Memphis History

Memphis barbecue has always been delicious, differentiated by its pit-based slow cooking process. But what brought it to the world stage (and table)?

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

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

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

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.

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.

This week, America celebrated the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The late civil rights leader would have been 90 years old.

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.

Elmwood Cemetery is a final resting place for Civil War heroes and victims of the 1878 Yellow Fever epidemic.

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.