By Jackie Sheckler Finch
As new Duckmaster on the Peabody Lodge in Memphis, Kenon Walker has no doubts who’s boss. After trailing the fowl on their each day march to the elevator, Kenon acknowledges the plain.
“The geese don’t really observe me,” the 42-year-old admits. “They lead me.”
At 11 every morning, the geese step to John Philip Sousa’s “King Cotton March” alongside a pink carpet from their rooftop $200,000 Royal Duck Palace to the well-known travertine marble fountain within the Grand Foyer.
There they splash and preen till 5 p.m., when the procession reverses and the geese retire for the night to their rooftop abode atop the Peabody Lodge. Guests are invited to observe the free spectacle and to go to the rooftop for among the finest views of Memphis.
A superb benefit provided by American Queen Voyages for its American Queen cruise from Memphis is having passengers arrive the night time earlier than the cruise departs. That’s a good way to assist make sure that passengers don’t miss the cruise due to flight delays. It additionally permits passengers to take pleasure in Memphis websites and get an excellent night time’s sleep on the well-known Peabody Lodge.
American Queen Voyages additionally presents a two-night keep in Memphis earlier than the cruise for the “Full Memphis Expertise,” which incorporates main Memphis sights. Nicely value the additional money and time. I opted for that for an opportunity to see Graceland, Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Solar Studio, Nationwide Civil Rights Museum, Beale Road and extra. Let’s see what number of of these I’ve time to go to.
8 Evening – Memphis to St. Louis – American Queen
Start of the Peabody Geese
Because the “South’s Grand Lodge,” the Peabody has drawn presidents, dignitaries, entertainers and people from all walks of life. Opened in 1869 by Robert Campbell Brinkley on the nook of Predominant and Monroe in downtown Memphis, the unique lodge was named in honor of Brinkley’s not too long ago deceased good friend, George Peabody. The unique lodge was torn down and a brand new bigger Peabody was constructed at its current location at Union Avenue and Second Road, opening in 1925.
The function of Duckmaster originated on the Peabody Memphis virtually 90 years in the past. “The entire thing began as a sensible joke,” Kenon says.
Again in 1933, Frank Schutt, common supervisor of the Peabody, and a good friend, Chip Barwick, went on a weekend looking journey in Arkansas. “They took one other colleague together with them. His title was Jack Daniel,” Kenon says.
“That they had a bit an excessive amount of of that Jack Daniel’s sipping whiskey and thought it could be humorous to sneak a few of their reside duck decoys into the foyer fountain. That’s again while you have been allowed to have reside duck decoys. So that they put the geese within the foyer fountain and went as much as their room to sleep it off.”
Once they got here down the following morning, the 2 males have been shocked. “They have been stunned as a result of the geese have been nonetheless there,” Kenon says. “They usually have been stunned to see an enormous crowd watching the geese.”
Thus started a Peabody custom.
The primary Peabody Duckmaster
In 1940, bellman Edward Pembroke, a former circus animal coach, provided to assist with delivering the geese to the fountain every day and taught them the now-famous Peabody Duck March. Pembroke turned The Peabody Duckmaster, serving in that capability for 50 years till his retirement in 1991.
The 5 mallards are all the time 4 females and one male. Multiple male may trigger turf issues, Kenon says. An uneven variety of females may make the woman mallards activate the odd duck.
Each day, a large number of holiday makers line up for each the morning and night march. Kenon patiently recounts the story, helps the “Honorary Duckmaster” chosen to help Kenon unroll the pink carpet and makes certain no visitors are in between the fountain and the elevator when the geese are able to roll.
Clad in his scarlet-and-gold-trimmed jacket along with his conventional brass-head duck cane, Kenon acknowledges that, “residing in Memphis, the Peabody Lodge is a legendary place,” he stated. “However I by no means dreamed I might in the future be the Duckmaster.”
Turning into Peabody Duckmaster
So how did Kenon grow to be the most recent Duckmaster? An actor, Kenon had spent greater than a dozen years as a tour information and historian on the Nationwide Civil Rights Museum and Stax Academy of American Soul Music in Memphis. After turning into concierge on the Peabody, Kenon quickly caught the eye of Duckmaster Doug Weatherford.
“That was February twenty third, 2019. I turned the assistant Duckmaster. And in January 2020, Doug retired and now right here I’m,” Kenon says, bringing the geese and the enjoyment to all who come.
“We do get new geese each three months as a result of we launch the earlier geese again into the wild,” Kenon says. “So the brand new duckies should get used to me and their environment and, earlier than lengthy, they appear to love strolling to the elevator within the morning and strolling again at night time.”
Though the geese appear completely content material to paddle round within the foyer fountain, generally surprising incidents do occur. One time, one of many hens took a nap on the ledge of the fountain and fell off on the no-water facet. The duck didn’t know what to take action she went working to the elevator. However the elevator wasn’t open so she ran previous the reward store, previous the restaurant after which she noticed a 30-foot Christmas tree within the foyer.
Certain sufficient, the wayward duck zoomed towards the tree the place the Duckmaster retrieved her among the many wrapped presents and escorted her again to the fountain the place she fortunately joined her paddling buddies.
“In at this time’s world, I feel all of us want some happiness,” Kenon says. “It’s greater than a job to me. It’s a real blessing to convey one thing optimistic to individuals’s lives. Who would have thought that watching geese waddle to and from the fountain would make individuals so comfortable? However it does and it makes me comfortable, too.”
Pictures by Logan Peters
* Conventional duck march.
Photograph courtesy of Peabody Lodge
* Duckmaster Kenon Walker continues the Peabody custom.
* Kenon’s coat cuff spotlights his Peabody job.
* Duckmaster’s distinctive cane.
* Peabody Lodge fountain fascinates duck watchers of all ages.
* Lodge room on the Peabody.
* Swimming pool at Peabody Lodge
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8 Evening – Memphis to St. Louis – American Queen (cruisecompete.com)
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