A Walking Tour with Mr. Memphis

Summary

99% Invisible: Episode Summary – "A Walking Tour with Mr. Memphis"

Release Date: April 4, 2025

Hosts: Roman Mars & Chris Perube
Guest: Jimmy Ogle – Shelby County Historian

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Introduction

In this bonus episode of 99% Invisible, host Roman Mars teams up with producer Chris Perube to delve deeper into the enigmatic Memphis Pyramid and the rich history of Memphis, Tennessee. Building upon their previous exploration of the Pyramid, the episode introduces Jimmy Ogle, a seasoned historian whose extensive knowledge of Memphis serves as the backbone for their immersive walking tour.

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Meeting Jimmy Ogle

[01:51] Chris Perube:
“So, listeners in Memphis, if you got a pizza delivered by Roman Mars and you want your money back now, you know where to reach us.”

Chris introduces Jimmy Ogle, whose impressive resume includes roles such as historian for Shelby County, manager of various public attractions, and even the unique position of Duck Master at the Peabody Hotel.

[02:42] Jimmy Ogle:
“I got about 150 hours in my head I gotta talk real fast and tell you about. So we're gonna touch on some of them.” 
“There’s no city in the world that the story of American history better than Memphis, Tennessee.”

Jimmy underscores Memphis as a pivotal locale in American history, setting the stage for their extensive tour.

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Exploring Memphis' Manhole Covers

[06:05] Chris Perube:
"So, Roman, I want to start with some kind of hardcore 99pi stuff. So when Jimmy was county historian, he used to give a ton of walking tours, as I said, including a tour of Memphis manhole covers."
[06:17] Roman Mars:
"Oh, my God. It's like a dream come true for me."

The tour begins with an exploration of Memphis' diverse manhole covers, each unique in design and purpose.

[06:52] Jimmy Ogle:
"Cumberland Telephone and Telegraph. Western Union Telephone Company. Memphis Telephone Company. Why would you have three different telephone companies within 20ft of each other? Why?" 
[07:51] Jimmy Ogle:
"The early years, you had independent operators. So if you got a telephone at the turn of the century, in the 1920s, you had to pick one of three exchanges, and you could only talk to the person on your exchange."

Jimmy elucidates the historical significance of these manhole covers, highlighting the fragmented telecommunications landscape of early 20th-century Memphis.

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The Unique Intersection of King and King

[09:03] Jimmy Ogle:
"It’s the only King and King intersection in the country. You go look that up, too." 
[09:12] Roman Mars:
"Yes, I think I do know what this is. This is the intersection of Martin Luther King and B.B. King Boulevard."

The tour pauses at the uniquely named intersection of King and King, a tribute to both civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and legendary musician B.B. King. This intersection serves as a symbolic convergence of Memphis' rich cultural and historical narratives.

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November 6th, 1934 Street: A Singular Tribute

[09:32] Jimmy Ogle:
"I cannot find anybody in 15 years to tell me different. You might be the one. This might be your golden moment here. It is the only street in America named after a month, a day, and a year." 
[10:02] Roman Mars:
"So the street is literally named November 6th, 1934 Street."

Jimmy introduces a particularly unique street name in Memphis, commemorating the city's decision to join the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) on November 6, 1934. Despite local signage simplifying the name to "November 6th Street," its full designation remains a distinctive homage to a pivotal moment in Memphis' infrastructural development.

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Beale Street: From Renaming to Cultural Landmark

[14:09] Roman Mars:
"City of Memphis, I'm gonna say That's Beale Street." 
[14:12] Chris Perube:
"That is. I would wager that it's Beale Street."

Beale Street, arguably Memphis' most famous thoroughfare, serves as the next highlight of the tour. Known for its vibrant blues bars and historical markers, the street's naming history reveals local resistance to administrative changes.

[15:37] Chris Perube:
"He (Danny Thomas) actually wrote a song called Bring Back My Beale Street and he made 2,000 copies and he sent it to members of the city council."
[16:08] Chris Perube:
"Eventually they cave in and they agree to rename it Beale Street."

The story of radio star Danny Thomas campaigning to restore the original name underscores the community's deep connection to Beale Street's identity.

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University of Memphis and Egyptology

[16:44] Chris Perube:
"They actually have one of the few university programs in America that studies Egyptology." 
[17:00] Roman Mars:
"Well that makes sense because this is the city that's named for the capital of ancient Egypt."

The tour transitions to the University of Memphis, home to a unique Egyptology program. A notable feature is the 25-foot fiberglass statue of Pharaoh Ramesses II, originally displayed at the Memphis Pyramid and now leased to the university.

[17:33] Jimmy Ogle:
"It looks like the real deal. I mean, that's Ramsay standing there in a majestic mood." 
[17:58] Roman Mars:
"It was actually fiberglass."

This section highlights the blend of historical homage and innovative material use in public art.

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Mud Island and Its Evolution

[18:47] Chris Perube:
"It has this public park, right. It has this amphitheater." 
[19:48] Jimmy Ogle:
"There’s this old River Museum dedicated to the city of Memphis. It closed due to low attendance in 2018."

Mud Island, a peninsula on the Mississippi River, features attractions like an amphitheater and a scale model of the river. The area's decline and subsequent redevelopment efforts reflect Memphis' adaptive reuse ethos.

[21:19] Kathryn Hicks:
"Think of the Millennium Falcon ride in Star Wars, but more observation deck style."

Plans for revitalizing the old River Museum space involve transforming it into an immersive experience blending art, design, and interactive media.

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Adaptive Reuse: Breathing New Life into Old Spaces

[21:40] Chris Perube:
"There’s this old Sears Warehouse, which has become this massive community center. There’s lots of old office buildings downtown that have been converted into housing." 
[22:04] Chris Perube:
"...they are reusing a lot of the features in the space, which of course includes these two full-size boats from when it was the River Museum."

The episode underscores Memphis' commitment to adaptive reuse, repurposing historical structures to meet contemporary needs while preserving cultural heritage.

[23:56] Jimmy Ogle:
"And after you get over the tears, you start telling stories about each other and it turns into a giggle fest at a funeral, you know, a celebration."

Jimmy reflects on the emotional aspect of urban change, likening the transformation of buildings to the lifecycle of friendships—each ending preserving memories while embracing new beginnings.

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Conclusion

The episode wraps up with a heartfelt appreciation of Memphis' dynamic landscape, where history and modernity intertwine seamlessly. Both hosts express gratitude towards Jimmy Ogle for his invaluable insights, highlighting the city's ongoing narrative of preservation and innovation.

[24:18] Roman Mars:
"I think it's a great reminder for all of us about all kinds of things."
[24:37] Roman Mars:
"Thank you." 
[24:40] Chris Perube:
"Thanks, Roman."

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Key Takeaways

• Historical Layers: Memphis is a city where every street, building, and manhole cover tells a story, reflecting its pivotal role in telecommunications, civil rights, and cultural development.

• Unique Naming Conventions: Streets like "November 6th, 1934 Street" and the intersection of "King and King" highlight Memphis' distinctive approach to commemorating significant events and figures.

• Adaptive Reuse: The city's commitment to repurposing historical structures fosters a vibrant community that honors its past while embracing future possibilities.

• Community Engagement: Figures like Jimmy Ogle exemplify the passionate individuals dedicated to preserving Memphis' rich heritage, ensuring that history remains an integral part of the city's present and future.

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Notable Quotes

• Jimmy Ogle on Memphis' History:
  “There’s no city in the world that the story of American history better than Memphis, Tennessee.” ([05:29])

• About the Unique Street Name:
  “It is the only street in America named after a month, a day, and a year.” ([09:32])

• On Adaptive Reuse and Change:
  “It’s like when you have an old friend who passes away... it turns into a giggle fest at a funeral, you know, a celebration.” ([23:56])

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This episode of 99% Invisible offers an enchanting journey through Memphis' architectural and cultural landmarks, guided by the unparalleled expertise of Jimmy Ogle. For those intrigued by the hidden narratives of urban design and history, "A Walking Tour with Mr. Memphis" is a compelling exploration of how places shape and are shaped by their people.

Transcript

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[Roman Mars]

This is 99% invisible. I'm Roman Mars and I'm here with producer Chris Perube. Hey, Chris.

[Chris Perube]

Hey, Roman. How's it going?

[Roman Mars]

I'm doing good. So earlier this week, we heard your story about the Memphis pyramid, which is maybe the strangest building in America. And it just got stranger and stranger the more we talked about it. But now you have this bonus episode for us.

[Chris Perube]

Yes, I have to justify the cost of staying in the Pyramid Hotel for three days. So I've created some extra material here. But before we start, okay, for folks listening, if you haven't heard the Memphis pyramid episode, do that first, okay? This episode will only make sense if you've heard both. I mean, there's a couple of references that are pretty specific, so I'd say go back and listen to that. But before we get into it, Roman, you actually know Memphis really well, right? Like, what is your connection to Memphis?

[Roman Mars]

Yeah, my, my mom's family is from Memphis, and so I was sort of on and off growing up there. We lived in a different state most of the time, but I was there for summers and holidays and, and then in my 20s, I lived there for a stretch delivering pizzas in Midtown. And, and so I know Memphis very well.

[Chris Perube]

So, listeners in Memphis, if you got a pizza delivered by Roman Mars and you want your money back now, you know where to reach us. Yeah. So, Roman, for my time in Memphis, I spent a lot of time in the pyramid. As we discussed, there was a whole day there where I didn't see sunlight. But I also spent a lot of time with a guy named Jimmy Ogle. Now, do you remember Jimmy from the pyramid episode?

[Roman Mars]

Oh, yes, he was perfect. Perfect Tennessee accent.

[Chris Perube]

Yes. He's our historian. Right. Like we talked to him, he used to be the historian for Shelby county, an instant fan favorite in my opinion. And when I was Working on this story. Like, a lot of people said to me, like, you have to talk to Jimmy. He knows everything about the history of Memphis because, of course, he was a historian, but also he has, like, maybe the most eventful resume I have ever seen. Like, here's just what he said when I asked him to introduce himself for the episode.

[Jimmy Ogle]

Well, hi, I'm Jimmy Ogle, and I had the privilege of working in Downtown Memphis for 40 years in various public attractions like Mud island and the Mississippi River Museum. Ran the Memphis Queenline River Company, five passenger vessels. Beale street. The operations of Beale Street. The Memphis Rock and Solar Smithsonian Museum about the history of Memphis music. The Beale Street Landing project Landing the big riverboats. I was a Shelby county historian. I gave walking tours up and down the sidewalks and PowerPoint presentations every day of the year, it seemed like. And my final job, I was duck master at the Peabody Hotel and a clock operator at the FedEx forum for the basketball game. So I had a lot of neat things I got to do and great experience. I'm the luckiest memphian ever to live.

[Roman Mars]

Oh, my goodness.

[Chris Perube]

That's a lot, right? Usually when we do those, it's like, could you introduce yourself? It's like, I'm such and such. And I'm a professor. That's it. But what a life. My gosh.

[Roman Mars]

Yeah, I probably understood more of those than the average person understood. Those little jobs that he took. But let's talk about a few of them. He says he was the clock operator for the NBA team.

[Chris Perube]

That's right. Yeah. He ran the score clock for the Memphis Grizzlies. So he did that in the pyramid. And then he also did that once they moved to the FedEx forum.

[Roman Mars]

Yeah. And he ran Beale Street. I'm not sure what running Beale street means.

[Chris Perube]

Yes, he was, like, the administrator of Beale Street. He was in charge of stuff, because there's lots of stuff. If you don't know Beale street, it's the big tourist street in Memphis. There's lots of blues bars, things like that. But there's also. It has a bunch of historical markers. It has kind of their version of the Walk of Fame. Yeah. So he was in charge of all of that for a while.

[Roman Mars]

That's awesome. But my favorite one that you might have missed if you do not know this history is that he was the duck master at the Peabody. So this I have seen in action many. Many. I went to, like, a prom at the Peabody. When I go to Memphis, I like to stay in the Peabody Hotel. It's an older hotel. It has a kind of like charm and majesty of it. You can have afternoon tea there. But the thing about the Peabody Hotel is they have ducks that live on the roof. And every day the ducks do this walk down to the fountain in the lobby.

[Chris Perube]

Yes.

[Roman Mars]

And then at the end of the day, they're walked back up with a. A person in like, you know, a fancy kind of like coat and tails. And that's just amazing that Jimmy did that. That's just like. That is a one of a kind job.

[Chris Perube]

Yeah. I mean, it is considered, like a high honor to be the duck master. Yeah.

[Roman Mars]

I mean, it sounds like Jimmy has had every cool and interesting job there is in Memphis.

[Chris Perube]

Oh, my gosh. No, it's amazing. And he is a true repository for, like, all information about the history of Memphis.

[Jimmy Ogle]

I got about 150 hours in my head I gotta talk real fast and tell you about. So we're gonna touch on some of them. But it's. There's no city in the world that the story of American history better than Memphis, Tennessee.

[Chris Perube]

So I reached out to Jimmy. We did the interview. We actually did the interview in my hotel room inside the pyramid. And afterwards he was like, you know, what are you doing with the rest of your Wednesday? Like, can I give you a tour? Like, he used to give these walking tours and he offered to drive me around and I got about 10 hours of audio. Like, he kind of took me everywhere. So, Roman, today I am here to present you with the highlights from my tour of Memphis by Jimmy Ogle. I picked out some of the 99 PI friendly greatest hits. Are you ready?

[Roman Mars]

I am so ready. This is amazing. Thank you so much for doing this. Okay, let's do it.

[Chris Perube]

So, Roman, I want to start with some kind of hardcore 99pi stuff. So when Jimmy was county historian, he used to give a ton of walking tours, as I said, including a tour of Memphis manhole covers.

[Roman Mars]

Oh, my God. It's like a dream come true for me. Okay, so. Yeah, let's hear it.

[Chris Perube]

So at one point we decided to stop and just, like, look at some manhole covers.

[Jimmy Ogle]

One of the 157 different kinds of manhole covers in downtown Memphis out of 2,000, by the way. Three different shapes, round, square, and rectangular. Seven different usages. Light, gas, water, telephone, traffic signal, storm drain, and communications.

[Roman Mars]

I love this, man.

[Chris Perube]

I thought you might. So we're walking around and we stop at this one particular cover that Jimmy really wanted to show me.

[Jimmy Ogle]

So here, Here's a man. A very ornate old manhole cover over 100 years old.

[Chris Perube]

Something Jimmy pointed out to me is how in Memphis, the manhole covers all look different, obviously. And even on the same block, you'll see a bunch of manhole covers that have completely different branding.

[Jimmy Ogle]

Cumberland Telephone and Telegraph. Okay, yeah, here is Western Union Telephone Company. Of course, you can't see it with the audio. Here you come way over here, about, what, 10 paces away, you have Memphis Telephone Company. Why would you have three different telephone companies, manhole covers within 20ft of each other? Why?

[Roman Mars]

That's a very good question. Why do they have that?

[Chris Perube]

So it turns out these covers, they were for different local telecoms from about a century ago. And back then, if you signed up for a telecom company, you were only signing up for one service, and you could only call other people who had the same telecom. So they all basically just had their own infrastructure. And that's what these manhole covers represent.

[Jimmy Ogle]

The early years, you had independent operators. So if you got a telephone at the turn of the century, in the 1920s, you had to pick one of three exchanges, and you could only talk to the person on your exchange. So if your friends had Western Union, but you had Cumberland, you couldn't talk to them, or you'd have to have two different phone sets or three to talk to all your friends.

[Chris Perube]

So, of course, after the 20s, consolidation starts to happen. The system becomes more regulated. And if you're in Memphis, you may still notice these manhole covers. They are the last vestige of the great Memphis telecom wars. So obviously, Memphis has a lot of history. Roman, you would know that coming from Memphis, that everywhere you go, you can't really avoid it.

[Roman Mars]

Yeah, A lot of it around music, a lot of it around civil rights. It's really like a place that's rich in history, you know, both very good and very sad.

[Chris Perube]

Absolutely. Like the MLK assassination happened in Memphis. Right. And you have a lot there commemorating that, but lots of joyful things as well. Like Aretha Franklin's birthplace is in Memphis, for example. And the city really plays up the historical element with the street names. So there was a moment in the tour, so Jimmy's driving around, he pulls over and he says, look, we gotta see this intersection.

[Jimmy Ogle]

And look, if we go up in here real quick and you jump out of the car, we're gonna let you take a picture at the intersection of King and King.

[Chris Perube]

Roman, do you know what this is? The intersection of King and King?

[Roman Mars]

Yes, I think I do know what this is. This is the intersection of Martin Luther King and B.B. king Boulevard.

[Chris Perube]

I Believe that is exactly correct. And this is right downtown. And the two of them intersect. Like, it's a place where you actually see a lot of people pulling over to take a photo with the two street signs because they have basically the same name. It's King and King.

[Jimmy Ogle]

It's the only King and King intersection in the country. You go look that up, too.

[Chris Perube]

A couple blocks away from this, there's actually another street, which I am convinced actually is totally unique in the United States in terms of naming. So it involves your beloved Tennessee Valley authority.

[Jimmy Ogle]

So on November 6, 1934, we voted to join TVA Power State, took this alley called Maiden Lane and made it November 6th, 1934th Street.

[Chris Perube]

Yeah.

[Jimmy Ogle]

And right now, you only see November 6th on it. You'll see 1934.

[Roman Mars]

So the street is literally named November 6th, 1934 Street.

[Chris Perube]

November 6th, 1934 Street. Now, this is somewhat complicated by the fact that all the street signs there now just say November 6th Street. Apparently, the city, to uncomplicate things, they published all these signs that say November 6th Street. It's a smaller sign. It's easier to read on maps. But Jimmy insists it is still officially called November 6, 1934 Street. And he showed me all these photos of him with the old signs, which used to say the whole day, month, year on it. And if it is still November 6, 1934 street, then that would make it a very unique street name in America.

[Roman Mars]

Wow, that is amazing. I mean. I mean, this is back when the Tennessee Valley Authority was really rocking and great. So this is a good moment to commemorate.

[Chris Perube]

And of course, our show needs to continue our recent streak of TVA content. If you've been listening. But Jimmy noted something that just totally hadn't occurred to me. And this might be the only street that is like this in America.

[Jimmy Ogle]

I cannot find anybody in 15 years to tell me different. You might be the one. This might be your golden moment here. It is the only street in America named after a month, a day, and a year.

[Chris Perube]

I'm going to look into this because I want to know as well.

[Jimmy Ogle]

Well, There is no July 4, 1776 street in Boston or Philadelphia. There's no July 20 street. 1969, when we landed on the moon, when Memphis voted to join TVA Power. And there's got to be some other dates in some other cities.

[Chris Perube]

Now, I looked into this as well, and I couldn't find anything. I called a bunch of people. No success. So, 99pi listeners, if you know a street close to you that is named after a day, a month and a year. Help us out. It'd be valuable for me. It'd be valuable for Jimmy Ogle as well. He would love to know if Memphis has the only street of its kind in America.

[Roman Mars]

We would love to know we have more Memphis history after this.

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[Roman Mars]

Everybody, it's Roman Mars. If you're a fan of our show, then I have a podcast recommendation for you. And if you're a longtime regular listener, I know that you're already familiar with it because we've featured it a couple of times. That's how much I love it. It's called Cautionary Tales, hosted by Financial Times columnist Tim Harford. Tim mines stories of historic human error and catastrophes for their most valuable lessons. This season has a fascinating three part series on magician Harry Houdini. Houdini is known as the world's greatest illusionist, famous for escaping from handcuffs and straight jackets. But despite making a career from magic, he was staunchly opposed to spiritualism. You'll hear about how a seance in Atlantic City eventually led him to lobby the government to enact a law banning mediums and fortune tellers. I love the way Tim thinks and writes and selects his stories. It's everything a podcast should be. Check out Cautionary Tales wherever you get your podcasts.

[Chris Perube]

So okay, speaking of streets in Memphis, Roman, Jimmy and I were out. We were walking in Memphis and we came to the most famous street in the city. What is that? For people who do not know the.

[Roman Mars]

City of Memphis, I'm gonna say That's Beale Street.

[Chris Perube]

That is. I would wager that it's Beale Street. Yes. So very touristy stretch. They have the equivalent of the Walk of fame with the notes. They have music notes that commemorate people over there. And part of why we stopped there is actually because Jimmy just wanted to make sure the local historical markers were in good shape. So we were walking around and then he just started fixing them. And we ran into the guy who currently runs Beale street and he's like, oh, yeah, go ahead, just fix some stuff. Oh, wait, you actually brought it. He brought an Allen key. In the meantime, after you tighten this up, what do you think? After this, it's some point.

[Jimmy Ogle]

I go through and see a lot of them.

[Chris Perube]

They're just working their self lose. So at some point our trip just became free labor by Jimmy. Anyway, Beale street, one of the most famous streets in America, I would argue. And did you know it was actually renamed in the 1960s?

[Roman Mars]

I did not know that, no. What happened?

[Chris Perube]

So it had been called Beale street, But in the 50s, the city decided to change the naming conventions for all of the city streets. So everything running east west would become an avenue and everything running north south would become a street. So it became Beale Avenue because Beale was running east west. And it stayed that way for a while until a local celebrity got word about this. So a famous radio star named Danny Thomas, he was very famous at the time from Memphis and Roman, can you imagine how Danny Thomas, this longtime Memphian, might have felt about this change?

[Roman Mars]

I can imagine somebody just taking great umbrage to changing the name of Beale Street.

[Chris Perube]

Oh, yeah, he was absolutely furious about this. So he actually wrote a song called Bring Back My Beale street and he made 2,000 copies and he sent it to members of the city council. So I'm going to play a bit of the song. The song is very spiteful. It's like, Mike, Beale street, what have you done?

[Roman Mars]

Sweet Beale street.

[Jimmy Ogle]

What have they done to you? I fell asleep.

[Chris Perube]

So the song comes out and you can just imagine all the pressure this is putting on local politicians. So eventually they cave in and they agree to rename it Beale Street.

[Roman Mars]

Well, there you go. Political action work.

[Jimmy Ogle]

Take back your Ava noo.

[Chris Perube]

So, Roman, after our trip to Beale street, we went over to the University of Memphis, which you may remember has the basketball team, the famous.

[Roman Mars]

Yeah, sure, the Fighting Tigers.

[Chris Perube]

Just the Tigers. But yeah, they were fighting. I guess they were fighting pretty hard in the 90s with Penny Hardaway. So there's another very distinct feature of the university that Jimmy Wanted to show me they actually have one of the few university programs in America that studies Egyptology.

[Roman Mars]

Yeah, well that makes sense because this is the city that's named for the capital of ancient Egypt.

[Chris Perube]

That's right. And outside the department there, there is a 25 foot statue of the Pharaoh Ramesses II. And actually it's a perfect replica of a statue that existed in Egypt. Now Roman, if you're going to build a replica statue of this, like, what material would you use to make something this big and imposing?

[Roman Mars]

I would imagine it's a concrete statue. A reinforced concrete statue.

[Chris Perube]

Yeah, that's what I thought too. It's a great guess. And from a distance that's really what it looks like. But Jimmy took me up real close.

[Jimmy Ogle]

It looks like the real deal. I mean, that's Ramsay standing there in a majestic mood. He wasn't attacking anybody. He was just standing guard over Egypt. You know, look at the hands and look at that face. He's just gladly standing there. This, you know, this. Hear that? That's hollow.

[Chris Perube]

So Roman, it's a very convincing dupe. But the statue is actually fiberglass.

[Roman Mars]

Did you not know it until you knocked on it?

[Chris Perube]

No, I thought it might be concrete or stone or something. It was very convincing. And it's funny because the statue actually wasn't constructed for the university. That's not where it lived for the longest time. It was actually in front of the Memphis Pyramid originally and it was displayed in front of there when it was a basketball arena. And it stood there until 2012. And after that, you know, Bass Pro moved in and they decided, okay, we're going to move the statue. City council had a vote and they decided to send the statue to the university. So now the University of Memphis rents the statue. They have this 99 year lease with the city where they pay $1 a year to rent the Ramesses statue and they keep it in front of their department.

[Roman Mars]

That's a pretty good deal. I would now would pay for that. But just another pyramid connection with the rest of the city.

[Chris Perube]

I know. It's just everywhere you go in this town they have Egyptomania. Still love it. So Roman, our biggest visit of the day, this was to a part of town called Mud Island. Did you ever go to Mud Island?

[Roman Mars]

I have gone to Mud Island. I know exactly what that is, but it is hard to explain. So why don't you describe Mud Island? And you took the tram over, I.

[Chris Perube]

Take it We've got to talk about the tram actually. So here's the thing with Mud Island. You know, Mud island, it's actually a misnomer. It's actually a peninsula, technically, on the Mississippi River. And for a long time, Jimmy was the manager at Mud island, so he was in charge of all the attractions that were there. It has this public park, right. It has this amphitheater. But Roman, unfortunately, a lot of the stuff there today is abandoned.

[Jimmy Ogle]

So 5,000 people would come out. This walkway here. Yeah, Turnstiles. The permanent seating was 4400. There was bleachers on this top level. I had the concession stands built outside the walls.

[Chris Perube]

So they have this amphitheater. It hasn't been used for concerts in a couple years now. And the island has this scale model of the Mississippi River. And Roman, do you remember this? You could sort of walk along it and follow the path of the Mississippi. It's totally worth checking out. I saw it. It's still there. And of course, Mud island has the River Museum, which was this museum dedicated to the city of Memphis. And Roman, I knew about this before I came to Memphis. I think you can guess why, because it's from a movie that you have probably seen as someone who is from Memphis.

[Roman Mars]

Oh, you mean the Firm.

[Chris Perube]

Yes, it's the Firm.

[Roman Mars]

Yeah, yeah, I know. He's chased around downtown Memphis. So does it pass by here?

[Chris Perube]

They do. So basically, there's this scene in the Firm where Tom Cruise, you know, he's this big shot Memphis lawyer. He's being chased around by goons, and they chase him to Mud island on this monorail that's running over to the island.

[Roman Mars]

Right, right.

[Chris Perube]

So he's being chased around this famous museum, the Memphis River Museum. But unfortunately, the Memphis River Museum actually closed because of low attendance in 2018, and they also stopped running the monorail. So now the monorail's just sitting there. It's next to this unused building that has more than 30,000 square feet of space.

[Roman Mars]

But do they have any plans to do anything with it?

[Chris Perube]

Well, it's funny because, remember we talked about the pyramid as this case of adaptive reuse, Right? Like it was an arena and then it became a Bass Pro. Right. And throughout Memphis, there are a lot of cool projects like this. I'm noticing a lot of good adaptive reuse that's been happening. So there's this old Sears Warehouse, which has become this massive community center. There's lots of old office buildings downtown that have been converted into housing.

[Jimmy Ogle]

And.

[Chris Perube]

And with the River Museum, there are people recently who've moved in and are starting to clean it up.

[Discover Representative]

Drywall's been replaced. The Walls have been painted, but there's still a lot of junk.

[Chris Perube]

So that's Marvin Stockwell. He's leading the redevelopment project of the old River Museum.

[Discover Representative]

We've been given access to an immersive by design museum space that snakes back in on itself. 33,000 square feet. And there are two full size boats in there. So we were given a space that, like, if you're a commercial developer, you're.

[Chris Perube]

Like, what the hell are we doing? What do I do with this space?

[Discover Representative]

But you turn it over to artists and they're like, I'll tell you what we're gonna do with it, right?

[Chris Perube]

So today Marvin's working with artists and designers and video game developers and they're turning it into this immersive experience. Like there's gonna be big video screens and like a sci fi plot and kind of this D and D like game you can play. So Kathryn Hicks, she's one of the developers on the project and here's how she described it to me. Think of the Millennium Falcon ride in Star wars, but more observation deck style. So the look and feel will kind of be like this very SteamPunky, very like 20,000 Leagues under the Sea.

[Roman Mars]

I mean, that's amazing. It sounds incredibly ambitious.

[Chris Perube]

It is. And I mean, there's a huge renovation happening in the space right now. And for this project, to keep the costs affordable, they are reusing a lot of the features in the space, which of course includes these two full size boats from when it was the River Museum. Okay, here we go. Here we go. Give me a. I know I'm a serious reporter, Roman, but I was not above ringing the bell and feeling delight at ringing the bell. But it's really interesting. It's another reminder that I saw all over Memphis and that I really felt in the pyramid that the life of buildings is long. Right. And we never know what's going to end up in a particular space.

[Roman Mars]

I find it delightful in terms of adaptive reuse. It seems like an incredibly big change. Did Jimmy, our historian, you know, feel like the loss of something or just kind of excitement about what was happening?

[Chris Perube]

He's actually the one who brought me here, so he was enthusiastic that something was moving in. Right. And I feel like he had this really good attitude about how spaces change and how cities change. I mean, how do you feel seeing, like knowing what it was and seeing what it's become? Like I go over that.

[Jimmy Ogle]

I mean, you know, like when you have an old friend who passes away, you're sad for the passing, but it was a Good, long life.

[Chris Perube]

Yeah.

[Jimmy Ogle]

And after you get over the tears, you start telling stories about each other and it turns into a giggle fest at a funeral, you know, a celebration.

[Chris Perube]

So, you know, to celebrate the 40 years that it was there. I feel like this is an attitude that sometimes I can lose sight of when talking about buildings and change in cities. And I just think this is a really healthy attitude to have.

[Roman Mars]

I think it's a great reminder for all of us about all kinds of things. This is really fantastic. Chris, thank you so much for bringing me back to Memphis. I really appreciate it more than you know, Roman.

[Chris Perube]

It was a real pleasure and I hope one day they get the monorail running again. I'd like to nominate us to be the first to take a ride on it because I really want to see the monorail in action.

[Roman Mars]

I will meet you there in a heartbeat. Thank you.

[Chris Perube]

Thanks, Roman.

[Roman Mars]

This bonus episode was produced by Chris Berube and Isabel Angel Mix by Martin Gonzalez. Music by Swan Real and Mia Byrne, Fact checking by Lara Bullins. You can find a list of Jimmy Ogle's tours and special events on his website jimmyogle.com that's jimmy o g-l e.com Special thanks to Louis Graham and the team at Baron Von Operbean and the river of Time. They're the ones building an immersive experience at Mud Island. We'll have a link to their project on our website. Cathy Tew is our executive producer. Kurt Kohlstedt is the digital director. Delaney hall is our senior editor. The rest of the team includes Jason De Leon, Emmett Fitzgerald, Christopher Johnson, Vivian Leigh Lashma Dawn, Jacob Medina Gleason, Kelly Prime, Joe Rosenberg and me, roman Mars. The 99% invisible logo was created by Stefan Lawrence. We are part of the SiriusXM podcast family now headquartered six blocks north in the Pandora building in beautiful uptown Oakland, California. You can find us on Blue sky as well as our own Discord server. There's a link to that as well as every past episode of [e-mail]. Design is everywhere, even in the merch you choose to put on your body and carry around with you. And right now you can get your hands ON Brand new 99% invisible merch, a beautifully curated selection of books, vinyl and gear. It even includes a signed copy of the book Kurt Kolsted and I wrote called the 99% invisible city. These signed editions are limited, so get yours now@siriusxm store.com invisible because once they're gone, they are gone. Use code Roman for 25% off. That's a great deal. Hey, right there. That's Roman R O M A N for 25% off@sirius xm store.com invisible.