Orange Mound Collaborative

Memories of the Mound Contest

Feb 25, 2000

Memories of the Mound Contest

Recently I was reminded, "history forgets first, those who forget themselves." While February is the month that has been dedicated for Black History, the accomplishments and achievements of African-Americans should be remembered every day.

Orange Mound is a community with a rich history. It our responsibility to make sure that the history is celebrated, preserved and passed on to future generations. With this in mind, we ask you to search your family albums and cedar chests for memories of your families history in Orange Mound.

All individuals submitting pictures or artifacts will receive a digital sports watch and the grand prize winner will receive a $100 cash prize. Submissions will be judged by a committee of individuals advising the Orange Mound History Project.

The story below about Robert Douglass was submitted by resident Mrs. Maggie James. This story illustrates how residents were able to

Five Dollars and a Blessing

Robert was born in Germantown, Tennessee on December 12, 1927 to Rev. John Allen Doublass and Mrs. Maggie Brown Douglass who lived on the corner of Winchester and Germantown Road. Later they moved to the "Laurance Bottom" on Hackcross Road near Winchester Road. He was the eighth of eleven children. We lived on a big farm, where we raised just about everything we ate - hogs, cows, chickens, ducts, turkeys and all kinds of vegetables (corn, watermelon, cantaloupe) and plenty of milk and butter.

Robert was a very young boy at that time but he learned how to shell peas and butter beans for his parents to take to the market. The market was then known as the "Curb Market" in Memphis. All of the older children would gather all of the vegetables and see that they were ready for sale the next date. Our mother and father would leave early in the morning by wagon and mules to get to the market before the crowd. We were so happy to see them come home with a big stick of bologna, peppermint candy and baskets of oranges, apples and raisins. We were a bunch of happy children. Our father didn't know anything but to preach and farm.

The older children started to getting married or going on other jobs. So our father decided to move to a smaller farm in Collierville, Tennessee for a few years. Robert was the big brother now, and Mitchell, his little brother, was right with him. They were as close as anybody could get. There were two sisters still at home - Flossietta and Lillian Douglass. They attended church at St. James C.M.E. Church in Collierville, Tennessee. They encouraged their parents to move to Memphis where they brought a home on Hanley Street in Orange Mound. Robert, Mitchell, Flossietta and Lillye Douglass all attended Melrose High School in Orange Mound.

Robert graduated with honors form Melrose and helped to write the Melrose High School Alma Mata. He sang in the Mt. Pisgah C.M.E. Gospel Choir where he joined after coming to Memphis. He wanted to go to college. But our father being a life time preacher-farmer, it was hard for him to come up with the money. He always told Robert that the would be a minister and always have him his blessings. So one day, the time had come. He said to Robert, "I don't have the money you need to go off to college but I will give you what I can. Here is $5.00 and I wish you the best."

That was quite a bit of money then. Robert went to Lane College in Jackson, Tennessee and told the Bishop and administrators tehre about his plight. They helped him out until he decided to go to the United States Airforce for three years.

While in the Airforce, he was assisting the company Chaplin. When he returned home, he continued his study at Land College and graduated with honors. He went on to have pastoral appointments across the country before be transferred back to Memphis where he was the pastor of Trinity C.M.E. Church. He later became Presiding Elder of the South Memphis District of C.M.E. Churches until his health failed him. He was then appointed assistant to Bishop William . Graves Presiding Bishop for the C.M.E. Churches.

Everything he was assigned to do, he did his best. Rev. Douglass loved people. He had a pleasing personality. One of his favorite songs was " Yes, Jesus Loves Me." He often told congregations about the $5 his father gave him and his blessing. He knew that he made it with the help of the Lord and told young people that you can make it, if you try hard.