Well, we are home everywhere we go since we take our home with us.
Yesterday we took an excursion into Memphis to see some sights. We got up late due to not being able to sleep well the night before. By the time we got there and found the downtown welcome center it was almost noon. We had stopped at the travel center earlier and picked up some brochures of local interests. One of them had a rather extensive list of things to do, places to see, and restaurants. Maps were at the back of the brochure showing the trolley routes.
Due to a late start and taking the time to decide what we wanted to see first, which trolley to catch, and what direction it was going, we didn’t get to the Cotton Museum until 2:00.
We took the tour and learned a lot. Tourists are allowed to take pictures, which is nice. We didn’t get to the upper floor but were told it has been preserved in its original 1930’s appearance. The upper floor was the cotton exchange. The history is rich and vibrant, with many displays of the various uses of cotton. Did you know that our currency is made from cotton fiber? Some of our paper is made from cotton.
It was interesting to see and feel the trough with the recycled denim being used for household insulation. It is better for the environment and much gentler to handle than its fiberglass counterpart.
Mannequins displaying various types of clothing made from cotton adorned one display case. Some of the clothing was vintage 1930’s. One was a military uniform. Other display cases housed artifacts used in bygone eras which were used to produce and weave cotton.
There were four computer stations with headsets included to watch and hear video presentations on the subject.
Upon entry into the first section of the museum a large LCD screen may be turned on to enable hearing the history of the Memphis area and the impact the cotton trade had on its growth and development. The video highlighted the types of people involved in the industry and their impact on society.
The second room had displays showing the progress in harvesting the cotton, the modern weaving processes, and a couple of games to test your knowledge.
Tomorrow’s post will highlight the downtown area.
