▁fire ▁depart ments ; ▁de comm ission ed ▁black ▁Union ▁soldiers ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁station ed ▁nearby , ▁and ▁other ▁African ▁Americans . ▁ ▁Church ▁was ▁shot ▁and ▁wounded ▁in ▁his ▁sal oon ▁during ▁the ▁ri ot . ▁A ▁total ▁of ▁two ▁whites ▁died . ▁ ▁Real ▁estate ▁emp ire ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 8 7 8 - 7 9 ▁Church ▁had ▁acquired ▁considerable ▁wealth . ▁Famil iar ▁with ▁the ▁high ▁death ▁to ll s ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 3 ▁yellow ▁fe ver ▁ep ide mic , ▁he ▁moved ▁his ▁family ▁to ▁safety ▁outside ▁the ▁city ▁during ▁the ▁even ▁worse ▁ep ide mic ▁of ▁ 1 8 7 8 , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁following ▁year . ▁As ▁the ▁city ▁was ▁dep op ulated ▁by ▁the ▁flight ▁of ▁ 2 5 , 0 0 0 ▁people ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 8 ▁ep ide mic ▁and ▁death ▁to ll ▁of ▁more ▁than ▁ 5 , 0 0 0 , ▁the ▁land ▁was ▁de valu ed . ▁Church ▁saw ▁a ▁great ▁opportunity ▁in ▁M emph is ▁real ▁estate ▁and ▁had ▁the ▁resources ▁to ▁buy ▁up ▁property ▁hold ings ▁throughout ▁the ▁city . ▁He ▁acquired ▁commercial ▁buildings , ▁some ▁resident ial ▁housing , ▁and ▁bars ▁in ▁the ▁red - light ▁district , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁und e velop ed ▁land . ▁It ▁is ▁estimated ▁that ▁in ▁later ▁years ▁he ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁collect ▁approximately ▁$ 6 , 0 0 0 ▁a ▁month ▁in ▁rent ▁from ▁his ▁properties . ▁ ▁With ▁his ▁immense