Memphis Moments

The four Martin Brothers, W.S., J.B., A.T., and B.B., were remarkable men. Born in Mississippi in the 1880s, they moved to Memphis to attend LeMoyne.

The became important figures in medicine, politics, and sports. Two were doctors; two were pharmacists.

One, Dr. J.B. Martin, opened his own drug store in 1920. All were active in Republican politics.

The Martins owned the Memphis Red Sox, as well as the stadium in which the team played. They were the only African Americans in baseball to own both.

Founded two decades before the Civil War, Gray’s Creek Missionary Baptist Church is one of the oldest black congregations in the area. The church was organized as a congregation for freedmen and slaves and has continued to serve African Americans for more than 150 years.

The Memphis Red Sox was one of the most exciting teams in the Negro League in the 1930s-1940s.

Catcher Larry Brown created a lot of that excitement. He was known as one of the best catchers in the Negro League, a brilliant defender of home plate, throwing-out runners with cool precision and snagging wild pitches with ease.