous web site, ZippinPippin.org, which covers the construction process and other information about the new ride.


Memphis News Story


Green Bay News Story

Many thanks to Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt, and fellow GB City workers Bill Landvatter, Dan Lardonis and Tina Westergaard of Green Bay for being easy to work with in getting the Zippin Pippin project.
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