About the Collection
This collection documents how, over seventy years, one family followed their own American Dream of education, faith, independence, community, and prosperity in Memphis. It also tracks the transformation of Boxtown, a rural enclave just south of downtown Memphis, from a “forgotten” stretch of Tennessee hill country into a community with schools, businesses, and an enormous amount of civic pride.
Based on a digital gift from the children and grandchildren of S. L. and Ida Mae Jones, the collection begins in the heart of the Great Depression. Having ancestral roots in McEwen, Tennessee, S. L. was born and raised in Boxtown. In 1938, he married his high school classmate and had already saved enough funds from selling homegrown produce to open his first grocery store.
From those humble beginnings, Jones Grocery grew into the first chain of Black-owned grocery stores in Memphis, while the Joneses and their five children became integral to the Memphis community, both in Boxtown and beyond.
The materials here span photographs, news clippings, business records, personal correspondence, church bulletins, and many other everyday artifacts of life in Boxtown. They shed light on the daily life of an upwardly mobile African American family across seventy years: birthday parties and anniversaries, graduations and family reunions, afterschool jobs and Sunday school. The items are organized by themes chosen by the Joneses to reflect their deepest values and commitments: family, church, education, politics, the stores, and community.
For those interested in the history of business in Memphis, there are many materials related to the founding and expansion of the Jones Grocery stores. For fans of African American photography, there are works by the Hooks Brothers and Ernest Withers. There’s also class photos from Geeter High School, news clippings related to the complicated path of Boxtown’s incorporation into Memphis, and an array of materials related to the churches and civic organizations of South Memphis.
The Jones’ story is one of perseverance, pride, and community uplift. As Boxtown continues to change in the twenty-first century, this collection will preserve the history of families and individuals who made the neighborhood their home.
Research and other support for this digital collection was made possible by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Humanities Internship Program at the University of Memphis.
To view all of the material in the collection, click the Browse Collection button. To search by keyword, use the search box below.
Enter a keyword in the box below to search for a specific item:
EXPLORE BY TOPIC
FAMILY
The Jones family took root in Boxtown, but it then branched out to all corners of the United States. Browse photos, family trees, poems, prayers, letters, and remembrances of the Jones family, across four generations in Boxtown and beyond.
COMMUNITY
The Jones family was “a towering presence” in Boxtown, and their dedication to the community made their neighborhood “safer, stronger, and more connected.” Browse testimonials and other materials attesting to the family’s influence in the community.
STORES
Photos, advertising bills, promotional calendars, and newspaper articles – all related to the Jones-owned grocery stores. Also read testimonials from neighbors and employees regarding the lasting impact of the stores on the Boxtown neighborhood.
CHURCH
Explore newspaper clippings celebrating church milestones, certificates from missionary groups and vacation bible schools honoring the Jones family’s involvement, personal notes, and pictures showcasing the church’s significance to Jones family life.
POLITICS
Whether organizing voter registration drives or serving in state offices, the Jones family contributed to local and state politics in a number of ways. The material here documents the Jones family’s political footprint in Memphis and Tennessee.
EDUCATION
Education is “the key that opens doors” for the Jones family. The collection contains photos, flyers, and other documentation of graduations, high school reunions, PTA meetings, and the S. L. Jones Scholarship.
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