Merrymobiles once made magic on Memphis streets
Bill Cunningham’s restored Merrymobile on Tuesday, February 24, 2026. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)
When Lakeland resident Bill Cunningham was growing up, Merrymobile ice cream trucks regularly drove through his Highland Heights neighborhood.
He remembers how he would wait for the sound.
“During the summer, (we waited) every day listening for the bells for what we called the ‘Popsicle Man,’” he said. “Running in the house to mom to get six cents to buy an orange pushup.”
Now he’s in possession of what might be the only fully-restored original Merrymobile in existence.
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Merrymobile Bill Cunningham Everett Brown Subscriber OnlyThank you for reading The Daily Memphian. Your support is critical.
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Michael Waddell
Michael Waddell is a native Memphian with more than 20 years of professional writing and editorial experience, working most recently with The Daily News and High Ground News.
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