How many of my half-dozen readers remember Mulford Jewelers — a Memphis institution for more than half a century?
Well, I certainly do, because that’s where the Lauderdales purchased the gold, silver, and platinum baubles and beads that made the Mansion glitter like a comet flashing through the night. Of course, that sparkle lost most of its luster when the Lauderdale bankruptcy proceedings — which made front-page news in every newspaper in the northern hemisphere except South Dakota — took away just about everything but the tattered clothes on our backs.
But that wasn’t the fault of John N. Mulford (the dapper gentleman shown here), who owned and operated one of this city’s oldest and finest jewelry stores. Born in London, Mulford came to this country in the 1870s. He loved to hunt and fish and roamed America in search of a place where he could pursue those interests, eventually settling in Memphis. If he hadn’t done that, you wouldn’t be reading about him now. Not here, anyway.
In 1880, he opened Mulford Jewelers at 6 South Main Street in a building known as the Marble Block — possibly because it was made of marble, but maybe that was the owner’s name; I just don’t know. The store remained at that location until 1942, when it moved a few doors down, to 26 South Main. At least, I think it did. You have to remember that Memphis changed (and standardized) its street numbering system in the late 1800s, so it’s possible this was the same building, with a different address. See how complicated my job can be?
Anyway …