Casey Jones Museum
Friday 3.11.23
We depart Nashville by road – but there is a railway element in our stopping place. Jackson, Tennessee is our first halt as there is a small museum dedicated to the legend of the famed locomotive engineer, Casey Jones, later immortalised in a television series depicting various heroic tales. Jones died in a tragic accident in 1900 when his train, running at some speed, encountered a freight which had not cleared the main line as there was insufficient siding space. Jones had an impressive history of ensuring his trains ran to time and that night he was desperately seeking to regain lost time. All long before track circuits and modern signalling systems. He became embedded in American folklore and the TV series and catchy title song no doubt re-inforced that image.
However it tells a little story and we are able to see his restored cottage which was moved and attached to the museum. It is all a little rundown and not all of our tour actually visit the museum which is a pity – but the group is not at all strong on rail people I believe.
Tine Tuner exhibits Flagg Grove School
We move on to Nutbush and Flagg Grove School which now preserves the house where Tina Turner was born and also in a relatively small but interesting museum we are able to see a collection of Turner memorabilia alongside brief talks of the importance of the Tennessee river, other music acts and cotton. Cotton and slaves underpinned the economy here for a long time but the story is the story and cannot be changed. This is a delightful museum and the visit is well organised ensuring that nothing is a long lecture and with some seats for those of us unable to remain standing for too long.
Our destination today is Memphis and we are based very close to the music strip – which is much smaller than the one in Nashville. As we drive in I spot a restaurant which looks interesting – so make a mental note to check it out later.
The big hotel here is the Peabody and its infamous ducks so when in Memphis go to the local duck march! if you are taking afternoon tea you get to sit near the fountain and can see the ducks proceeding to the fountain (in the mornings) or to the lift (in the afternoons) to and from their special roof top accommodation. A strange ritual but it seems to pull people in. After dinner we return for a drink from the bar!
Dinner is at Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous which was recommended in Nashville. It is along a slightly unattractive alley opposite the Peabody and if I had not been there in daytime we might have been less keen to turn along there in the evening, remembering that Memphis is allegedly one of the most dangerous places in the USA! The restaurant is in a cellar and once downstairs there was a warm welcome and some dedication to delivering the excellent food – barbecue ribs of some description for most of us and a very popular place judging by the people coming and going.