Everything about Memphis Tn totally explained
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 4
th 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
17th largest in the
United States
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
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.
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.
Geography and climate
Memphis is located in southwestern Tennessee at . 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.
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
Demographics
As of the
census 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.
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 two major pop songs,
Graceland by
Paul Simon, and
Walking in Memphis by Marc Cohn.
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.
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
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
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
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.
Transportation
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 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). 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).
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
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. 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.
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
Memphis is home to several professional sports teams.
Memphis Redbirds of the Pacific Coast League, a Triple A baseball farm team for the St. Louis Cardinals
Mississippi RiverKings, a professional hockey team of the Central Hockey League
Memphis Panthers, a football team that plays in the North American Football League
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.
Further Information
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