Sears Crosstown in Memphis

When it opened in 1927, Sears Crosstown, now Crosstown Concourse, was the southeastern regional warehouse and distribution center for the Sears Catalogue mail-order empire. Each day, more than forty-five thousand orders were processed by more than 1,500 workers. As a result, Sears Crosstown became known locally as “the Wish Building.” For more than half a century, the iconic building and its surrounding neighborhood flourished until the decline of Sears in the 1980s. For decades, the once dynamic destination for commerce was vacant and shuttered. Then a unique group of Memphians emerged to resurrect Sears Crosstown with a plan most thought was impossible.  In his latest book, Bill tells the story of “the Wish Building”—its past, present and future.

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Bill's Blog More Posts »

REMEMBERING THE DRAG SHOW AT MY BAPTIST CHURCH

My Baptist church had men in drag when I was a child.  I wasn't traumatized.   This is my column as published in the March 7, 2023 e...

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OF SEARS AND SCHOOLS: THE LIFE AND WORK OF JULIUS ROSENWALD

This is my column published in the Tennessean on February 21, 2023.  It is reprinted with the permission of the Tennessee USA Today Network.&n...

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Bill's Books More Books »

Why Can't Mother Vote?

Why Can't Mother Vote?

On August 18, 1920, thirty-year-old Tennessee State Representative Joseph Hanover walked through the lobby of The Hermitage Hotel in Nashville to b...

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Full Court Press: How Pat Summitt, a High School Basketball Player, and a Legal Team Changed the Game

Full Court Press: How Pat Summitt, a High School Basketball Player, and a Legal Team Changed the Game

In his latest book, Bill has teamed up with a brilliant young writer—Amanda Swanson—to tell the story of a game-changing lawsuit, Victo...

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The Other Fellow May Be Right: The Civility of Howard Baker

Milk & Sugar: The Complete Book of Seersucker

Bill Haltom’s definitive guide to the quintessential Southern fabric covers all things seersucker. From the origins and history of the seersu...

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See Bill Speak

2015 | Inside Politics

Nashville, TN

Bill joins host Pat Nolan to discuss his book The Other Fellow May Be Right: The Civility of Howard Baker.