We know you read Memphis Magazine; after all, you’re looking at it right now. But how much of it do you actually remember? After consulting with a half-dozen national survey companies, we developed this multiple-choice questionnaire to test your knowledge of our magazine — and our city. And to make it relatively easy, all of the answers can be found in “Ask Vance” columns I wrote in the past year or so. For that matter, to make it completely easy, if you just can’t make the effort to remember, we’ve even provided the answers at the end.
Now look, before you get too excited, let me warn you there is no prize, so don’t race through it hoping to be awarded an ice-cream sandwich, or some Dinstuhl’s chocolate, for the most correct answers. This is purely for scientific purposes only. But an ice-cream sandwich would taste pretty good right now, wouldn’t it? Mmmmm. So would some Dinstuhl’s chocolate, come to think of it. I believe I’ll enjoy both while you get to work.
1. Rhodes College dedicated a memorial tower (above) to author Richard Halliburton in 1961. Where did Halliburton attend school?
a. Sea Isle Elementary
b. Princeton University
c. Rhodes College, of course
d. Keegan School of Broadcasting
2. Now that you mention it, where is Richard Halliburton buried?
a. Outside the Memorial Tower at Rhodes College
b. Princeton Memorial Gardens, New Jersey
c. Elmwood Cemetery
d. He’s not buried ... anywhere.
photograph by steve davis
3. What happened to Abraham’s Deli (right), a downtown institution?
a. It was sold to the Jimmy John’s chain.
b. The historic structure was moved inside the Children’s Museum of Memphis.
c. It collapsed in 1991.
d. It was demolished to make way for Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid.
4. Who was Max Sandler?
a. Owner of a match-making (dating) service in Parkway Village
b. The night watchman at Abraham’s Deli
c. Owner of a watch and jewelry shop downtown
d. The famous one-armed player for the Memphis Chicks
5. Years ago, what would Memphians have purchased at Perel & Lowenstein’s?
a. The latest model Ford cars
b. Used Chevrolet trucks
c. Jewelry and accessories
d. Sandwiches and other tasty deli items
6. What was the Sun Country Special?
a. A coast-to-coast passenger train that often stopped at Union Station
b. The specialty of the house at Abraham’s Deli
c. The top-selling beer at Boscos Squared
d. A DC-3 passenger plane that crashed into the Mississippi River
7. What did customers find who visited The Peddler in Whitehaven?
a. Bicycles and biking accessories
b. Men’s shoes
c. Ladies’ shoes
d. Steaks and other fare
8. What was the “Wish Book”?
a. A book at Goldsmith’s where children listed what they wanted for Christmas
b. A list at City Hall where Memphians wrote down problems they were having with potholes, power lines, and other civic issues
c. The Sears mail-order catalog
d. The title of Richard Halliburton’s first best-selling novel
9. Al’s Golfdom opened on South Perkins in 1960. What was the name of his second location, which opened a few years later?
a. Al’s Golfdom #2
b. Al’s Golf-a-Rama
c. Al’s Golfhaven
d. Putt-Putt
10. What made the Embers Restaurant atop White Station Tower unique?
a. It rotated once an hour or so
b. From the top, diners could see Nashville on a clear day.
c. It had the city’s first heliport on the roof.
d. Diners walked across hot coals to reach their tables.
11. The E.H. Crump Collection fills 227 boxes where?
a. The E.H. Crump Museum inside The Peabody
b. Crump Stadium
c. The Memphis and Shelby County Room at the main library
d. The Lauderdale Mansion
12. What did artist Susan Bailey do when she moved here in the early 1990s?
a. Painted the eye-catching murals at Al’s Golfdom
b. Tried 12 times to get a Tennessee driver’s license (finally passed on the 13th!)
c. Changed her name to Memphis T. Mississippi
d. Changed her name to Germantown M. Tennessee
photograph courtesy patricia toarmina / spain family
13. Who was Joanne Spain (right), sometimes known as Joanne Touchstone)?
a. A semi-professional golfer
b. A singer with several hit records
c. A Memphis public school teacher
d. All of the above
14. What Memphis landmark will celebrate its 100th birthday in 2027?
a. The Lauderdale Mansion
b. Clark Tower
c. Lauderdale Mansion
d. Crosstown Concourse
photograph of the barzizza family
15. In the 1930s, Barzizza Bros. (the “International Bazaar”) sold a 1,000-pound block of ... what?
a. Compressed olives
b. Toblerone chocolate
c. Cheddar cheese
d. Licorice
16. For almost 30 years, Owen’s Florist remained in business on one of our city’s busiest streets. Today, that prominent location is home to:
a. Memphis Dermatology Clinic
b. Clark Tower
c. Memphis Magazine and the Memphis Flyer
d. St. Francis Hospital
17. The Children’s Museum of Memphis occupies a complex of buildings that were formerly home to:
a. Barzizza Bros.
b. Sears Crosstown
c. Tennessee National Guard
d. Tennessee Children’s Home
18. Where was the Memphis Conservatory of Music?
a. Ellis Auditorium’s North Hall
b. The former Porter Mansion on Vance
c. Memphis State College
d. Overton Park Shell
19. In 1960, city leaders unveiled an impressive statue on Beale Street to celebrate the musical accomplishments of:
a. Elvis Presley
b. B.B. King
c. W.C. Handy
d. Johnny Cash
20. In the 1950s, which Memphis company presented its newest offerings as if they were wrapped in clear plastic gift boxes?
a. Al’s Golf-a-Rama
b. Levy’s Ladies Toggery
c. Owen’s Florist
d. Oakley Ford
21. In the 1970s, Vieux Chalet (right) on Summer was a very popular:
a. Fine-dining restaurant
b. Boys’ and girls’ clothing store
c. Dance hall, with Wink Martindale as the DJ
d. Antique mall
22. What is the actual name of the bronze sculpture that looks over the Spanish War Memorial Park at Central and East Parkway?
a. The Hiker
b. The Unknown Soldier
c. The Rifleman
d. Tennessee Ted
23. In the early days of Overton Square, the fancy restaurant named Palm Court opened in a space that had originally housed:
a. An art gallery
b. An ice-skating rink
c. A Studebaker showroom
d. Shakey’s Pizza Parlor
24. In the 1950s and 1960s, what did Flagg Bros. sell in their store on Main Street?
a. Flags of all nations
b. Cheese from many countries
c. A nice selection of bicycles
d. Shoes
25. And finally, what building in Memphis has the name “Evergreen Peak” carved in stone above the entrance?
a. The women’s clothing store that was originally called Helen of Memphis
b. Outdoors, Inc.
c. A private residence on North Parkway
d. The Hotel Parkview
ANSWERS:
1–b, 2–d, 3–c, 4–c, 5–c, 6–d, 7–d, 8–c, 9–c, 10–a, 11–c, 12–c, 13–d,
14–d, 15–c, 16–a, 17–c, 18–b, 19–c, 20–d, 21–a, 22–a, 23–b, 24–d, 25–c
Remember, everyone is a winner. And if you enjoy these “mysteries of history,” visit memphismagazine.com/ask-vance, or better yet, subscribe: memphismagazine.com/subscriptions.
