1964 Memphis pano

[sleepy]

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Sorry to post this in stanzas but it was the only way

to make it readable with the large pic.

Click on the little expansion button in the

lower right when the pic loads,

if it doesn't show up BIG. lol

This pic shows downtown Memphis in 1964, looking north.

The Medical Center is the highrise clump to the right--east of downtown.

To the north of the Med Center is the old Sears Tower.

To the right/east of the Med Center is Midtown--the leafy residential area.

The dense area of warehouses and lowrises in the

foreground/south of the skyscrapers is the South Main area

which is largely intact--thank goodness--and

home to a flurry of residential activity.

South of that--all the RR tracks at the bottom--is the SouthEnd area

which is being developed with 1300 units of midrise condos/apt.

Between downtown and the Medical Center is an artsy area

of galleries, muffler shops, and old warehouses and so on

which is supposed to be the Next Big Thing for restoration.

Must be true, seeing as how the real estate agents

have changed the area's name to the Edge. lol

Pic, courtesy of m. condren of Christian Brothers University:

[Rural King]

This is an awesome photo. Glad you took the time to share it with us in this forum.

As I said when I first saw this picture in another thread, I am amazed by its size and uniqeness. Very few pics like this of southern cities from what I've seen. In this picture in particlar the presence of First Tennessee's Bank Tower (which it still occupies) and the lack of its 60's counter-part UP Bank Tower (100 North Main now, built in 1968) is what I find most interesting since I think its the first time I've seen a pic with one but not the other.

[ricky_the_great]

This is an awesome photo. Glad you took the time to share it with us in this forum.

As I said when I first saw this picture in another thread, I am amazed by its size and uniqeness. Very few pics like this of southern cities from what I've seen. In this picture in particlar the presence of First Tennessee's Bank Tower (which it still occupies) and the lack of its 60's counter-part UP Bank Tower (100 North Main now, built in 1968) is what I find most interesting since I think its the first time I've seen a pic with one but not the other.

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ya i think its really cool which towers dominated the Memphis skyline back then. for some reason i had always thought the First TN tower was from the 70's. it seems newer nad nicer looking that 100 north main to me at least.

[Fellowmann20]

Nice pic, thanks for showing us.

[Fellowmann20]

This is an awesome photo. Glad you took the time to share it with us in this forum.

As I said when I first saw this picture in another thread, I am amazed by its size and uniqeness. Very few pics like this of southern cities from what I've seen. In this picture in particlar the presence of First Tennessee's Bank Tower (which it still occupies) and the lack of its 60's counter-part UP Bank Tower (100 North Main now, built in 1968) is what I find most interesting since I think its the first time I've seen a pic with one but not the other.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wasn't the 100 North Main building completed in 1965, atleast that is what Emporis.com says.

Click here for Emporis info.

[Rural King]

^ Might have been. I was thinking 1968, but I usually don't keep track of such facts about buildings very well. Sleepy I'm sure knows.

[sleepy]

^ Might have been. I was thinking 1968, but I usually don't keep track of such facts about buildings very well. Sleepy I'm sure knows.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My orthodontist was in the Exchange Building and I got to watch the 100 North Main Building being built from the dentist's chair. All I know is I got my braces off in the fall of 1968. I probably had braces for 2 years or so--maybe even longer. Back then braces were worn for years. I would guess 1966 or 1967.

A side note--it was interesting back then. I went to Christian Brothers High School at Walnut Grove and I-240, got off school an hour early for the orthodontist appt., hopped on a bus all the way downtown, and took another all the way back home--about 45 min. each way. I can't imagine a CBHS student nowadays deigning to take a bus downtown.

We took buses everywhere--except on dates--then we got dad's car. lol

I'm old enough too, to remember electric trolleys on Madison Avenue.

Edit: I think the Forum needs an "old phart remembers the day" thread. I can only think of me and Dave who are in our 50's as contributors--smoking pot at Mother Earth concerts in Overton Park/Centennial Park as hippies, etc. lol

[TennBear]

The sad thing for me in this picture is that I get to see the old Union Station, now site of the Post Office. It was a beautiful Beaux Arts Building, far nicer than the Central Station that was saved. I do not know how many people that are on this now know that as late as 1968, Memphis had three working railroad stations. The third was the Southern Railroad station. It was originally the Memphis and Charleston Station from the 1840's. It was the oldest working train station in the US. Both of the two lost stations had plans to use them and had letters sent to President Johnson to save them from urban renewal, but were distroyed anyway.

[sleepy]

The sad thing for me in this picture is that I get to see the old Union Station, now site of the Post Office. It was a beautiful Beaux Arts Building, far nicer than the Central Station that was saved. I do not know how many people that are on this now know that as late as 1968, Memphis had three working railroad stations. The third was the Southern Railroad station. It was originally the Memphis and Charleston Station from the 1840's. It was the oldest working train station in the US. Both of the two lost stations had plans to use them and had letters sent to President Johnson to save them from urban renewal, but were distroyed anyway.

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I remember when they tore down Union station. Apparently Southern station went back into service when Union station was closed from 1964-1966. Southern went back to Union station from 1966-1968 when Union reopened and then closed for good.

According to these links anyway. There are some good pics and info here:

http://www.cbu.edu/~mcondren/MRP/MemphisUn...ion_Station.htm

http://www.cbu.edu/~mcondren/MRP/MemphisUn...-Charleston.htm

[TennBear]

I remember when they tore down Union station.  Apparently Southern station went back into service when Union station was closed from 1964-1966.  Southern went back to Union station from 1966-1968 when Union reopened and then closed for good.

According to these links anyway.  There are some good pics and info here:

http://www.cbu.edu/~mcondren/MRP/MemphisUn...ion_Station.htm

http://www.cbu.edu/~mcondren/MRP/MemphisUn...-Charleston.htm

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Sleepy, Thanks for the links. I enjoyed the pics. Memory is not the greatest and it was good seeing what they really looked like instead of having childhood memories try to let me know. Maybe I should have said that at the end the Southern Station though was only being used for freight and that the station was being used as a warehouse.

[mandrws1]

Great pictures. I'm only 24 years old, so I don't remember any of the things that you all are speaking of. But I love seeing historical pictures like this. I went to the main library Saturday and visited the Memphis and Shelby County room. If you haven't been, please go. I saw amazing pictures of some of the buildings. I would have never thought that the Sterick building's lobby was so beautiful!

[crabbj]

What a great shot! Is it possible for you or someone else to edit the photo in a graphics program so you can add a legend of then and now for some of the buildings? Some are easy to point out but a few are a little hard to find. Perhaps put numbers next to certain buildings and then match then up with the building names? Thanks for posting this.