Hidden History of Memphis
Discover the little known and unknown rich heritage of Memphis, TN.

Step inside the fascinating annals of the Bluff City's history and discover the Memphis that only few know. G. Wayne Dowdy, longtime archivist for the Memphis Public Library, examines the history and culture of the Mid-South during its most important decades. Well-known faces like Clarence Saunders, Elvis Presley and W.C. Handy are joined by some of the more obscure characters from the past, like the Memphis gangster who inspired one of William Faulkner's most famous novels, the local Boy Scout who captured German spies during World War I, the Memphis radio station that pioneered wireless broadcasting and so many more. Also included are the previously unpublished private papers and correspondence of former mayor E.H. Crump, giving us new insight and a front-row seat to the machine that shaped Tennessee politics in the twentieth century.

1101210507
Hidden History of Memphis
Discover the little known and unknown rich heritage of Memphis, TN.

Step inside the fascinating annals of the Bluff City's history and discover the Memphis that only few know. G. Wayne Dowdy, longtime archivist for the Memphis Public Library, examines the history and culture of the Mid-South during its most important decades. Well-known faces like Clarence Saunders, Elvis Presley and W.C. Handy are joined by some of the more obscure characters from the past, like the Memphis gangster who inspired one of William Faulkner's most famous novels, the local Boy Scout who captured German spies during World War I, the Memphis radio station that pioneered wireless broadcasting and so many more. Also included are the previously unpublished private papers and correspondence of former mayor E.H. Crump, giving us new insight and a front-row seat to the machine that shaped Tennessee politics in the twentieth century.

21.99 In Stock
Hidden History of Memphis

Hidden History of Memphis

by G. Wayne Dowdy
Hidden History of Memphis

Hidden History of Memphis

by G. Wayne Dowdy

Paperback

$21.99 
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Overview

Discover the little known and unknown rich heritage of Memphis, TN.

Step inside the fascinating annals of the Bluff City's history and discover the Memphis that only few know. G. Wayne Dowdy, longtime archivist for the Memphis Public Library, examines the history and culture of the Mid-South during its most important decades. Well-known faces like Clarence Saunders, Elvis Presley and W.C. Handy are joined by some of the more obscure characters from the past, like the Memphis gangster who inspired one of William Faulkner's most famous novels, the local Boy Scout who captured German spies during World War I, the Memphis radio station that pioneered wireless broadcasting and so many more. Also included are the previously unpublished private papers and correspondence of former mayor E.H. Crump, giving us new insight and a front-row seat to the machine that shaped Tennessee politics in the twentieth century.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781596298750
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date: 12/19/2010
Series: Hidden History
Pages: 128
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.28(d)

About the Author

G. Wayne Dowdy is the agency manager of the Memphis Public Library and Information Center's history department and Memphis and Shelby County Room. He holds a master's degree in history from the University of Arkansas and is a certified archives manager. He is the author of A Brief History of Memphis; Mayor Crump Don't Like It: Machine Politics in Memphis; Hidden History of Memphis and Crusades for Freedom: Memphis and the Political Transformation of the American South.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements 7

Introduction 9

Part 1 History and Culture

Memphis in the Twentieth Century 13

"The Beethoven of Beale Street": The Relationship between WC. Handy Memphis 21

Scouting for Memphians 29

"A Natural Robust Kid": The Criminal Career of Popeye Pumphrey 34

Memphis and the Development of Radio Broadcasting 40

"A Date for Saturday Night": Television Comes to Memphis 47

Great Information Getters: Memphis Journalists Tony Vaccaro Clark Porteous 53

"A People United": The Bluff City during World War.II 58

A Commitment to Innovation: Public Libraries in Memphis 65

Part 2 Primary and Secondary Sources

"For Public Inspection at Any Time": The Papers of Edward Hull Crump 75

"We Engaged in a Hard Campaign": Primary Sources Related to the 1940 and 1944 Presidential Elections in Shelby County, Tennessee 79

"My Lieutenants Are Your Lieutenants": The Correspondence of E.H.Crump Kenneth McKellar 85

"Unquestioned Patriotism": The Life and Papers of Roane Waring 102

The Watkins Overton Papers 109

"A Loyal and Patriotic Citizenry": The Papers of Mayor Walter Chandler 111

The Papers of Memphis Mayor Frank Tobey 118

Review of Gateway to Justice: The Juvenile Court and Progressive Child Welfare in a Southern City Jennifer Trost 121

Review of Historic Photos of Memphis Gina Cordell Patrick W. O'Daniel 123

Bibliography 125

About the Author 128

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