In our November 2015 issue, I discussed the long history of the Memphis Floral Company. Looking over that column, I noticed that I had also written about a West Memphis plane crash from the 1960s. I like to mix things up a bit.
Anyway, the Memphis Floral Company was a local institution and — if you will just take the time to read the original story — you will see that it changed owners and locations during all the decades it remained in business.
I recently turned up an old bill from the company, dated June 29, 1905, and it's quite interesting (to me) for a number of reasons. First of all, I liked the colorful envelope, and if you really squint you can see the printers acknowledged that the lovely flower image was "borrowed" from a copyrighted photo by Daniel B. Long. I just wanted to point that out.
You'll also note that the bill was mailed to A.L. Davis in Milan, Tennessee, back in the days when street addresses weren't always needed, and long before postal areas or ZIP codes had been established. The postage was only 2 cents.
And you'll also see that, in 1905 at least, the Memphis Floral Company was located at 391 Main Street, yet another location for that business in our city and one that I didn't list in my original article. I can only do so much.
Pull the letter from the envelope, and you'll see that someone from the company (no name is signed — only the initial "H") is writing to the Reverend Davis about floral arrangements for a wedding:
Sir: We can furnish you with a nice bridal bouquet at $3.50 to $5.00. The one for $3.50 can be made of Brides Roses and ferns with a Ribbon tie. The same at $5.00, only larger.
The Memphis Floral Company was clearly reaching out beyond the city limits. Note that at the top, they list a "LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONE" number of 1473.
I wonder whose wedding these flowers were intended for, and what happened to the happy couple? And were ministers in charge of all the floral arrangements and wedding decorations in their churches? Maybe this was for the marriage of the Reverend Davis' daughter. Who can say?
These are the things that I brood about, alone in the mansion most nights.
