03/03/2014
Bartlett, Tennessee
The Town That Raised Me
Throughout our life there are things that bring back memories, both good and bad, especially when it comes to our home town. Some are smells, sights, people, events or maybe even songs.
I grew up in Bartlett, Tennessee which is just Northeast of Memphis. We moved there when I was 12 or 13 in the summer before going into the 8th grade. I was a Navy brat, in every sense of the word, that finally found a place to put down roots. If you ask me about my childhood, every memory is based on which school I was in that year.
Our family moved from California to Honolulu, Hawaii in 1969. I never will forget thinking that this made no sense to move from a house into a grass hut. But that is the mind of a 3rd grader. I thought everyone there lived in grass huts. Which is strange to think that I was ok with the fact that they had progressed to flying in big jets but not building a regular house. Things that make you say, “Hmmm.”
But anyway, three years later my father retired with 22 years in the Navy and we moved to Memphis, since that is where my Moms family all lived. Two years after that we moved to Bartlett, where we stayed put until I married and moved out.
But I digress...
Up until the 9th grade, I went to a different school every year. However, the 8th grade and the 9th were different only because one was a Middle School and the other a High School, so I really consider them to be the same, especially since everyone in my classes of the 8th grade at Shadowlawn Middle moved on to Bartlett High School.
The first 2 years I attended school there, it was called Nicholas Blackwell High, but my brother, who was 2 years older, was in the “Graduating Class of 1979”, and was part of the last class to graduate from Nicholas Blackwell. The good part about that, is that they built a brand new building, then renamed the school, so it was “all good!” if you asked me.
I think the City of Bartlett had to repaint the water tower so many times that they finally put, “Home of the Panthers” on it to stop the graffiti artists.
But of course, as kids, we loved it when they did that, since it made all of us feel pretty special.
If you grew up in Bartlett, especially in the 80’s what brings back the fondest memories to you? And maybe “fond” is even stretching it. I think of certain places that are neither good nor bad memories, they are just “Bartlett” memories.
I think two more places that had huge impacts on us all growing up were the Baptist Childrens home on Summer Ave/Hwy 70 at Stage Rd. and Boys Town on Memphis Arlington, which is now called Youth Villages.
I think they impacted us so much because everyone knew someone that lived there. The kids in our neighborhood, which was Easthill, knew more of the boys at Boys Town because they road our bus to school. We also used to go over there and play pool with them, and for teenaged girls, you know that’s where we wanted to be. But it makes it even more fun when you go in saying that you don’t have a clue of how to play pool, and then beat every one of the boys because you have really been playing for years.
That was too much fun.
Another memory is of the double lights on Stage Rd at Shelby in front of the school. It was very hard to go through those lights, and still is today, without looking down the street at the school.
Another place that everyone knew was the Vickers Gas Station. Neither good or bad, but if you wanted to meet up with someone, it was usually at Vickers, simply because everyone knew where it was. Plus, it seemed like they always had the most inexpensive gas in town.
If you weren’t meeting at the gas station, there was the car wash on stage or of course, like every small town, there was the bowling alley. And although, compared to many years ago, it has changed, it’s still the bowling alley, but for a whole new generation.
It seemed like every Friday night when there was a home game during football season, everyone that was anyone, was at the game. The ultimate game was against Germantown, and the one that was the most fun was against “Raleigh-Who” which of course was Raleigh Egypt, or Craigmont, because they were so close. They were all great.
The first time I “really” caught the eye of my boyfriend or “high-school sweetheart” was at one of those games.
Isn’t it strange that of all the things I can’t remember, I can remember exactly what I was wearing that night. Cowboy boots, blue jeans, a black long sleeve shirt, and a black felt cowboy hat with a beautiful white feather band that ran half-way down my back. (Remember this was 1980.) He became my husband about a week after graduation and then the father of my two beautiful sons.
And then there was our first date...
I never will forget that our first date was at The Side Porch Steak House. What an awesome steak house. My parents loved it too, and we all went there many times.
Although, I realize that there is nothing funny about fire, I think my parents were there having dinner twice when the restaurant caught on fire.
One night we were all there eating and there was a fire truck running lights and sirens coming down Stage toward us, and Margaret, the owner, comes running into the dining room yelling, “It’s ok everyone, it’s not for us! I promise!” Everyone just died laughing at her, as the trucks went screaming on by.
Then there are those places in Bartlett that “everyone” has been to, or wanted to be there at one time or another.
Freeman Park is one of them. But we always just called it “Bartlett Park”.
Who hasn’t played ball games in this park, walked their dog, played tennis, had a picnic, or attended the Bartlett Festival?
If you live in Bartlett and you like to be outside, you have most likely been to this park.
Another of the places that everyone has been or wanted to be at, especially in the winter when it snowed. Sometimes we didn’t even wait for snow, we just rolled or ran down this hill any way we could.
I won’t say where this is, instead I will leave it at the fact that if you know, you know. Period.
One last thing for now, and this would be the memories of leaving and returning.
When you “get outta town” from Bartlett, whether you are headed North, South, East or West, the most likely paths are I-40 to go East, I-55 to go South, I-40 across the “New Bridge” or Hwy 51 to go North.
There are a few things that when seen, depending on whether you are headed outbound, going East to Nashville, Knoxville, or Gatlinburg or heading West to Spring River, Heber Springs, Little Rock or the Ozarks in Arkansas or going North to a Cardinals game in St. Louis or coming home, when you see it, you know you are almost there and can take that sigh of relief.
One would be the Stonebridge Water Tower, and you know that you are finally “OUT” of Bartlett/Memphis, or The Pyramid and the Bridge showing the same thing on the West end showing that you are either “OUT” or are almost home. Either way, both can be GREAT!
Have a wonderful day, and if you don’t live in Bartlett, Y’all come! It is centrally located and close to great shopping, Elvis’ Graceland, and if Casino’s are your thing, they are about an hour away.
We have the Memphis Grizzlies NBA Basketball team, the Memphis Redbirds minor league baseball team, The University of Memphis Basketball team and what else?
That Pyramid that you see in the pictures will soon be home to largest Bass Pro Shop Outdoor World Retail Center in the Nation, with hotels, restaurants, every kind of sporting goods you could ever equip yourself with and an aquarium and waterfall.
They are saying you will be able to spend a whole day in the 32 story building and will appeal not only to sports enthusiasts but will give tourists another way to experience entertainment, conservation and outdoor education.
So now that Pyramid that tells you that you are now leaving the Memphis Area or serves as a beacon when you are coming home, will be sitting pretty as she was originally intended, and that’s pretty cool, not only for the mid-south region but Bartlett too!
By Cassandra McKenzie
Freelance Writer
www.WhereThePenHitsTheRoad.com
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