Starting Saga Continues...what is what on starter?

Stating the obvious, you'd also need to turn the ignition to the start position to get a meaningful volt reading.

Same as above...

There are only two small terminals on the solenoid, the "S" terminal and the "I" terminal. The "S" stands for 'switch', the "I" stands for 'ignition'. The "I" terminal is a hold over from the days when the ignition system used breaker points, it was the bypass circuit that fed voltage to the ignition coil while the starter was being engaged. It is no longer used but the solenoids are still built that way to consolidate part numbers.

The other end of the purple wire if this has an automatic transmission, it would be a yellow wire if this is a manual transmission (the yellow going to the clutch safety switch and then becoming purple on its way to the starter solenoid).

If that is true, you've found the problem. What is not obvious is how the cable got switched from its proper location on the engine block.

It used to be purple, now it's black from dirt, oil and heat. There is only one small gauge wire going to the solenoid, the purple one.

A starter uses a LOT of electricity to run the motor and needs VERY large electrical wires to power this...

And it is not possible to run these large wires up the steering column to the starter switch!

So they use a thing called a "solenoid" which is a "relay" or basically an electric switch.

Small wires or "a small wire" can power the solenoid electric switch and these can be run to the starter key switch* on the steering column.

Then when you turn the key switch, it sends electricity to the starter solenoid/relay, then that is an electromagnetic device which causes large electrical contacts (switch) to connect the large wires on the starter, then the starter motor turns.

*The wire running to the starter solenoid can of course be any color a vehicle manufacturer chooses to make it. And these days this is routed through other various switches. Like if the vehicle is not in park/neutral, a switch will not allow starting. Or if manual transmission, if gear not in neutral and/or clutch not pressed fully in. Or if a security system is tripped, this will not allow starting. Etc.

This all would be in the vehicle factory wiring diagrams and will differ from vehicle to vehicle.

How a relay (solenoid) works...

Note: In the case of the relays shown at the link above, they show 2 wires for the switch and 2 wires for the electromagnetic. In the case of a starter relay/solenoid (built in to the starter), one of the electromagnetic wires would need to be ground (-), but there is already a BIG ground wire there for powering the starter motor! So no need to have a second wire for the electromagnet, they just connect it internally to the ground wire for the starter. Thus just 3 connections on a starter.

Note: As a rule automobile manufacturers change anything and everything like the seasons. So there will be different color wires. Older vehicles had a separate "starter relay", and some vehicles might use a "positive" to activate the starter solenoid. Others might use a "negative" to activate the starter solenoid! Be aware of how your specific vehicle works...

Bzzzt.. the correct answer is "Positive"

No really it is black

Anyway I just decided to pull the whole thing out and take to AutoZone (It has a Duralast decal on it). Hopfully it will still have some warranty on it

Thanks a lot for the input!