"Memphis, the city with lots of History"

Do you know why this Hotel brings us some history?

Well, this was the hotel that Martin Luther King Jr. was shot. while our stay in Memphis we were able to go to the civil rights Museum in which we were able to learn so much about the history of what happened here. I don't want to get the history wrong so I got some of the information from this site http://www.africawithin.com/mlking/assassination.htm

Brief History take from the site above:

The Assassination

On March 28, 1968, Dr. King led a march through Memphis, Tennessee in support of a garbage workers' strike. Which was intended to have been peaceful and non-violent. But the march disintegrated into rioting and looting. In order to recover the damage done by the out-break, a date for a new march was set for April 4, 1968.

On April 3, 1968, Dr. King arrived in Memphis and checked into room 306 of the Lorraine Motel. That night Dr. King gave a sermon at the Masonic Temple. On April 4, at approximately 5:45 p.m., Billy Knolls arrived to accompany Dr. King to dinner. As Dr. King, Jesse Jackson, Andrew Young, James Orange and the driver engaged in a conversation about dinner a shot rang out. Dr. King was thrown backwards to the floor with a single gunshot to the neck.

As the police ran towards the motel asking where the shot had come from several of the men assisting Dr. King pointed to the direction of the rooming house across the parking lot.

At approximately 6:05 p.m., the police found a .30-06 hunting rifle wrapped in a bundle near the front door of the Canipe Amusement Company, a shop next to the rooming house. Along with the rifle was found a pair of binoculars, two unopened beer cans, a tack hammer and pliers, a shaving kit, a hair brush, a pair of men's shorts and undershirt, the April 4th issue of the Memphis Commercial Appeal, and a radio with the number 00416 (Ray's inmate number at the Missouri State Penitentiary) etched on it. Two weeks later the finger prints on the riffle was identified as belonging to James Earl Ray. The largest FBI man hunt began and on June 8, 1968, James Earl Ray was apprehended at the Heathrow Airport , London as he prepared to go to Brussels.

Since they don't let us take pictures inside the Museum we took them outside of the hotel... The reef of flowers is where his room was located... If you ever get the chance to go to the museum its so neat to see the films and actual places that this event took place...

In the picture below is where the suspect was when he shot Martin Luther King Jr. He shot him from the upstairs bathroom which would be the 3rd window near the trees... In the Museum you can actually see where the bathroom is located and the evidence of things that point to the suspect who killed him... Its really neat... If you are ever in the area be sure to stop by this museum, it was really cool...

The Confession (is from the same site from above)

Arthur Haynes Sr. was hired as attorney for James Earl Ray. He and his son prepared the case to go to trial with what they thought enough evidence to prove James Earl Ray was incapable of committing the crime he was arrested for. But just hours before the trial, Mr. Haynes services were discontinued and Texas Lawyer, Percy Foreman took over as attorney for Ray. Because Mr. Foreman felt the evidence was so overwhelming in support of James Earl Ray being guilty, he urged his client to plead guilty to avoid the possibility of going to the electric chair.

I hope you enjoy the brief history along with our pictures of our visit... This was a great outing for my husband and I . I really enjoyed it... Its amazing how much history is all around us and we're sometimes to busy to notice it or even take the time to learn it... Thanks to my husband the history buff I was able to learn more about this place... I love you Garett!!!