So ­—You Think You’re a Real Memphian?

You claim you’re a Memphian whenever you travel, whether it’s to the Gulf Coast or the coast of France. Maybe you show them your driver’s license, MLGW bill, or some other form of ID with your Memphis address, and you think that settles it.

Sorry, but that’s not enough. Quite frankly, just living here doesn’t do it. To be a real Memphian — one we might acknowledge as a friend or neighbor — you have to know more about the city than its ZIP Code, or the name of that fellow who lived at Graceland. You need to know what they sold in the “Big Shoe” on Lamar, or where to find Rainbow Lake, or where in the sky the “Sputnik Star” resides. In other words, you have to pass the official Vance Lauderdale Trivia Test.

It shouldn’t be that hard, since all the answers to these tricky questions can be found in recent “Ask Vance” columns published in this magazine. And look, there’s no prize. Isn’t knowing all the answers enough of a reward?

Those answers — and your score — are at the end.

Let’s get started.

1. Lehman C. Sammons was famous for opening this popular Memphis seafood restaurant:

a. Sammons Salmon

b. Lehman’s Lunchbox

c. Red Lobster

d. Pappy’s Lobster Shack

2. What made Pete Gray such a memorable baseball player for the Memphis Chicks?

a. He batted and fielded with only one arm.

b. He used his own hand-carved bat, which he named “Wonderboy.”

c. He coined the phrase, “There’s no crying in baseball.”

d. With a garden hose, he helped extinguish the 1961 Russwood Park fire.

3. In the 1950s, Oakley Ford promoted its new models by:

a. Offering shoppers a free Coca-Cola with every purchase of a new Thunderbird

b. Running the first-ever automobile ads on the internet

c. Skywriting

d. Displaying them in clear-plastic “gift boxes” inside the showroom on Union

4. Hemphill Diesel School trained students to be:

a. Locomotive engineers

b. Diesel engine technicians

c. Stenographers

d. Writers and editors for Memphis Magazine

5. What was the unique appeal of the Victoria Station restaurant?

a. Great Britain’s Queen Victoria attended the grand opening in Memphis.

b. Diners enjoyed their meals in genuine railroad cars.

c. Diners had to wear Victorian clothing to gain admittance.

d. Anyone named Victoria or Victor got a free dessert.

6. Bry’s Department Store sold unusual items not found at other stores downtown, such as:

a. Airplanes

b. Fireworks

c. Oakley Fords

d. Pet clothing, such as booties, sweaters, and knit caps

7. What was the “Wonder Horse”?

a. The name carved into Memphis Chicks slugger Pete Gray’s bat

b. A specialty of the house at Victoria Station

c. The name of the only Kentucky Derby winner from Memphis

d. A children’s toy shaped like a miniature horse, mounted on springs

8. Britling Cafeteria took its name from:

a. Herbert C. Britling, inventor of the plastic trays used in school cafeterias

b. A character in a short story by H.G. Wells

c. The town of Britling, Arkansas, where the chain began

d. The downtown street where it was first located (known today as Lauderdale)

9. “The Man in Black,” Johnny Cash, was one of the most famous students of:

a. Southwestern at Memphis (now Rhodes College)

b. Keegan School of Broadcasting

c. Safety Town USA

d. Bry’s Department Store’s Executive Training Program (he failed it)

10. Part of the entertainment at Shakey’s Pizza Parlor included:

a. The Lichtenstein Quarter-Ring Circus

b. A trained horse who could tell fortunes and count to 10 by clomping a hoof

c. W.C. Fields movies

d. Johnny Cash (Saturdays only)

11. Erected in 1923, the first major hotel outside of downtown was:

a. Clark Tower

b. Goldsmith’s

c. Holiday Inn

d. The Parkview

12. Why was Emma Harbin known as the “Dixie Eagle”?

a. She was the curator for birds of prey for the Memphis Zoo.

b. She was a famous trapeze artist with Ringling Brothers Circus.

c. She was a famous stunt pilot.

d. She lived alone in a rooftop penthouse at the Parkview Hotel.

13. Why did Memphian J.C. Levy call his company “Dial ‘n’ Smile”?

a. If you called the number, you’d hear an amusing story.

b. If you were the fifth caller, you’d win $100.

c. If you called and answered a question correctly, you’d win $10,000.

d. He was lonely and hoped people — anybody, really — would call him, and he’d smile.

14. Why did developers remove the Civic Center Fountain on the Mid-America (now Main Street) Mall?

a. The water stopped when City Hall workers flushed the toilets.

b. It stood in the way of the new trolley system.

c. Pranksters kept filling up the pool with Jell-O.

d. The powerful jet of water hit low-flying planes.

15. The Memphis Steam Laundry building was modeled after:

a. The New York Steam Laundry Building

b. The Parthenon in Nashville (the replica, we mean)

c. The Doge’s Palace in Venice, Italy

d. The Lauderdale Mansion, but without all the neon

16. Why did the WeOna grocery stores have such an unusual name?

a. Weona was the wife of the owner of the first store here.

b. They were individually owned stores, and the name says it: “We Own A” (grocery).

c. Kroger was already taken.

d. It showed up during a Scrabble game, and the owner liked it (but lost the game).

17. If the stories are true, what Memphis Zoo resident once greeted movie and TV audiences?

a. Tony the Tiger

b. The MGM lion

c. Smokey Bear

d. Wile E. Coyote

18. What did Flagg Bros. sell while they were in business in the 1950s and ’60s along Main Street?

a. Musical instruments

b. Shoes

c. Flags, pennants, and banners for all (or most) nations

d. Harley-Davidson motorcycles (Elvis was a customer)

19. What is the name of the bronze sculpture that watches over the Spanish War Memorial on East Parkway?

a. The Doughboy

b. The Hiker

c. The Walker

d. The Rifleman

20. In the mid-1900s, what kind of vehicles did the Economy Coach Company produce?

a. Stagecoaches

b. Ambulances

c. Steam locomotives

d. Wonder Horses

21. What was Bessie Vance Brooks’ major contribution to our city?

a. She was the architect for many of the grand homes that once lined Vance Avenue.

b. She donated the funds to build Brooks Memorial Art Gallery (currently Memphis Brooks Museum of Art).

c. She donated the land for the Cossitt Library.

d. She was the mother-in-law of Vance Lauderdale.

22. Speaking of Vance Lauderdale, what famous author’s mother lived in Memphis for years, and died here while visiting her daughter?

a. William Faulkner

b. Pearl Buck

c. Samuel L. Clemens

d. Ernest Hemingway

23. In the 1930s, why was the home at 705 University promoted as “The House of Happiness”?

a. Calling it “The House of Gloom” didn’t attract buyers.

b. Every modern feature was designed to make its owners happy.

c. It was used as a movie set for a Cary Grant movie of the same name.

d. The architect was Gilbert L. Happiness, AIA.

24. What unusual feature could be found on the roof of the 100 North Main Building?

a. A heliport

b. A merry-go-round

c. A Japanese garden

d. A giant telescope that let visitors see West Memphis

25. Estelle Eggleston became better known in later life as:

a. The designer of the Spanish War Memorial

b. Actress Stella Stevens

c. The inventor of the Wonder Horse

d. The woman who dove off the 100 North Main Building and landed (safely) in the Civic Center Fountain

ANSWERS: 1-d, 2-a, 3-d, 4-b, 5-b, 6-a, 7-d, 8-b, 9-b, 10-c, 11-d, 12-c, 13-a, 14-b, 15-c, 16-b, 17-b, 18-b, 19-b, 20-b, 21-b, 22-d, 23-b, 24-c, 25-b

Well — are you a real Memphian?

20-25 correct: Absolutely. Welcome to the club!

10-20 correct: Well, no. But thanks for playing.

Less than 10 correct: Sad. You were just guessing, weren’t you?

NONE correct: Uh, what magazine have you been reading? Not this one, apparently.

Lehman C. Sammons

PHOTO CREDITS: sammons and britling courtesy University of Memphis libraries; cash COURTESY WIKIPEDIA / public domain

PHOTO CREDITS: bessie vance brooks PAINTING COURTESY MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART.