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

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. Old city directories indicate that a gas station used to stand on the corner, right next to what is now the Belmont Grill, before they widened Mendenhall, but I've never seen any photos of it. On one hand, I guess it would make sense to have a gas station next to a garage, but maybe they were confusing it WITH the old Bianchi garage.
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. That building is today Houston's Restaurant.
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. It had (I think) that last operating soda fountain in the area. It was operating in the late 70's for sure. I remember looking out of the drug store and seeing the old Fred Montesi grocery east of there.

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. Second, at least the north edge of that property between Colonial and (old) Perkins was formed by a tall, thick, hedge.

He probably went west to Perkins and then cut across the northeast section of Audubon Park to Cherry between Southern and Park. Before Perkins Extended, the lake, the driving range, and Cancer Survivor's Park, that was literally a big field with some baseball fields scattered about.
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. Can you recommend reading or other reference resources? Lisbeth@epistat.com

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! Mentioned everything but the mummy.
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. Excellent work, Vance.
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 bkourvelas