Jump to content
American Road Magazine
Celebrating our two-lane highways of yesteryear…And the joys of driving them today!

Memphis Road Trips


Recommended Posts

31 July 2007 - Memphis to Halls

 

A nice day for a road trip, so my daughter, KC, and I decided that we would drive north about 60 miles to visit the Veterans Museum in Halls, TN. And we would also make a road trip out of it by driving about half the way on Old U. S. 51.

 

And so starts another Memphis road trip. To read about the trip, please go to:

http://www.freewebs.com/yankeetraveller/index.htm

 

We had a great time and look forward to our next trip.

 

Safe Travels

 

Hudsonly,

Alex Burr

Edited by hester_nec
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good stuff, Alex. That's a museum that I didn't even know existed. The Isaac Hayes reference confused me for awhile. I knew I had seen a "Birthplace of Isaac Hayes" sign but couldn't recall ever being on US-51 in that area or in the town of Covington. But it seems that the whole county is pretty proud of Mr. Hayes. I checked back through some pictures and see that I snapped a picture at the Tipton County line on US-70 while heading toward Memphis in December of 2005.

 

http://americanroadmagazine.com/forum/inde...=si&img=232

 

Later that night, I met you and KC at the Rendezvous.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Alex,

 

Enjoyed the write up! However it was a shame to see the consequence of the rerouting. I imagine a little town somewhere in America dies every day. Roads move, plants close, tastes change. Kinda sad, but if you never lived the small town life you don’t know what you missed. Right!?

 

The museum looks interesting and I’m glad you are donating some of your material to them. I’m sure they will appreciate it.

 

And we really appreciate you and your daughter taking the time to share your road trip! We look forward to the next report.

 

How far are you from Germantown? Great Grandfather was in the 7th Kansas Cavalry during the Civil War and his diary describes the two or three months the unit spent at Germantown. The following quotation from the diary was written in Germantown in 1863.

 

Germantown, Tenn. Monday, Jan. 26th. Col. Herrick was riding most of the forenoon to find a suitable camp ground. He could find none to suit him though he chose a location about 1/4 mile east of town. This afternoon Maj. Merriman superintended a detail in laying out and clearing out the new camp sights. It has been raining all the afternoon.

 

Col. Herrick attended the court martial of which he is President today. Gassie of Co.E went out some distance from camp, and was shot by a citizen who he found with arms and attempted to capture. This town is 15 miles east of Memphis on the Memphis and Charlestown Railway, and but a short distance from the Mississippi and Tennessee State Line. Like most Southern towns it has suffered much from the war. Some houses have been burned, and others are deserted and are used as soldiers’ barracks. The country around is the best I have seen in the South.

 

Tuesday, 27th. The rain ceased last night. It has been a clear cold day. Maj. Merriman has been busy with a detail from each Company clearing the new camp ground, and hauling lumber for the barns.

 

Wednesday, 28th. It was frozen quite hard this morning. It has been a clear and beautiful day.

 

Thursday, 29th. Clear pleasant day. We moved to our new camp ground. We have built stables and stockaded our tents. The probability is that we will remain here some time. Capt. Utt of Co. A who has been absent on recruiting service has returned and taken command of his company, and Capt. Pitts has been here by relieve from the command of Co. A and has been assigned to the command of Co. D..

Germantown, Tenn. Friday, Jan. 30th. I went with others about two miles for lumber. The day has been as fair as May but looks like rain tonight. I have just finished a letter to father.

 

Saturday, Jan. 31st. We have been working on our stable which is yet unfinished. It began raining this P.M. and still continues with a prospect of a wet night.

 

Sabbath. Feb. 1st. This has been a beautiful day and we have enjoyed it very much. We have received four months pay, being $52.00. It seems good to get some money again for we have not been paid before for nine months. This indicates a change in the policy of the War Department.

 

Under date of August 19th, 1862, I made note of an order from the Dept. Headquarters that certain companies of the 8th Kansas and our entire regiment should receive no pay until we should pay for sugar and tobacco which we had destroyed at Trenton, Tenn. some time before. Those goods were in store to be shipped to the rebel army. Our regiment had been in the habit while we were in Mo. of confiscating all property of rebels, that could be used for the support of the rebel cause, and of destroying what we could not use or get away with. During our Missouri campaign we had confiscated hundreds of horses, mules, and cattle, and used and destroyed great quantities of forage and other supplies, which the bushwackers and guerillas which infested the state, and whom we were fighting used and subsisted upon.

 

We also aided and protected all slaves who came into our camp. Those who followed us in our various expeditions, and later found freedom in Kansas. When we went South we found the policy was obnoxious to General Hallock the commander of that department at that time. An order was issued that all the slaves within any camp should be delivered to the owners if the owner should come for them, and that private property should not be molested. That order was obnoxious to us, not only because it was contrary to our principles but also because we regarded it as aimed at our regiment.

 

Sufficed it to say that no slave was ever recovered from this camp. Various means were used to protect them. One day a man came into camp inquiring of one of the comrades for his black boy who had run away. Another comrade at a little distance asked what that man wanted. He wants his run away black boy was the reply. Shoot him shouted comrade #2. Other comrades hearing it repeated the call and several of them surrounded the man with drawn revolvers. Of course they would not have dared to shoot the man but he did not know that and was glad to make his escape after a solemn promise to never show himself in our camp again, and he kept his promise.

 

If you ever get out to Germantown, let me know!

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Alex,

 

Your photo of the NB lanes of 51 north of Covington is fabulous. The way you captured the rise of the road is compelling. And it does give the feel of a (more modern) country 2-lane.

 

I also really liked the photo of the Chevrolet staff car. Reminds me of the "blackout" cars, with trim painted instead of chromed, that were produced after the war started but before auto production was halted.

 

I love Tennessee to death. You keep posting these trips and it's going to make me want to come down for a road trip.

 

jim

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Alex,

 

Enjoyed the write up! However it was a shame to see the consequence of the rerouting. I imagine a little town somewhere in America dies every day. Roads move, plants close, tastes change. Kinda sad, but if you never lived the small town life you don’t know what you missed. Right!?

 

The museum looks interesting and I’m glad you are donating some of your material to them. I’m sure they will appreciate it.

 

And we really appreciate you and your daughter taking the time to share your road trip! We look forward to the next report.

 

How far are you from Germantown? Great Grandfather was in the 7th Kansas Cavalry during the Civil War and his diary describes the two or three months the unit spent at Germantown. The following quotation from the diary was written in Germantown in 1863.

 

Germantown, Tenn. Monday, Jan. 26th. Col. Herrick was riding most of the forenoon to find a suitable camp ground. He could find none to suit him though he chose a location about 1/4 mile east of town. This afternoon Maj. Merriman superintended a detail in laying out and clearing out the new camp sights. It has been raining all the afternoon.

 

Col. Herrick attended the court martial of which he is President today. Gassie of Co.E went out some distance from camp, and was shot by a citizen who he found with arms and attempted to capture. This town is 15 miles east of Memphis on the Memphis and Charlestown Railway, and but a short distance from the Mississippi and Tennessee State Line. Like most Southern towns it has suffered much from the war. Some houses have been burned, and others are deserted and are used as soldiers’ barracks. The country around is the best I have seen in the South.

 

Tuesday, 27th. The rain ceased last night. It has been a clear cold day. Maj. Merriman has been busy with a detail from each Company clearing the new camp ground, and hauling lumber for the barns.

 

Wednesday, 28th. It was frozen quite hard this morning. It has been a clear and beautiful day.

 

Thursday, 29th. Clear pleasant day. We moved to our new camp ground. We have built stables and stockaded our tents. The probability is that we will remain here some time. Capt. Utt of Co. A who has been absent on recruiting service has returned and taken command of his company, and Capt. Pitts has been here by relieve from the command of Co. A and has been assigned to the command of Co. D..

Germantown, Tenn. Friday, Jan. 30th. I went with others about two miles for lumber. The day has been as fair as May but looks like rain tonight. I have just finished a letter to father.

 

Saturday, Jan. 31st. We have been working on our stable which is yet unfinished. It began raining this P.M. and still continues with a prospect of a wet night.

 

Sabbath. Feb. 1st. This has been a beautiful day and we have enjoyed it very much. We have received four months pay, being $52.00. It seems good to get some money again for we have not been paid before for nine months. This indicates a change in the policy of the War Department.

 

Under date of August 19th, 1862, I made note of an order from the Dept. Headquarters that certain companies of the 8th Kansas and our entire regiment should receive no pay until we should pay for sugar and tobacco which we had destroyed at Trenton, Tenn. some time before. Those goods were in store to be shipped to the rebel army. Our regiment had been in the habit while we were in Mo. of confiscating all property of rebels, that could be used for the support of the rebel cause, and of destroying what we could not use or get away with. During our Missouri campaign we had confiscated hundreds of horses, mules, and cattle, and used and destroyed great quantities of forage and other supplies, which the bushwackers and guerillas which infested the state, and whom we were fighting used and subsisted upon.

 

We also aided and protected all slaves who came into our camp. Those who followed us in our various expeditions, and later found freedom in Kansas. When we went South we found the policy was obnoxious to General Hallock the commander of that department at that time. An order was issued that all the slaves within any camp should be delivered to the owners if the owner should come for them, and that private property should not be molested. That order was obnoxious to us, not only because it was contrary to our principles but also because we regarded it as aimed at our regiment.

 

Sufficed it to say that no slave was ever recovered from this camp. Various means were used to protect them. One day a man came into camp inquiring of one of the comrades for his black boy who had run away. Another comrade at a little distance asked what that man wanted. He wants his run away black boy was the reply. Shoot him shouted comrade #2. Other comrades hearing it repeated the call and several of them surrounded the man with drawn revolvers. Of course they would not have dared to shoot the man but he did not know that and was glad to make his escape after a solemn promise to never show himself in our camp again, and he kept his promise.

 

If you ever get out to Germantown, let me know!

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

 

Interesting diary - loved reading it. As the diary (journal) says, Germantown was 15 miles from Memphis - in the 1860's. Today it is part of Memphis, more or less, as the city has grown out to it. From my house I'm about 20 miles for Germantown.

 

Hudsonly,

Alex Burr

 

Alex,

 

Your photo of the NB lanes of 51 north of Covington is fabulous. The way you captured the rise of the road is compelling. And it does give the feel of a (more modern) country 2-lane.

 

I also really liked the photo of the Chevrolet staff car. Reminds me of the "blackout" cars, with trim painted instead of chromed, that were produced after the war started but before auto production was halted.

 

I love Tennessee to death. You keep posting these trips and it's going to make me want to come down for a road trip.

 

jim

 

Well, Jim, thank you for the kudos - I know my web site isn't real fancy. I'm not all that good with the idea. But we keep trying.

Every so often one catches just the "right" angle for a photo and it comes out better than expected. Personally, I like the one of my daughter standing by the door of the general store - in "period" costume, say 1920's or early 1930's dress it would be perfect.

More trips to come.

And, by the way, if you find yourself headed for Memphis, give us a shout. I guarantee you will not have to spend money on a motel. I got a spare bedroom down here - and that goes for any of you road trip junkies. We'll worry about the menu later. LOL

 

Hudsonly,

Alex Burr

Edited by hester_nec
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Alex,

I loved the explanation of your on line ID. Learning how some of them have originated makes them very special indeed.

 

I also wanted to thank you for your site. I had not really read your trip reports, and found myself getting lost in the visit to Lakeland Speedway. With my interest in racing history, it is always fascinating to see these old abandoned tracks, and read the news stories from the glory days. Hemmings Exotic and Sports Cars magazine just did an interesting essay on Thompson Speedway in Connecticut, and Autoweek is currently celebrating their 50 year anniversary (it was still Competition Press when I first subscribed) by reviewing one year each week counting down to the anniversary. It made me decide to take the book Lost Race Tracks by Gordon Eliot White along with me on our Caribbean cruise later this month.

 

All you travelers keep posting your finds so we can visit places with you that we may never get to in person!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As I am one who cannot stop tinkering with anything :D - I added a strip map, Memphis-Dyersburg, out of a 1939 AAA Southwestern Tour Book at the beginning of the trip report.

 

Hudsonly,

Alex Burr

Edited by hester_nec
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi,

 

Thanks for showcasing U.S. 51 (old and new)! I have experience with the southern part of the route; I have traveled between La Place, La., and Batesville, Miss.

 

I always enjoy finding which set of lanes on four-lane routes is the old set. Even better, of course, is finding bypassed segments!

 

Looking forward to more,

Tracy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...