Ask the Memphian: What was The Gray Hat Mystery?
A slain businessman, known as the “Hot Tamale King.” A young, fedora-wearing detective. And a tantalizing clue: a gray felt hat, left near the scene of the crime.
Topic: Ask the Memphian
RSSThere are 47 article(s) tagged Ask the Memphian:
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February 2026
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January 2026
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Ask the Memphian: What is the record snowfall in Memphis?
The biggest snowstorm to ever hit Memphis walloped the city more than a century ago, but the city as it was in 1892 handled the storm well.
Related content:
MLGW not expecting significant outages as Memphis dodges ice
‘Much more difficult today than yesterday,’ and cold temps not expected to let up this week
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Ask the Memphian: What twists of fate led to the founding of the Dixon Gallery & Gardens?
Through improbable twists of fate and the generosity and foresight of Hugo and Margaret Dixon, the Dixon Gallery & Gardens has become a jewel in the city’s cultural landscape.
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Ask the Memphian: What happened to the Memphian who owned the most valuable coin in history?
The rarest and most valuable coin in history — the 1933 Double Eagle — was once owned by a coin collector in Memphis, until confiscated by the federal government.
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Ask the Memphian: Why does Memphis require liquor stores to be 1,500 feet away from a church or school?
In this week’s “Ask the Memphian,” we explain how that distance came to be and compare it to other populous cities across Tennessee.
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December 2025
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Ask the Memphian: Yes, Memphis, your city does actually recycle
Despite what many Memphians believe, the city does in fact recycle. But better efforts from Memphians could help successful recycling, officials said.
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Ask the Memphian: How did an Australian prime minister lose his pants in Memphis?
The Memphis Trousers Affair: One night in 1986, a former Australian prime minister endured his worst day in the Bluff City.
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Ask the Memphian: How did the St. Jude marathon grow from a small race to a mighty behemoth?
How did such a small-time endeavor grow into a massive phenomenon that requires 4,000 volunteers and the cooperation of an entire city for a safe and well-organized event?
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Ask the Memphian: What in the heck is going on with the San Diego Cantina restaurant?
What’s the deal with the once-popular Mexican restaurant in East Memphis? Why is the giant sign still glowing even though the place has been closed for eight years?
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November 2025
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Did Prince ever play Beale Street?
Yes, and it was legendary.
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Ask the Memphian: Why is the U of M’s mascot a tiger?
Tigers and what is now the University of Memphis go back to around 1914, and the partnership eventually led to the school having a live feline on the sidelines during football games.
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Ask the Memphian: Has Memphis ever had an art heist like the Louvre?
Curios, statues, Albrecht Durer and Elton John: How have Memphis museums been victimized by thieves in the last century?
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Ask the Memphian: Your questions answered
The Daily Memphian’s “Ask the Memphian” series uncovers the stories behind some of the city’s myths, legends and downright weirdness.
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Is Earnestine & Hazel’s really haunted? That depends on who you ask, but the spooky stories are legion
This week, Ask the Memphian investigates reported sightings of ghosts at the South Main district bar. Oh, and we’ll also tell you about the abandoned cemetery right across the street.
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Ask the Memphian: What seasoning makes Memphis fries so good?
This week’s question comes to us from a reader who says she is obsessed with the seasoning on fries in Memphis. But is it all the same? The short answer is no.
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October 2025
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Ask the Memphian: Does a ghost named Mary really haunt the Orpheum?
Throughout the years, plenty of people have claimed to see a ghostly little girl roaming the historic theater. She even has a reserved seat. But is there a story behind the hauntings?
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Ask the Memphian: What’s the story of the Shelby Forest Pig Man?
In this week’s installment of a special Halloween-themed “Ask the Memphian,” we’ll tell you all about the Shelby Forest Pig Man. It’s up to you if you believe any of it.
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Ask the Memphian: Why do Memphians spend so much money and effort on Halloween?
In this week’s Ask the Memphian, we wondered why folks invest so much on their Halloween displays. The answers? Whimsy, fun and, for at least one person, revenge.
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September 2025
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Ask the Memphian: Why hasn’t Liberty Stadium had a concert in years?
For roughly three decades, the only musicians who played what is now the Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium were marching bands. But why?
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Ask the Memphian: Who is Prince Mongo? And he’s from where?
Robert Hodges, otherwise known as Prince Mongo from the planet Zambodia, has irked as many Memphians as he’s charmed throughout the years. But in an odd quirk of fate, he may well have changed Memphis history.
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Ask the Memphian: Why are there so many temporary tags in Memphis?
In the latest installment of “Ask the Memphian,” we try to answer why Memphis seems to be overrun with temporary tags on cars. But it’s not just a Memphis problem.
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Ask the Memphian: Who created barbecue nachos? It’s a question that will rile some folks up
Who created barbecue nachos? Well, it depends on who you ask, and be careful if you do ask because both sides are feisty about the answer.
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Ask the Memphian: Can Memphis bury its power lines?
Virtually any time Memphis gets enough wind, ice, rain or snow to disrupt the power, the howls start up again: Bury the power lines no matter the cost! But that cost usually dampens those howls.
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Ask the Memphian: To beat summer heat, where can you swim in Memphis?
Wherever you go, be safe, watch out for others and make sure to do at least one cannonball off the diving board.
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Ask the Memphian: The parkway system and its names? Make it make sense!
In this week’s “Ask the Memphian,” we answer a reader's question: How did the city’s parkways get their names, and why are parts of them so confusing?
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