Comments On: Elvis Presley's Mystery Train (Station) by Vance Lauderdale

Re: Elvis Presley's Mystery Train (Station)

larrad2 — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 15:54:19 -0500

In the '50s on the northwest corner of Poplar and Mendenhall from east to west were (today's names): (Bianchi eatery - Sir Roberts), Belmont Restaurant, Adler's Dept Store then Shops of Ann Adler (now Shirt Bistro), small car repair (now Mr Pride), Bianchi Grocery, and others (now ATT and Blood Bank).

Posted by larrad2

Re: Elvis Presley's Mystery Train (Station)

JamesVRoy — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 10:09:42 -0600

There was no actual station, it was just a stop. Passengers could get off there but no one could get on.
Posted by JamesVRoy

Re: Elvis Presley's Mystery Train (Station)

Christopher100 — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 21:52:18 -0600

Hello Everybody!

Fascinating stuff. For the love of all that is holy — can anyone produce a picture of the train station itself?
Posted by Christopher100

Re: Elvis Presley's Mystery Train (Station)

boo — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 01:08:30 -0500

I saw a TV program about Elvis hosted by The Band's Levon Helm that explained it was a copy of the new record he'd just cut ... he was anxious to get home and play it for his mama.

Posted by boo

Re: Elvis Presley's Mystery Train (Station)

mjg956 — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 21:10:39 -0500

That thing he was carrying, probably was a tape recorder or record player. I remember seeing a picture of Elvis, sitting on a train, listening to his songs that he had done, or something,like that.

Posted by mjg956

Re: Elvis Presley's Mystery Train (Station)

mjg956 — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 21:08:11 -0500

That was probably a tape recorder or record player, he was carrying with him. There was a picture of him on a train, listening to a device.

Posted by mjg956

Re: Elvis Presley's Mystery Train (Station)

Vance Lauderdale — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 20:34:22 -0500

Great stuff, Andria! Many thanks.
Posted by Vance Lauderdale

Re: Elvis Presley's Mystery Train (Station)

Andria Lisle — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:28:57 -0500

me again -- wow, just found out some cool info about the Belmont property here -- http://www.tellthetruthtravel.com/ThumbsUp…

check out this crazy photo of Poplar Pike, circa 1930!

http://www.tellthetruthtravel.com/images/M…

Posted by Andria Lisle

Re: Elvis Presley's Mystery Train (Station)

Andria Lisle — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:26:31 -0500

I always thought White's Station was the Belmont Grill?
Posted by Andria Lisle

Re: Elvis Presley's Mystery Train (Station)

Vance Lauderdale — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:15:50 -0500

The drugstore was originally part of the row of buildings you see in the background of the Elvis photo. When Poplar was widened in the early 1960s, all those buildings were demolished, and a new drugstore — White Station Pharmacy #1 (a Rexall drugs franchise — was built farther back from the street.
Posted by Vance Lauderdale

Re: Elvis Presley's Mystery Train (Station)

vwbug — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:38:18 -0500

I grew up in that area, too. I could have sworn that Houston's is the old Rexall drug store.
Posted by vwbug

Re: Elvis Presley's Mystery Train (Station)

Devin greaney — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 01:10:43 -0500

I grew up in that area and thought I knew everything there was to know about that neighborhood. I'd love to see a photo of White Station, too!

As for the field: Audubon Park went up in the late '40s though the theater went up in the mid '70s and the Botanical Center opened in '64, so in 1956 it may have looked more like a field.

Now I just wonder why Mendenhall disappears and magically reappears by Halle Stadium.

Posted by Devin Greaney

Re: Elvis Presley's Mystery Train (Station)

Steppendackel — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:35:44 -0500

The 'big field' would not have been the CCC golf course for two reasons. First, that was private grounds I doubt that they'd let people just cut across.
Posted by Steppendackel

Re: Elvis Presley's Mystery Train (Station)

TN Hewlett — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:00:42 -0500

Perhaps the "big field" was actually the golf course at the old Colonial Country Club where Target now stands? It would have been closer to the train station (and the departing train) than Audubon Park.
Posted by TN Hewlett

Re: Elvis Presley's Mystery Train (Station)

Lisbeth — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 14:32:38 -0500

Vance, I heard part of your interview on Whad Ya Know Saturday the 20th. I am very interested in Memphis in the mid-1960's.
Posted by Lisbeth

Re: Elvis Presley's Mystery Train (Station)

danzo — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 13:02:03 -0500

His traveling suitcase is the size of a laptop. Plus this will remind people there was a time you just walked where you wanted to go.
In similar vein i was amazed how far Faulkner walked to work in the post office.
Good job on Whatdya'Know, Vance!
Posted by danzo

Re: Elvis Presley's Mystery Train (Station)

Jeff — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 09:19:59 -0500

I always get Mendenhall and Mt. Moriah mixed up. Maybe this story will serve as a mnemonic device.
Posted by Jeff

Re: Elvis Presley's Mystery Train (Station)

Vance Lauderdale — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 11:46:30 -0500

It's hard to say, exactly. Keep in mind that many of the subdivisions around Mendenhall and Mt. Moriah weren't developed until the mid- or late-1950s, so quite a bit of that entire area between Poplar and Park could be described as a "big field."
Posted by Vance Lauderdale

Re: Elvis Presley's Mystery Train (Station)

bkourvelas — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:26:27 -0500

That really was a long walk--- probably two miles or so. However, in the Peter Guralnick biography, a witness describes seeing Elvis leave the train that day, walk off down Poplar, and "set out across a big field toward home," which I guess would have been the land where Audubon Park is now?
Posted by producerbonnie