By Robert A. Lanier Once upon a time, every year, two free paperback books approximately two inches thick plopped onto the doorstep of almost every…
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Category: History
Major Category
Vox Clamantis in Deserto. Behind the 1925 Scopes “Monkey” Trial
Robert S. Keebler, The Quiet Crusader Who Defended Academic Freedom & 24-Year-Old Public School Teacher John Scopes By Robert A. Lanier What sayest thou of…
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Before Libertyland: Memories of the Old Fairgrounds Amusement Park
Nothing says ‘Memphis’ like the old Fairgrounds Amusement Park of Memphis memories, beautifully captured here by fan-favorite Charlie Lambert. Originally published June 2019 for both…
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‘Riot’ or ‘Massacre’ – Revisiting the reporting of the Memphis Riot and Massacre of 1866
By Robert A. Lanier Riot: Public violence, tumult, or disorder; a violent public disorder. (Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary, 1977 edition); A disturbance of the peace…
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Tracing My Black Roots in Old Whitehaven
Following in the footsteps of her family and a well-known chronicler of old Whitehaven, the writer traces her roots in Memphis’s city to the south.…
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Hidden History of the Orpheum, Part I: Origins
“Don’t Tear Down the Malco!” Urban renewal threats spark looks back at a rich history Urban renewal had crept its way to Beale Street. At…
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‘ANARCHY IN MEMPHIS’ Looking Back At The Infamous 1978 Fire (and Police) Department Strikes
A half-mile away, a two-alarm blaze was consuming the library on Vance. Once known as the “colored branch,” the Vance Library was the prime repository…
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Revisited: Introduction to An (almost) Lost History of The Orpheum
In a summer-long series in honor of its 95th birthday, StoryBoard revisits an era when Memphis almost lost its last great theatre palace: its struggles…
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The Fascists Are Coming!
By Robert A. Lanier Fascist! Since at least World War II, to call someone a fascist has been almost as insulting as to call someone…
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THIS SUMMER: Revisited, the Hidden History of the Orpheum
In a summer-long series in honor of its 95th birthday, StoryBoard revisits an era when Memphis almost lost its last great theatre palace: its survival…
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