Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-03-16
OLD MEMPHIs.

In eighteen hundred and twenty.seven,
forty.fve years ago, Memphis was but a
few years old, having started into life
somewhere about the year 1920, on what
was known as the John Rice five thou
sand-acre grant. In 1927 a few hundred
settlers hibernated ON the bluffs. Not a
single brick house was in existence; wild
turkeys and smaller game hoped aud
skipped about in the forest around that
part of our beautiful city now known as
Court Square. Not house was built
lower than Exchange street, and the
business part of the village lay between
Exchange and jackson streets. along
Front. At the foot of Jackson street,
which now butts up against the wall Of
the promenade, or navy-yard, steep,
slippery bluff sloped down to the river,
which ran at its base. Wolf river de-
bouched into the Father Of Waters at
the foot of Jackson street, and here was
the broad horn and steamboat landing.
Since that day the Mississippi, farming
and twisting in his bed, by a constant
series Of abrasions on the right bank and
by alluvial deposits on thu, left below the
mouth of Wolf river, the batture was
formed, and slowly pushed the bed Of
Wolf river northward until its mouth
rested where it now enters the Mississippi.
Then the navy yard ground was formed,
but in the course of years the great
river took another twist, and commenced
a back-sliding movement washing away
the batture gradually up to the present
time. The batture is now slowly falling
back into the arms of the great Father
of Waters that threatens to again wash
the bluff at the foot of jackson street.
But from 1927 to 1882 the village gradu-
ally increased in size and Importance.
On the corners of Exchange, Market,
Winchester, Commerce and Jackson
streets, on Front, number of old dilap-
idated houses that were built in 1877 and
1882 still stand in defiance of remorse-
less Old Time. These buildings, now
old frame groceries and clearinghouse,
we're then the business houses of the
town, where the old citizens, now dead
and gone, laid the foundation of the
large fortunes that their worthy descend
ants are to-day enjoying. Here is Old
Memphis; but what changel In these
now dilapidated houses, in olden times,
an immense trade was carried on with
the Indians who camped on the bluff IN
front and in the woody suburbs 1t was
not unusual for these old-time mer-
chants to visit yearly the Indian agency
at Pontotoc, Miss, to receive the silver
dollars which the Government agent
paid to the Indian tribes. A long horse
back ride through the wilderness was in
dulged in by these merchants, and the
Indians at the Pontotoc agency paid them
the silver dollars, each party keeping
an account of the years transactions,
the merchant on his books, and the In
dian on a notched stick A horse load
of bags of silver had to be brought back
to Memphis. On the way the traveller
had to stop at Indian huts. The bags Of
silver were carelessly thrown in cor
ner, and the tired merchant laid down
to rest. The Indian never robbed. 1t
was left to civilization to introduce this
custom into society The old Farmers
and Merchants bank. now the Jewish !
synagogue, on the corner OF Main and
Exchange streets, was built by a Ken
tuekian, about the year 1885, after the
model Of the United States bank. In
the course Of time this became q veal
thy and sterling institution. Under the
north pillar Of the portico or colorado
we're deposited number Of silver coins,
by the bank officials. These coins are
there yet, almost forgotten, and when
the pillar is torn down, the discovery Of
these old time relics will give rise TO
speculation, and puzzle the brain Of
some local antiquarian. The taVerns Of
Old Memphis have long since been torn
down, and the laughter that once rang
through the buildings is silent forever
What a crowd Of memories it must
bring back 10 the mind Of an old 1927
settler, as he revisits the old baunts now
almost obliterated by the march Of i'm
proyement We had the pleasure Of
visiting these scenes the other day with
an 1927 man, and il afforded US no little
pleasure as be reeounted the ancient
glories Of the place, and called up in
their young days the venerable Mem
phians-noW departed-who then were
the sturdy citizens Of the village.
FACTS AND FANCIEG