Local History

Each December, the quests for civil rights and human rights intersect in Memphis – home of the National Civil Rights …

In February 1952, Sam Phillips launched a record label in Memphis — one whose moniker pays homage to his oodles …

Megan Ammons, a senior at Harding Academy of Memphis, is on her way to the Nation’s capital after winning the …

What better time than Women’s History Month to hit the Memphis Women’s Legacy Trail — a project aimed at documenting, …

When the Sterick Buiding opened in 1930, at 365 feet it was the tallest building in the South – earning …

Ida B.Wells (1862-1931) was born into slavery during the Civil War.

Each year, the Peabody Hotel’s holiday spirit – rivaled only by the five resident Mallard ducks who emerge twice daily …

Deep in the heart of downtown Memphis, November 6th Street stands as a monument to our American democracy.

A chorus of Memphis-based voices is in conversation at the Benjamin L.Hooks Central Library.

Miss Jennie M. Higbee arrived in Bluff City in the late 1800s to teach – first at St. Mary’s School …

Lide Smith Meriwether led the first generation of southern feminists in Memphis.

Many North and South American families experienced grief and loss during the yellow fever epidemics of the 19th century, but …

Memphis’ Rhodes College was founded in 1848 as the Masonic University of Tennessee.

Although recognized as a popular wedding venue, the Woodruff-Fontaine House is actually one of Memphis’ most haunted buildings.

Located in the historic Whitehaven Community, Elvis Presley Boulevard is home to many Black-owned businesses — the most historic of …

In 1865, a cash-strapped steamboat captain learned that he could earn $2.75 per head transporting former Union POWs back up …

Imagine strolling through Overton Park to find a bear chained to a tree.

In 1837, the 4th of July wasn’t a day of celebration for the 3,000 Chickasaw people gathered in Memphis that …

W.C.Handy didn’t discover the blues, but he was the first to put it in writing.

For over 65 years, the Enchanted Forest has served Memphis as a much-awaited holiday harbinger.

The original Orpheum Theatre opened in 1890 as the Grand Opera House, burned down in 1923, and reopened in 1928 …

Coletta’s on South Parkway opened in 1923 as “Suburban Ice Cream Company,” where Emil Coletta served up pasta, sandwiches and …

Downtown Memphis is a living history lesson, complete with a beloved riverfront and the last functioning cobblestone port in the …

We know Memphis is home to the blues, Beale Street and Graceland. Few realize, however, that it’s also the birthplace …

Originally coined “Satellite” in 1957, Stax Records is largely to thank for the gift of Memphis soul, or the Memphis …

Memphis barbecue has always been delicious, differentiated by its pit-based slow cooking process. But what brought it to the world …

Since Memphis is named after an ancient Egyptian city, why not throw in a few pyramids?

The first blues song I heard growing up on Atlanta college radio was “Cross Road Blues,” 1936, by genre progenitor Robert …

As The King became a megastar in the 1950s, he found himself too big for his $40K ranch at 1034 …

Compared to Nashville and Knoxville, why does Memphis sound oddly … Egyptian? Well, because it is.