Memphis: Red Light District in The Reivers (Location)

The quiet Memphis streets down which the adventurers lead their stolen horse to the railroad depot are what Lucius later refers to as "the Memphis tenderloin" district (223). According to a 1938 report on "Prostitution Conditions in Memphis," the city "tolerated" a "red light district located in the lower end of the city, a deteriorated section not far from the railroad and mainly inhabited by colored people." Late on a Sunday, the area is very quiet, but walking both to and from the station, Lucius recognizes "places similar to Miss Reba's" as well as closed "saloons" along their route (137).