Memphis | Off the Beaten Path

By now, everyone has seen plenty of photos of the iconic landmarks - Graceland, the downtown skyline, the Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel, Beale Street, Sun Studios, the Arcade Restaurant, Stax - and I've taken my share of those, too. For something a bit different, let's take a look into some other places in the city Mrs. L and I call home:

Tillman P. Bettis (Dec. 6, 1788 - Feb. 6, 1854) and his family were the second settlers, after the 1818 treaty with the Chickasaw nation, to settle on the Mississippi River bluff that would eventually become the city of Memphis. The family cemetery, just off Madison Avenue in midtown, has been preserved on a small section of what was once the family farm. A Cash Saver supermarket, The Home Depot, Murphy’s Bar, Wanda’s P&H Cafe, an apartment complex, and the building that once housed the (in)famous Antennae Club are just a few of the developments that now reside on the former Bettis farm.

The Edge District and its restaurants, shops and museums played host to the First Annual Memphis International Rockabilly Festival in 2015, where these stylish ladies got their 50's groove on.

The Memphis Botanic Gardens in Audubon Park is a ninety six acre oasis in the midst of the hustle and bustle (and noise) of commercial activity in east Memphis. Its thirty speciality gardens offer abundant spaces to decompress, meditate, or just leave the house and still maintain social distancing. Plus, there is more to photograph there than just the red bridge in the Japanese Garden.

Abandoned warehouses and former machine shops are scattered throughout the South Main Arts District. This one backs up to the alley behind the Memphis Flyer's loading dock.

St. Theresa - Little Flower Catholic Church, located in the Vollentine-Evergreen community, was established in 1930 as the 12th Catholic parish in Memphis. Originally named St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus, it quickly became known as "Little Flower," the nickname of its patron St. Theresa of Lisieux. The stained glass array depicts Jesus - the Lamb of God - surrounded by the twelve Apostles, as represented by their personal icons.

The Big River Crossing pedestrian/bicycle bridge across the Mississippi River opened in 2016 adjacent to an active rail line that crosses the Frisco Bridge. When it opened in 1892, the Frisco was the third-longest bridge in the world and was the first one across the Mississippi south of St. Louis. You can see the I-55/Harahan Bridge in the background of the photos above.

A Mack truck dealership now sits on the corner of E.H. Crump Blvd. (formerly known as Iowa Avenue) and South Lauderdale where Martin Stadium, home to the Memphis Red Sox of the Negro Leagues, once stood. Notable players such as Verdell Mathis, Marlin "Pee Wee" Carter, Buck O'Neil and James "Cool Papa" Bell (who was so fast he could turn off the light switch and be under the covers before the room got dark) played for the Red Sox at various times in their careers. Charley Pride also played on the team in 1953 and 1958 before finding fame as a country music singer.

Frank Stokes, founding member of the Beale Street Sheiks jug band, is known as the Father of the Memphis Blues Guitar Style. He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2016 and the Memphis Music Hall of Fame in 2017. Stokes is buried in Hollywood Cemetery. The headstone was provided through the Mt. Zion Memorial Fund. Fellow bluesman Furry Lewis is also buried there.

Thanks for stopping by.

- Steve