Five Facts about Memphis
1. In 2020, Memphis was the most dangerous city in the United States. It’s even worse than Detroit, and that is sayin’ something. It was number one in violent crimes per 100,000 people.
2. Memphis went bankrupt once due to yellow fever and was forced to give up its city charter.
Yellow Fever
Mark Twain wrote about this yellow fever plague in Memphis in his book ‘Life on the Mississippi’. He describes Memphis as a “beautiful city, nobly situated on a commanding bluff overlooking the river.” But, he notes that the sewage system underwent major renovations after the “Yellow Death” took its toll. He also includes an eyewitness report of a German tourist who was there at the time:
“The city has become a mighty graveyard, two-thirds of the population has deserted the place…Fearful evil! In the briefest space it struck down and swept away even the most vigorous victim. A slight indisposition, then an hour of fever, then the hideous delirium, then – the Yellow death!…noble self-sacrificing men come with the coffin, nail it up, and carry it away to the graveyard. In the night stillness reigns. Only the physicians and the hearses hurry through the streets; and out of the distance, at intervals, comes the muffled thunder of the railway train, which with the speed of the wind, as if hunted by furies, flies by the pest-ridden city without halting.
Mark Twain, Life on the Mississippi. p. 249, Harper and Brothers, New York,1917.
3. Memphis is home of the blues, soul, and rock and roll. Elvis Presley started his career here at Sun Studios.
4. The first Piggly Wiggly opened in Memphis. It was also the very first self-service grocery store. By the end of 1916, there were 9 Pigglys in the city.
5. It is a very dog-friendly city. In fact, not only does the Peabody Hotel welcome dogs, but it also has a pet room service menu.
Downtown Memphis
We were in Memphis for a Taekwondo tournament. While there, we took in the sights and sounds of the city. The people we met downtown were all friendly and very helpful. We enjoyed ourselves there. When we drove through town on our way home, the landscape changed to something far worse than “sketchy”. There were actual ruins of houses. I mean, a few houses did not have roofs.
The neighborhood looked like it had been bombed by enemy planes. There were also no signs pointing to the highway out of there. When I asked her, Moe chose not to ask for directions from one of the gentlemen standing on a corner. I was momentarily lost until I glanced to my right and saw a major road underneath a bridge. I didn’t know the name of it and I didn’t know where it was going, but I was getting on it. We got on that road and soon found ourselves in northern Mississippi on our way home.
Thank You Big City People
Once on the road, we thanked all those people who live in big cities and keep them open so we, the small town hick rednecks, can come and visit but don’t have to live there. Thanks to the guardians of the big burgs!
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