From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| City of Memphis |
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Flag |
Seal |
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| Nickname(s): The River City, The Bluff City |
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Location in Shelby County and the state of Tennessee |
Coordinates:  35°07′03″N 89°58′16″W / 35.1175, -89.97111 |
| Country |
United States |
| State |
Tennessee |
| County |
Shelby |
| Founded |
1819 |
| Incorporated |
1826 |
| Government |
| - Mayor |
W. W. Herenton (D) |
| Area |
| - City |
313.8 sq mi (763.4 km²) |
| - Land |
302.3 sq mi (723.4 km²) |
| - Water |
15.4 sq mi (40.0 km²) |
| Elevation |
337 ft (103 m) |
| Population (2007)[1] |
| - City |
670,902(18th) |
| - Density |
2,327.4/sq mi (898.6/km²) |
| - Metro |
1,260,581 |
| Time zone |
CST (UTC-6) |
| - Summer (DST) |
CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP Codes |
37501, 37544, 38101-38120,
38122, 38124-38128, 38130-38139, 38141-38142, 38145, 38147-38148,
38150-38152, 38157, 38159, 38161, 38163, 38166-38168, 38173-38175,
38177, 38181-38182, 38184, 38186-38188, 38190, 38193-38194, 38197 |
| Area code(s) |
901 |
| FIPS code |
47-48000[2] |
| GNIS feature ID |
1326388[3] |
| Website: http://www.memphistn.gov |
Memphis is a city in the southwest corner of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. Memphis rises above the Mississippi River on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff just south of the mouth of the Wolf River.
As of 2006, Memphis had an estimated population of 670,902, making it the largest city in the state of Tennessee, the second largest in the southeastern region (only behind Jacksonville, Florida), and the 18th largest in the United States [1].
The greater Memphis metropolitan area, including adjacent counties in Mississippi and Arkansas, has a population of 1,260,581. This makes Memphis the second largest metropolitan area in Tennessee, surpassed only by metropolitan Nashville.
Memphis is the youngest of Tennessee's four major cities (traditionally including Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Nashville). A resident of Memphis is referred to as a Memphian and the Memphis region is known as the Mid-South.
History
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Early history
The Memphis area was first settled by the Mississippian Culture and then by the Chickasaw Indian tribe. European exploration came years later, with Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto and French explorers led by René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle.[4]
The land comprising present-day Memphis remained in a largely
unorganized territory throughout most of the 18th century. By 1796, the
community was the westernmost point of the newly admitted state of
Tennessee.
Foundation
Memphis was founded in 1820 , the city was named after the ancient capital of Egypt on the Nile River.
The cotton economy of the antebellum South depended on the forced labor of large numbers of African-American slaves, and Memphis became a major slave market.
Tennessee seceded from the Union in June 1861 and Memphis briefly became a Confederate stronghold. Union forces captured Memphis in the Battle of Memphis on June 6, 1862, and the city remained under Union control for the duration of the war. Memphis became a Union supply base and continued to prosper throughout the war.
20th century
Cotton merchants on Union Avenue (1937)
Memphis grew into the world's largest spot cotton market and the
world's largest hardwood lumber market. Into the 1950s, it was the
world's largest mule market.[5]
From the 1910s to the 1950s, Memphis was a hotbed of machine politics under the direction of E. H. "Boss" Crump. During the Crump era, Memphis developed an extensive network of parks and public works as part of the national City Beautiful Movement.
During the 1960s the city was at the center of civil rights issues, notably the location of a sanitation workers' strike. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968 at the Lorraine Motel.
Memphis is well known for its cultural contributions to the identity of the American south.
Many notable blues musicians grew up in and around the Memphis and
northern Mississippi area. These included such musical greats as Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, B.B. King, and Howlin' Wolf.[6]
Geography and climate
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Memphis is located in southwestern Tennessee at 35°7′3″N, 89°58′16″W.[7] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 313.8 sq mi (763.4 km²), of which 302.3 sq mi (723.4 km²) is land and 15.4 sq mi (40.0 km²), or 5.24%, is water.
Cityscape
The city of Memphis is located in southwestern Tennessee and sits on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River. It is the regional hub for a tri-state area of Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee. Interstate 40 (I-40) enters the city from the northeast, and loops above the central part of the city, exiting across the Mississippi River and travelling to the west. Interstate 55 approaches the city from the south and connects with Interstate 240, which completes the loop around central Memphis with I-40, and also leaves to the west.
Aquifer
Shelby County is located over four natural aquifers,
one of which is recognized as the "Memphis sand aquifer" or simply as
the "Memphis aquifer". This particular water source, located some 350
to 1100 ft (100 - 330 m) underground, is stated to contain more than
100 trillion gallons (380 km³) of water by Memphis Light, Gas, and Water.[8]
Climate
Memphis has a humid subtropical climate, with four distinct seasons. The average high and low in July are 92°F (33°C) and 73°F (23°C), with high levels of humidity due to moisture encroaching from the Gulf of Mexico.
Afternoon thunderstorms are frequent during some summers, but usually
brief, lasting no longer than an hour. Early Autumn is pleasantly drier
and mild, but can remain hot until late October. Winters are mild to
chilly, with average January high and low temperatures of 49°F (9°C)
and 31°F (-1°C). Late Autumn is rainy and colder; December is the third
rainiest month of the year. Snow does occur sporadically in winter, with an average annual accumulation of 5.1 inches (12.9cm).
People and culture
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Demographics
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 650,100 people, 250,721 households, and 158,455 families residing in the city. The population density
was 2,327.4 people per sq mi (898.6/km²). There were 271,552 housing
units at an average density of 972.2 per sq mi (375.4/km²). The racial
makeup of the city was 61.41% African American, 34.41% White, 1.46% Asian, 0.19% Native American, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.45% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.97% of the population.
The Memphis Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), the 42nd largest in the United States, has a 2003 population of 1,239,337, and includes the Tennessee counties of Shelby, Tipton, and Fayette, as well as the Mississippi counties of DeSoto, Marshall, Tate, and Tunica, and the Arkansas county of Crittenden.
Crime
While in 2004, violent crime in Memphis was at a record low for more
than a decade, that trend has changed. In 2005, Memphis was ranked the
4th most dangerous city with a population of 500,000 or higher in the
U.S.[9]
Crime in Memphis increased in 2005, and has seen a dramatic rise in the
first half of 2006. Nationally, cities follow similar trends, and crime
numbers tend to be cyclic. Local experts and criminologists cite as
possible causes to the rise in crime in Memphis to gang recruitment,
and to a reduction of federal funding by 66% to the Memphis Police Department.
In the first half of 2006, robbery of businesses increased 52.5%,
robbery of individuals increased 28.5%, and homicide increased 18% over
the same period of 2005. The Memphis Police Department has responded
with the initiation of Operation Blue C.R.U.S.H. (Crime Reduction Using
Statistical History), which targets crime hotspots and repeat offenders.[10]
Memphis ended 2005 with 154 murders, 2006 ended with 160 murders. In
2006, the Memphis metropolitan area ranked second most dangerous in the
nation.[11]
In 2006, Memphis ranked number one in violent crimes for major
cities around the U.S according to the FBI's annual crime rankings,
where it had ranked 2nd in 2005.[12]
Cultural events
One of the largest celebrations in Memphis is Memphis in May.
The month-long series of events promotes Memphis' heritage and outreach
of its people far beyond the city's borders. Part of this festival is
the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, the largest pork barbecue cooking contest in the world.
Carnival Memphis,
is an annual series of parties and festivities in the month of June
that salutes various aspects of Memphis and its industries. An annual
King and Queen of Carnival are secretly selected to reign over Carnival
activities.
An arts festival, the Cooper-Young Festival, is held annually in September in the Cooper-Young district of Midtown Memphis.
The event draws artists from all over North America, and includes art
sales, contests, and displays. Fall also brings the Mid-South Fair to
the city each year.
The arts
Memphis is the home of founders and establishers of various American music genres, including Blues, Gospel, Rock n' Roll, and "sharecropper" country music (in contrast to the "rhinestone" country sound of Nashville). Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, and B. B. King
were all getting their starts in Memphis in the 1950s. They are
respectively dubbed the "King" of Country, Rock n' Roll, and Blues.
Well-known writers from Memphis include Civil War historian Shelby Foote and playwright Tennessee Williams.
Memphis in the arts
Memphis is the subject of many major pop and country songs, including "Memphis" by Chuck Berry, "Queen of Memphis" by Confederate Railroad, "Memphis Soul Stew" by King Curtis, "Maybe It Was Memphis" by Pam Tillis, "Graceland" by Paul Simon, "Memphis Train" by Rufus Thomas, and "Walking in Memphis" by Marc Cohn.
In addition, Memphis is mentioned in scores of other songs, including "Proud Mary" by Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Honky Tonk Women" by the Rolling Stones, "Life Is a Highway" by Tom Cochrane, "Black Velvet" by Alannah Myles, and many others.
Religion
Since its founding, Memphis has been home to persons of many
different faiths. An 1870 map of Memphis shows religious buildings of
the Baptist, Catholic, Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian, Congregational, and Christian denominations and a Jewish congregation.[13]
In 2008, places of worship exist for Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus.
Bellevue Baptist Church is a Southern Baptist megachurch
in Memphis that was founded in the early 20th century. Its current
membership is approximately 27,000. For many years, it was led by Adrian Rogers, a former three term president of the Southern Baptist Convention.
The international headquarters of the Church of God in Christ is located in Memphis. Named after the denomination's founder, Charles Harrison Mason, Mason Temple is where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech the day before he was killed.
Memphis is the seat of a Roman Catholic Diocese.
Economy
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The city's central location has led to much of its business
development. Located on the Mississippi River and intersected by two Interstate highways,
Memphis is ideally located for commerce among the transportation and
shipping industry. The city is home to the world's busiest cargo airport, which serves as the primary hub for FedEx shipping.
Memphis is home to a growing number of nationally and
internationally known corporations, including approximately 150
businesses from 22 countries. This includes the corporate headquarters
of FedEx Corporation, AutoZone Incorporated and International Paper.
The entertainment and film industry has developed in recent years. Several major motion pictures have been filmed in Memphis, including The Firm (1993), Cast Away (2000) and Walk the Line (2005).
The city appeared in the top eight of the 50 best major metro areas
in the U.S. for starting and growing a business in 2000, according to Inc. magazine.
Government
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Memphis is governed by a mayor and thirteen City Council
members, six elected at large from throughout the city and seven
elected from geographic districts. In 1995, the council adopted a new
district plan which changed council positions to all districts. This
plan provides for nine districts, seven with one representative each
and two districts with three representatives each. The current mayor of
the city of Memphis is Dr. W. W. Herenton
In recent years, there has been discussion of the potential of a consolidation of Shelby County and Memphis into a metropolitan government, similar to that in Nashville.
Education
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Early nursing class in Memphis
The city is served by Memphis City Schools while surrounding suburbs in other areas of Shelby County are served by Shelby County Schools.
Colleges and universities located in the city include the University of Memphis (formerly Memphis State University), Rhodes College (formerly Southwestern at Memphis), Memphis College of Art, Le Moyne-Owen College, Crichton College, Christian Brothers University and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (Colleges of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Graduate Health Sciences and Allied Health Sciences).
The University of Tennessee College of Dentistry was founded in 1878
making it the oldest dental college in the South, and the third oldest
public college of dentistry in the United States.[14]
Transportation
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Highways
Interstate 40 (I-40) and Interstate 55
(I-55) are the main freeways in the Memphis area. The interstates I-40
and I-55 (along with rail lines) cross the Mississippi at Memphis into
the state of Arkansas.
Railroad
A large volume of railroad freight traffic moves through Memphis,
thanks to two Mississippi River railroad crossings and the convergence
of several east-west and north-south rail lines.
By the early 20th Century, Memphis had two major rail passenger stations. After rail passenger service declined at mid-century, Memphis Union Station was razed in 1969. Memphis Central Station[15] was renovated and now serves Amtrak's famed City of New Orleans, providing service between Chicago and New Orleans.
Airport
Memphis is served by Memphis International Airport, which handles more cargo than any other airport in the world as of 2007.
River port
Memphis also has the 2nd biggest cargo port on the Mississippi River (the 4th biggest inland port in the United States).[16] The International Port of Memphis covers the Tennessee and Arkansas sides of the Mississippi River from river mile 725 (km 1167) to mile 740 (km 1191).[17]
Bridges
Four rail and highway bridges cross the Mississippi River at Memphis. They are, in order of their opening year: Frisco Bridge (1892), Harahan Bridge (1916), Memphis-Arkansas Memorial Bridge (1949) and the Hernando de Soto Bridge (1973).
Tourism and recreation
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Museums and art collections
Many museums of interest are located in Memphis.
National Civil Rights Museum
The National Civil Rights Museum is located in the former Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. It includes a historical overview of the American civil rights movement.
Brooks Museum of Art
The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, founded in 1916, is the oldest and largest fine art museum in the state of Tennessee.[18] The Brooks' permanent collection includes works from the Italian Renaissance and Baroque eras to British, French Impressionists, and 20th-century artists.
Graceland
Graceland, the former home of Rock 'n' Roll legend Elvis Presley, is one of the most visited houses in the United States (second only to the White House),
attracting over 600,000 domestic and international visitors a year.
Featured at Graceland are two of Presley's private airplanes, his
extensive automobile and motorcycle collection and other Elvis
memorabilia. On November 7, 1991 Graceland was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.[19]
Pink Palace
The Pink Palace Museum,
serves as the Mid-South's major science and historical museum, and
features exhibits ranging from archeology to chemistry. It includes
America's third largest planetarium and an IMAX Theatre. One exhibit features a replica of the original Piggly Wiggly store, the first self-service grocery store, commemorating the invention of the supermarket by Memphian Clarence Saunders in 1916.
Memphis Walk of Fame
The Memphis Walk of Fame is a public exhibit located in the Beale Street
historic district, which is modelled after the Hollywood Walk of Fame,
but is designated exclusively for Memphis musicians, singers, writers,
and composers. Honorees include W. C. Handy, B. B. King, Bobby Blue Bland, and Alberta Hunter among others.
Mud Island River Park
Mud Island River Park and Mississippi River Museum
is located on Mud Island in downtown Memphis. The Park is noted for its
River Walk. The River walk is a 2112:1 scale working model showing
1000 mi (1600 km) of the Lower Mississippi River, from Cairo, Illinois to New Orleans, Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico. 30 in
(75 cm) in the model equal 1 mi (1.6 km) of the Mississippi River. The
Walk stretches roughly 0.5 mi (800 m), allowing visitors to walk in the
water and see models of cities and bridges along the way.
Victorian Village
Victorian Village
is a historic district of Memphis featuring a series of fine
Victorian-era mansions, some of which are open to the public as museums.
Cotton Museum
The Cotton Museum is a museum that opened in March 2006 on the old trading floor of the Memphis Cotton Exchange at 65 Union Avenue in downtown Memphis.
Parks
Major Memphis parks include W.C. Handy Park, Tom Lee Park, Audubon Park, Overton Park including the Old Forest Arboretum of Overton Park, the Lichterman Nature Center - a nature learning center, and the Memphis Botanic Garden.
Shelby Farms park, located at the eastern edge of the city, is one of the largest urban parks in America.
Cemeteries
The Memphis National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located in north Memphis.
Historic Elmwood Cemetery is one of the first rural garden cemeteries in the South, and contains the Carlisle S. Page Arboretum.
Other points of interest
Beale Street
Blues fans can visit Beale Street, where a young B.B. King
used to play his guitar. He occasionally still appears there at the
club bearing his name, which he partially owns. Street performers play
live music, and bars and clubs feature live entertainment around the
clock. In 2008, Beale Street is the most visited tourist attraction in
the state of Tennessee.
Sun studio
Sun studio was where Elvis Presley
first recorded "My Happiness" and "That's When Your Heartaches Begin".
Other famous musicians who got their start at Sun include Johnny Cash, Rufus Thomas, Charlie Rich, Howlin' Wolf, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis.
Memphis Zoo
The Memphis Zoo, which is located in midtown Memphis, features many exhibits of mammals, birds, fish, and amphibians from all over the world.
Other
Other Memphis attractions include the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium (also at the Midsouth Fairgrounds), the Pyramid Arena, FedExForum, and the Memphis Queen riverboat cruises.
Sports
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Memphis is home to several professional sports teams.
Memphis has a fertile history when it comes to pro wrestling. The sport's greatest name to come out of the city is Jerry "The King" Lawler.
Memphis is also home to Memphis Motorsports Park, just north of the city on the outskirts of Memphis and Millington.
See also
References
- ^ a b "Table
1: Annual Estimates of the Population for Incorporated Places Over
100,000, Ranked by July 1, 2007 Population: April 1, 2000 to July 1,
2007" (CSV). 2007 Population Estimates. United States Census Bureau, Population Division (2008-07-14). Retrieved on 2008-07-14.
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture - Fort Prudhomme and La Salle
- ^ City of Memphis Website - History of Memphis
- ^ Peter Guralnick. New York Times, August 11, 2007
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Memphis Light, Gas, and Water Website - About Our Services
- ^ Morgan Quitno 2006 Crime Rankings
- ^ Ashby, Andrew (2006-04-07). "Operation Blue C.R.U.S.H. Advances at MPD". Memphis Daily News 121 (76). Retrieved on 2007-08-02.
- ^ Morgan Quitno 2007 Crime Rankings
- ^ Conley, Christopher (2007-09-27). "Memphis leads U.S. in violent crime". Commercial Appeal. Retrieved on 2007-10-31.
- ^ Bird's eye view of the city of Memphis, Tennessee 1870.
- ^ University of Tennessee-Memphis Dentistry Website
- ^ Memphis Central Station Pictures
- ^ Top US Inland Ports for 2003
- ^ Port of Memphis website - About Page
- ^ http://www.brooksmuseum.org Memphis Brooks Museum of Art
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2007-01-23).
External links
Coordinates: 35°07′03″N 89°58′16″W / 35.117365, -89.971068
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Colleges and universities in the Memphis Metro Area |
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