Pig in undisclosed new poke, as ‘Bring back pig’ movement grows
The big pig is gone, but another in its place.
After the concrete pig in front of Henry’s Memphis BBQ was sold and moved to a new, undisclosed home in a Salem garden, a tiny purple pig appeared in the empty grassy plot on West Main Street, accompanied by a painted plea, “Bring Back the Pig.”*
Salem High School sophomore Eli Moore placed this painted plea and a purple plastic piggy bank on the site where the paintable pig was for the last year. Photo by Meg Hibbert
That isn’t likely to happen, because “Henry’s Pig” has gone to greener pastures for his retirement years, the pig’s new owner says. And he has a new name: “Memphis.”
A note and CD with pictures of the pig in his new digs was dropped through the mail slot of the Salem Times-Register one night this week.
The note signed by “The new owners of one fine pig!” reads, in part:
“I know Salem is missing Henry’s Pig, and wanted to give the City a little update.
You might say he’s gone on to greener pastures in his “retirement” years. In order to give him a little peace and quiet, is new identity/location are not being disclosed. But rest assured, he’s lookin’ good.
And, in case you’re wondering, he does have a new name. Actually, we’re not sure if he had an old name! In honor of his previous owner (Henry’s Memphis BBQ owner Henry Caldwell), he is now being referred to as Memphis. He seems to like that.”
Pictures of the pig in the final days on West Main Street were on the CD. They started on Thursday, July 22, when his new owners first attempted to move the pig and found him too heavy. “He weighs more than you think,” the note said.
An employees of Brown and Sons towing hoists the pig from its West Main Street spot before transporting it to its retirement home.
At that time, the pig was painted blue with “Jake” on one side and “Happy B-Day” on the other.
Overnight, members of the Divine Dance Center painted the pig red and added horns, as a tribute to their dance group known as the Raging Bulls.
Sometime between then and 11 a.m., someone overpainted the dancers’ tribute with red paint and added the names “Taylor & Brooke” on one side, and “Ain’t It?” on the other.
And that’s the paint job that was on it when employees of Brown and Son towing gingerly hooked a belt around Memphis and the tow truck’s winch lifted him up and away for the drive to his new home.
* The day after this story was published in the Aug. 5 issue of the Salem Times-Register, The purple pig placer came forward. Salem High School sophomore Eli Moore wrote a letter to the editor explaining that he put up the sign and piggy bank “because it looked like the big pig.” When asked if he had any plans to collect money and purchase a replacement pig for some location in Salem, Eli said “not yet.”
