Like all parks that cater to large gatherings, James' Park would have had a permanent open-air pavilion or beer hall on the premises, as well as a band stand.  If the gathering was very large,  one or more portable refreshment stalls would be added.  The park also had lights (gas and later electric) because the parties usually continued to midnight.  Several ads mention that the park is "brilliantly lighted at night" and that public transportation "will run until closing." Sometimes dancing was included.  There are newspaper articles discussing bids to determine who will lay the dance floor.

Open-air Pavilion

So that these gatherings would be approved by the city, the sponsors invited women and children.  To get more women to participate they were often admitted FREE and children attended for half price.  Organized games were added to entertain the children.  And there were additional games of chance, sports, and a shooting gallery for the adults.  Circus Performers were often hired for entertainment.   Each organization who leased the park was responsible for their own security and promised there would be "no rowdy behavior".   Sometimes that didn't quite work out. 

        1872 Entertainment

At the start of the Picnic, the committee and the band would generally  assemble at Market Square for a brief performance.  And then the band would "March promptly at 10 AM and move up Second to Winchester Street, to Main, down Main to Vance, down Vance to James' Park" with the crowd following the band. Prof Arnold's Brass Band practically had a monopoly on providing music for James' Park activities.  The legendary conductor of this group was Herman Frank Arnold, who wrote the score for "Dixie".  >

Prof. Arnold

Arnold's Elmwood Grave

We did not know why the park was called "James' Park" until shortly before posting this page.  During a last minute check in the old Memphis newspapers, quite by accident, we came upon an article that the owner of the park was "Col. James" and later "Judge James".  In the article he had given a Confederate group free use of his park to use as a fundraiser to bring the Confederate dead back from their graves at Gettysburg.  As more info becomes available  on Col. James, it will be added to this section.

Estival Park was located on the north side of Vance Street, east of the M & C Rail Road.  It had about three acres and was used for picnics and evening concerts.

Olympic Park, according to early Memphis Directories, was located "... on the north side of Ohio Avenue, (L&N Rail Road) between Marley, Brinkley and Spring Avenues. ... about fifteen acres and one and a half miles from Court Square ... used for picnics and Baseball games".  Finding this location was not so easy.  There is now no Ohio Avenue in Memphis and Marley has been renamed Ayres, Brinkley renamed Decatur, and Spring renamed Harrison.  Fortunately an official  Tennessee State Historical page identifies the location as North Main and W. A. Willis Avenue. 

Olympic 1884

Credits

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