Memphis barbecue has always been delicious, differentiated by its pit-based slow cooking process. But what brought it to the world stage (and table)?
Memphis History
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Since Memphis is named after an ancient Egyptian city, why not throw in a few pyramids?
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As The King became a megastar in the 1950s, he found himself too big for his $40K ranch at 1034 Audubon Drive.
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Compared to Nashville and Knoxville, why does Memphis sound oddly … Egyptian? Well, because it is.
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In 1947, WDIA launched in Memphis offering listeners a mix of country western and light pop. The station remained unpopular until Nat D. Williams started “Tan Town Jubilee” in 1948, the first radio program to appeal to African-American listeners.
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About 140 years ago, Memphis nearly ceased to exist. Fleeing a yellow fever epidemic, most of its 50,000 citizens abandoned the city. Depleted of population and tax revenue, Memphis gave up its charter.
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This week, America celebrated the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The late civil rights leader would have been 90 years old.
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Mason Temple, a flagship sanctuary for the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), was once the largest African-American church in the country. The temple, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has also played a pivotal role in the civil rights movement.
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Elmwood Cemetery is a final resting place for Civil War heroes and victims of the 1878 Yellow Fever epidemic.
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The past few weeks have been quite historic for Memphis-area law enforcement. On Sept. 1, the first African-American sheriff in Shelby County started work.