DALLAS TIGER 78
1st String
Posts: 1,685
Joined: Jun 2009
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I Root For: OCS
Location: Dallas/Blanco Tx
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RE: Why U of M is different than other universities in basketball
(05-14-2019 05:18 PM)Cletus Wrote: (05-14-2019 09:49 AM)DallasTiger Wrote: (05-12-2019 06:53 PM)k2tigers Wrote: whateves,
you folks know what I mean - it is unique to Memphis in the corridor along Poplar
I lived off Colonial and Poplar, and also worked in the Clark Tower, so I got used to it. I've met many visitors who are not, that's all
The reason I questioned this is that I am somewhat of a fan of the Civil War and most of the important cities in that period were important because of multiple rail lines runnning through those cities. I just thought it would be odd if every city that had a major rail line running through it....had found a way to move those rail lines. So, I went to YouTube just to see if there were other cities and I found this video on Tampa.
https://orchardflower.com/?utm_source=Fa...yl0VjaZeW8
And this one on Kansas City. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SD4Om5gCYTY
And then there is St Louis. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9xvOrU9Uck
My point...freight trains running though a city is not unique to Memphis.
The Memphis & Charleston Railroad was very important in what Memphis eventually became.
It was physically there long before Poplar & Mendenhall became cross streets.
So sorry people have to actually wait for a few minutes.
Quote:.
The Memphis and Charleston Railroad, completed in 1857, was the first railroad in the United States to link the Atlantic Ocean with the Mississippi River. Chartered in 1846, the 311 miles (501 km) 5 ft (1,524 mm) gauge railroad ran from Memphis, Tennessee to Stevenson, Alabama through the towns of Corinth, Mississippi and Huntsville, Alabama. The portion between Memphis and LaGrange, Tennessee was originally to be part of the LaGrange and Memphis Railroad, chartered in 1838. From Stevenson, the road was connected to Chattanooga, Tennessee via the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad. In Alabama, the railroad followed the route of the Tuscumbia, Courtland and Decatur Railroad between Tuscumbia and Decatur, the first railroad to be built west of the Appalachian Mountains.
In many instances, it was the larger cities and towns, with higher populations, that received superior service and rail line access, as well higher quality trains. At the time that this railroad was chartered, Memphis was still a small and rural town, with its only advantage being its connection to the Mississippi River.
The location of the railroad station in Memphis followed the familiar design of placing main railroad hubs and stations as close to the waterfront as possible for the convenience of shipping goods and transporting passengers. The steam boats brought people and freight up from the most southern point in New Orleans, and then the Memphis and Charleston Railroad was able to move them laterally, eventually connecting the Mississippi River with the port of Charleston.
The southerners thought that the “iron horse” would enrich the farmers and well-being of everyone between Charleston and Memphis. In 1852, the local Memphis paper advertised that they needed to hire 50 “able-bodied Negros” every month in order to compete the rail line. By 1853, forty miles were in operation, and the city of Memphis felt the zeitgeist of the railroads production which opened their eyes to greater railroad ventures.
One way in which the railroad connected the entire state of Tennessee was the state law that required railroads “provide, at or near every town containing as many as three hundred inhabitance, a waiting room for the use and accommodations of passengers.” Memphis, being on the western most border of the state, helped to provide rail access to the very small cities and towns located all along the southern border of the state.
In May 1857, more than 30,000 southerners gathered to celebrate the completion of the first railroad connecting the Atlantic Coast to Memphis, and to witness its first full journey which would lead to prosperity. When the passengers arrived late at night, they were greeted by music and ceremonies, marking an important milestone for the railroad industry. This celebration was called “The Marriage of the Waters.” Water was brought from the Atlantic Ocean and was then poured into the Mississippi River as a symbol of completion. President of the Railroad, Samuel Tate, was praised for his grand accomplishment as many investors felt assured that their money was safe.
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Thanks for the history, great story.
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