Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-03-24
OLD MEMPHIS.
The First Legitimate Theatrical
company on the Bian-Interest-
Ing Dramatic Reminiaeence of
TWenty-Eight Years Ago.

Ing Dramatic Reminiseence OF
TWenty-Eight Years Ago.
Prior to the year ls47, twenty-eight
years ago, no legitimate dramatic com
pany had ever appeared in the Bluff
City. In the winter of lS47 a theatrical
show steamboat landed at the mouth of
Wolf river, at what was then known as
Muddy Landing, as this was long before
pavements we're introduced. The mud
on the landing beneath the bluff was
then nearly two feet in depth. This
show-boat was propelled by steam, and
resembled somewhat Noah's ark-a COW
cred building mounted on two keels, aud
containing a theater, with the necessary
scenery, properties, etc. This boat
came out of the Ohio river and con
tanned a dramatic company of first class
actors who had drifted westward from
the Eastern seabosrd on a voyage in
search of wealth. The company was
headed by Thomas Lenox, a Scotchman
and a fine actor, who was manager and
proprietor of the floating Temple of the
MUSES.. Among the leading members of
the troupe were Cal Smith, leading
man; 0. E. Durivage, first comedian,
and Others now forgotten by even the
early settlers. The steamboat had been
built in Cincinnati, principally on a
credit, and performances were given at
all the towns along the shores of the
Ohio and Mississippi rivers. The bust
ness along the route in the Ohio river
towns had been bad, and when the COM
pany reached Memphis they were finan-
cially wrecked. Mr.. Thomas Lenox, the
manager, was unable to pay the past due
instalnents on his venture; the steam
show.boat and the craft was tied IN
by his Cincinnati creditors on reaching
Memphis. The creditors took possession
OF the boat, and the company was put
ashore out OF money and disconsolate.
AT this time Mr.. Jake Steinkuhl, who
now keeps a saloon under the Memphis
Theater, was then keeping a saloon on
the corner of Washington street and the
alley Immediately west of the now
Olympic Varieties, between Main and
Front. Several Of the unfortunate
actors drifted into his saloon and made
it headquarters during their pilgrimage
to the shrine of Misfortune. Then the
building now used as the Olympic Vari-
cites was known as the First Universal
ist church, but for some time the n
CATION had d%isbanded. Among the
members of the congregation we're Mr..
Bickford, the owner OF the building; the
Prescotts, the Rudolphs and others. To
Mr.. Steinkuhl the show people disclosed
their troubles and impecuniosity, and
expressed a desire to secure some hall
wherein they could present some dra-
matte performances and raise a sufficient
amount of money to enable them to get
out of town. Mr.. Steinkuhl went with
Manager Lenox to Mr.. Bickford and
aided him in securing a lease of the
building known as the hall or the First
Universalist church property. The next
thing was to get lumber to build a stage,
etc. Mr.. Steinkuhl got the lumber, and
all the actors assisted in erecting the
stage and changing the interior OF the
building into a theater. Here dramatic
performances started, and for a year
they made money, presenting tragedies,
comedies, f%arces, ETC., to admiring
crowds. The scenery on board the
floating theater was removed to
the new building, then christened
the Memphis Theater. The ensuing
season Mr.. Henry Plunkett Grattan, an
Irish actor of merit, a literary man aud
descendant Of the famous Irish orator,
Henry Grattan, came to Memphis and
formed a partnership with Mr.. Lenox.
The theater was remodeled under the
direction of Mons. Boullet, a French
man and scenic artist of the company.
On the second night of the season Mr..
Lenox died and next day was buried in
Winchester Cemetery. He left in Mem
pbis a widow and three c~hildren-two
boys and a girl. One of the former, Mr..
Walter Lenox, is now a prominent com
edian in this country. Soon after the
death of Mr.. Lenox, his widow and chill
dren went back to Canada. Mr.. Grattan
continued to run the theater, and during
the second season dramatic stars began
to appear. During the ensuing seasons
Murdoch, the elder Booth, Mrs. Farran,
Maggie Mitchell, then a charming girl;
Eliza Logan and her father, Julia Dean,
Mr.. Collins, the Irish comedian; Flor.
ence, Roberts, who played the Corsican
Brothers; Charlotte Cushman, Matilda
Heron, Couldock, Cbanfrau and other
people who since hat time have risen to
eminence in the profession appeared at
the Memphis Theater. At that time old
man Logan and his daughter Eliza
played a new piece entitled Memphis
One Hundred Years Hence, and Julia
Dean and Eliza Logan were the rivals of
the stage. The old steam theater.boat
lay tied up at the mouth of Wolf river
for four years until at last the courts
decided the lawsuit in favor of the
Lenox heirs, and tie old boat was sold.
AZ