The Black Man Who Bought Memphis
From One Mic Black History by Michael Motley jr
March 9, 2026 · 8 min · Season 9
About this episode
The episode discusses Robert Church Sr.'s rise to prominence in Memphis after surviving an attack and capitalizing on a real estate opportunity during a crisis.
In 1866, a white mob shot Robert Church Sr. in the head and left him for dead in the streets of Memphis. Twelve years later, when the Yellow Fever epidemic caused the white folks to panic and flee, Church used his cash to buy up their prime real estate for pennies on the dollar.Sources:Beale Street Dynasty: Sex, Song, and the Struggle for the Soul of Memphis by Preston Lauterbach"Robert R. Church Sr." – The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture"Robert Reed Church" & "Solvent Savings Bank and Trust" – WikipediaRobert Reed Church of Memphis: The First Black Millionaire – Historic-Memphis archivesChurch Family Papers – Special Collections, University of Memphis LibrariesAudio Onemichistory.comFollow me on Instagram: @onemic_historyFollow me on Substack: https://onemicblackhistorypodcast.substack.com/Follow me on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@onemic_historyPlease support our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=25697914Buy me a Coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Countryboi2m
People in this episode
Host: Michael Motley jr
Topics covered
- Black history
- Memphis
- real estate
- Yellow Fever
- Robert Church Sr.
- economic empowerment
Keywords
- Robert Church Sr.
- Memphis
- real estate
- Yellow Fever
- Black history
- economic empowerment
- 1866
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Solvent Savings Bank and Trust, Historic-Memphis archives, University of Memphis Libraries
Books & works: Beale Street Dynasty: Sex, Song, and the Struggle for the Soul of Memphis
Places: Memphis
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