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Dear Vance: Where was the Poor Man’s Store in Memphis? I found this old photo online. — G.L., Memphis
Dear G.L.: I’ve seen this interesting photo (below) before on sites like eBay, and some sellers claim that it originally ran in Life magazine in the 1930s. Wayne Dowdy at the main library showed me similar photos of old Memphis businesses that appeared in a local history book, From Cotton Row to Beale Street. The Poor Man’s Store wasn’t included — or mentioned — in that book. So who took this photo, where was this tiny store, and how long was it in business? I just don’t know.
After several half-hearted attempts to skim microfilmed copies of Life, I gave up trying to find the original article, and once again turned to city directories. A dead end. I found no listing for such a store in any phone books from the 1920s through the 1960s. And, just as with the Little Victory store, I’m puzzled by the name of this little establishment: Did “Poor Man” refer to the owner — or to the customers?
I’ll let you ponder that for a while, along with several other “stumpers.” And yes, these are all genuine questions from readers. I can’t make this stuff up.
Dear Vance
You recently had a question with regards to the City "parking lot" at the corner of Adams and High.
For many years I worked for Mid-South Title Company and as part of that job in the 1970's was required to research that property for a potential buyer.
As I remember, the property was deeded to the Mayor and Board of Aldermen of The City of Memphis in Trust for and organization which I remember as being the Old Folks Society of West Tennessee.
I also remember a Chancery Court Proceedings against the City claiming that bodies had been removed and in some instances "draggged over.;" however, when I find copy of my old file, I should be able to provide you with the details.
I believe that as part of the research we "unearthed" some sort of plat which showed the location of some graves.
I'll get back with you when I find my copies.
Mack
I can't help on the building, but I may have insight on the name. As the photo dates from the early forties, I'm pretty sure the name "Victory" relates to the war effort. Just as there were "Victory" gardens (link below), I don't see any reason there couldn't have been "Victory" little super markets. The red, white, and blue shield emblem by the name supports this view.
http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe40s/crops_02.html
If you haven't received an answer on the "Exit" question, this might help. I understand that the exit numbers are the number of miles into the city, not the number of exits. They relate to the mile markers on the interstate. Of course I could be all wrong on this but that is what I was told by a trucker many years ago! I adore your column, thanks so much for the wonderful stories.
Vance, how and when did Union Avenue get it's name? Seems strange that a Southern City should have a major street with this name unless it was done during reconstruction (I believe that is how some refer to the occupation of Memphis by Northern Troops after the Civil War also know as the War of Northern Aggression.)
Thank you!
Union is named after the union between the separate towns of Memphis and I believe the other one was called South Memphis and Union Av was where the border was
THE POORMAN'S STORE
The Poor Man’s Store is on Beale Street.
The picture was taken on January 1, 1938 by photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt.
The Time Life Getty image number is 50647778.
UNION AVENUE
"The name had nothing to do with the Civil War Union occupation nor the merger with South Memphis in 1850,"...Our city's original street names, including Union, are on the original survey and map of 1819 — more than 40 years before the onset of the Civil War. The main east-west streets honor the first five presidents and Memphis founders Andrew Jackson, James Winchester, and John Overton.
memphisflyer.com/CityBeat/archives/2013/01/22/top-10-downtown-myths
...a popular myth about another well-known Memphis street. The theory held that Union Avenue was named to signify the "union" of incorporated South Memphis with Memphis in 1850, but Union Avenue was on city maps as early as 1827. It also is on the 1841 map, and Williams says the name Union simply "was a popular word in the American vocabulary at the time." It followed the naming of other streets for U.S. presidents.
"There had only been five presidents and they ran out of names, so they named the next street Union,"
commercialappeal.com/news/2011/feb/28/beales-birth/?print=1
WINCHESTER PARK
Memphis' first mayor, first store owner, first postmaster and first son of Gen. James Winchester (one of the three city founders), Marcus B. Winchester; is buried under a horse barn that was later converted to a city garage and Office of Fleet Management. .
The historial marker at Winchester park reads "Winchester's grave is located under what is now a city garage on the west side of the property."
ommercialappeal.com/news/2009/may/26/first-mayor-receives-a-grave-injustice/
Winchester Cemetery was first located at Third Street and Poplar Ave and then later rebuired at the New Winchester Cemetery on High Street (now Lane Street) where the park is today.
Lt. Thomas S Trask was the first buried July 29, 1828. The city closed the cemetery in 1874 and move most of the buried to Elmwood Cemetery.
roots.com/tnshelby/cemetery/winchester.htm
A.D. HICKEL TAMALES
The 1951 edition of the Public Acts of the State of Tennessee documented a company called Hickeleat Chili-Tamale, Inc which could be the makers of Hickel's tamales.