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“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Historical Markers and War Memorials in Memphis, Tennessee

 
Clickable Map of Shelby County, Tennessee and Immediately Adjacent Jurisdictions image/svg+xml 2019-10-06 U.S. Census Bureau, Abe.suleiman; Lokal_Profil; HMdb.org; J.J.Prats/dc:title> https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Usa_counties_large.svg Shelby County, TN (490) Fayette County, TN (18) Tipton County, TN (34) Crittenden County, AR (27) Mississippi County, AR (52) DeSoto County, MS (27) Marshall County, MS (29)  ShelbyCounty(490) Shelby County (490)  FayetteCounty(18) Fayette County (18)  TiptonCounty(34) Tipton County (34)  CrittendenCountyArkansas(27) Crittenden County (27)  MississippiCounty(52) Mississippi County (52)  DeSotoCountyMississippi(27) DeSoto County (27)  MarshallCounty(29) Marshall County (29)
Memphis is the county seat for Shelby County
Memphis is in Shelby County
      Shelby County (490)  
ADJACENT TO SHELBY COUNTY
      Fayette County (18)  
      Tipton County (34)  
      Crittenden County, Arkansas (27)  
      Mississippi County, Arkansas (52)  
      DeSoto County, Mississippi (27)  
      Marshall County, Mississippi (29)  
 
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Touch blue arrow, or on map, to go there.
1 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 38 — American Cutoff Mile/Greenville, Mississippi/Tarpley CutoffPanel #38 Mississippi Riverwalk
A) American Cutoff Mile Mile 526.5 AHP In the flood of 1858, the Mississippi cut through the neck of American Bend, and the abandoned river bed was renamed Lake Lee. The first steamboat to try to navigate the American Cutoff was the . . . Map (db m115525) HM
2 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — Arkansas & White Rivers
The Mississippi’s southernmost major tributary, the Arkansas, is born from melting snow on the eastern slopes of the Continental Divide near Leadville, Colorado. Its 1,450-mile course drains 160,500 square miles in five states. Despite dramatic . . . Map (db m115008) HM
3 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — Armstrong Field Reported missing
This was the site of one of the earliest airports in the Memphis area. Named for Lt. Guion Armstrong, a Memphis pilot killed in World War I, it was dedicated Nov. 11, 1926. Charles A. Lindbergh landed here on Oct. 3, 1927 (four months after his . . . Map (db m221425) HM
4 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 39 — Ashbrook Cutoff/Eunice Landing, Arkansas/Arkansas City, ArkansasPanel #39 Mississippi Riverwalkk
A) Ashbrook Cutoff Mile 549.0 AHP Rowdy Bend was the first of four consecutive loops, in this stretch of the river that pilots called the “Greenville Bends.” Rowdy Bend kept getting longer despite efforts to stabilize it, and . . . Map (db m115526) HM
5 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 17 — Baton Rouge, LouisianaPanel #17 Mississippi Riverwalk — Mile 228.4 AHP —
Baton Rouge is the capital of Louisiana... going navigation on the Mississippi River. ...gas fields in Louisiana, Texas, and Oklahoma... a major processing and transportation... industry. The French built the first fort here in 1819. They . . . Map (db m114996) HM
6 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 6 — Belle Chasse, Louisiana/English Turn Bend/Caernarvon Crevasse/Poydras CrevassePanel #6 Mississippi Riverwalk
A) Belle Chasse, Louisiana Mile 75.9 AHP Belle Chasse Plantation was the home of Judah P. Benjamin, often called “the brains of the Confederate government.” He served as Attorney General Secretary of War and Secretary of . . . Map (db m114921) HM
7 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 10 — Bonnet Carre Spillway/Lake PontchartrainPanel #10 Mississippi Riverwalk
A) Bonnet Carre Spillway Mile 128.0 AHP Completed in 1935, the Bonnet Carre Spillway protects New Orleans, LA and the levees around it by diverting flood waters into Lake Pontchartrain. The one and a half mile long concrete structure . . . Map (db m114925) HM
8 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 65 — Cairo, IllinoisPanel #65 Mississippi Riverwalk — Mile 954.0 AHP —
Cairo's position at the confluence of the Upper Mississippi and Ohio made it an important river and rail junction in the steamboat era. Changes in America's shipping patterns reduced its role in the 20th Century but it remains an active port and . . . Map (db m114728) HM
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9 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — Calvary Cemetery
Consecrated in 1867 to serve the booming populations of the Catholic Irish, Germans and Italians, Calvary became the second Catholic Cemetery in Shelby County. Msgr. Martin Riordan, V.G., of St. Patrick Parish, was a leading proponent and advocate . . . Map (db m19032) HM
10 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 4E 145 — Chew C. Sawyer1918-1973
Chew C. Sawyer was a mid-twentieth century African-American entrepreneur. He founded Sawyer Realty Company, which later became Cornette Realty; Arnette Construction Company; Future Insurance Agency; and Sawyer Rental Agency. In 1956, Sawyer founded . . . Map (db m86448) HM
11 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 4E 169 — Christian Brothers High School / Christian Brothers Band
Christian Brothers High School Christian Brothers High School, the oldest high school for boys in Memphis, opened November 21, 1871 as the secondary department of Christian Brothers College at 612 Adams Avenue. CBC was established by the . . . Map (db m63274) HM
12 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 15 — Claiborne Landing / Carville, Louisiana / Belle GrovePanel #15
A.Claiborne Landing Mile 188.3 AHP This was the plantation home of William C.C. Claiborne. At the age of 21, Claiborne helped write a constitution for the new state of Tennessee and five years later President Jefferson appointed him . . . Map (db m114995) HM
13 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 66 — Commercial Barge TrafficPanel # 66
Barges first appeared on the Mississippi River after the U. S. Civil War, as river interest tried to compete with the railroads’ growing domination. The railroads won this transportation duel and tows practically disappeared from the river until WWI . . . Map (db m115159) HM
14 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — Confederate States of America
When Southern states seceded from the Union in 1861, the Mississippi River became not only a vital commercial waterway, but also a strategic route through the heart of the Confederacy. The river proved to be the South's greatest weakness. At the . . . Map (db m82850) HM
15 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 30 — Davis Island, Mississippi/Kents IslandPanel #30 Mississippi Riverwalk
A) Davis Island, Mississippi Mile 415.0 AHP A large bend once curved around this land which the first settlers name Palmyra. Jefferson Davis established his Briercliffe Plantation here in 1835, next to his brother Joseph’s Hurricane . . . Map (db m115167) HM
16 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 62 — Donaldson Point, Missouri/Island No. 8/Hickman, Kentucky/Dorena CrevassePanel #62 Mississippi Riverwalk
A) Donaldson Point, Missouri Mile 905.3 AHP Union forces dug a canal across Donaldson Point in 1862 hoping to use it to bypass Confederate batteries at Island No. 10. The canal proved to be too shallow, but the rebels scuttled the . . . Map (db m114731) HM
17 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 14 — Donaldsonville, Louisiana/Bayou Lafourche/Geismar, LouisianaPanel #14 Mississippi Riverwalk
A) Donaldsonville, Louisiana Mile 175.0 AHP A trading post was established where Bayou Lafourche met the river in 1750, and a small community grew up around it. Most of the settlers were French, but the town was named . . . Map (db m114994) HM
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18 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — Eastland Presbyterian Church
Sunday school held in a schoolhouse led to the formation of Eastland Presbyterian Church November 11, 1906 with Dr. W.H. Gragg, Sr., E.H. Porter and Captain T.H. Savage, Elders. Dr. Gragg secured the lumber for the original frame building from the . . . Map (db m88498) HM
19 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — First Holiday Inn
The world’s first Holiday Inn was opened on this site, August 1, 1952 by Memphis entrepreneur Kemmons Wilson as a result of his unsatisfactory lodging experiences on a vacation the prior summer with his wife Dorothy and their five children. He soon . . . Map (db m63364) HM
20 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — France
France was the first nation to settle and develop the Lower Mississippi. Although they governed it for only 80 years, the French left a lasting impression on the river and its valley. In 1673, Louis Jolliet, a French trader, and Father Jacques . . . Map (db m53731) HM
21 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 4E 109 — G. P. Hamilton
Born in Memphis in 1867, G.P. Hamilton was the author of The Bright Side of Memphis, one of the earliest books on black residents of Memphis. In 1892 Hamilton, an honors graduate of LeMoyne, was appointed principal of Kortrecht, the first . . . Map (db m149022) HM
22 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 29 — Grand Gulf, Mississippi / Yucatan Cutoff / Big Black RiverPanel #29 Mississippi Riverwalk
A) Grand Gulf, Mississippi Mile 407.0 AHP A bluff jutting into the river at the old mouth of the Big Black River created perilous whirlpools that made Grand Gulf notorious among early flatboatmen. The town of Grand Gulf was established . . . Map (db m115164) HM
23 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — Grand Lake Cutoff/Worthington Cutoff/Kentucky BendPanel # 37
A. Grand Lake Cutoff Mile 511.0 AHP An oxbow lake two miles west of the river, Grand Lake, was removed from the channel by this natural cutoff in the 1700’s. The small river town of Princeton grew up on the west bank, with a busy landing. . . . Map (db m115524) HM
24 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — Great Britain
As early as the 1730's, a few British traders lived among the Chickasaw in this area, but Great Britain's brief ascendancy on the Lower Mississippi did not began until 1763. In that year, the British defeated France in the Seven Years' War and took . . . Map (db m82852) HM
25 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 1 — Head of Passes/Pilottown, LouisianaPanel #1 Mississippi Riverwalk
A) Head of Passes Mile 0.0 AHP The Mississippi River officially ends here, 954 miles from Cairo, Illinois. At this point, the stream divides into three channels, Pass a Louture, South Pass, and Southern Pass. They each branch into . . . Map (db m114914) HM
26 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 21 — Hog Point, Louisiana/Raccourci Cutoff/Caernarvon CrevassePanel #21 Mississippi Riverwalk
A) Hog Point, Louisiana Mile 298.2 AHP The channel off Hog Point, in the middle of Raccourci Cutoff, has long been one of the most troublesome stretches on the lower river. Constant dredging is required to keep the channel open. . . . Map (db m115003) HM
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27 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — Hutchison School
Mary Grimes Hutchison (1872-1962), a pioneer in rigorous education for girls in Memphis, opened her school in the Wesley Halliburton home in 1902. By 1925. Hutchison School had become a leading girls' college preparatory school, and its expanding . . . Map (db m200789) HM
28 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 11 — Hymelia Crevasse/Bonnet Carre Crevasse/Laplace, Louisiana/Reserve, LouisianaPanel #11 Mississippi Riverwalk
A) Hymelia Crevasse Mile 131.3 AHP In 1903, a 200-foot gap opened in the levee at Hymelia Plantation. One thousand laborers were put to work constructing a sandbag fill but a runaway barge crashed into the repairs and destroyed them. . . . Map (db m114926) HM
29 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 57 — Island No. 20/Cottonwood Point/Booth Point, Tennessee/Linwood BendPanel #57 Mississippi Riverwalk
A) Island No. 20 Mile 8290 AHP The wandering geography of Island No. 20 illustrates the Mississippi River's erratic nature. Navigation charts of 1801 show the island lying near the west bank. Later, the river moved and placed the . . . Map (db m114737) HM
30 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 63 — Island No. 5 (Wolf Island)/Belmont, Missouri/Columbus, KentuckyPanel #63 Mississippi Riverwalk
A) Island No. 5 (Wolf Island) Mile 933.0 AHP Kentucky and Missouri fought all the way to the U. S. Supreme Court for possession of Wolf Island. Missouri’s attorneys presented an array of old maps and navigation charts that showed the . . . Map (db m114730) HM
31 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 64 — Islands No. 2, 3, and 4 / Fort Jefferson, Kentucky / Bird’s Point, MissouriPanel #64 Mississippi Riverwalk
A) Islands No. 2, 3, and 4 Mile 940.5 AHP Zadok Cramer first numbered the islands of the Lower Mississippi River in his 1801 book, The Navigator. The number system allowed boatmen to exchange river information without becoming . . . Map (db m114729) HM
32 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 5 — Junior Crevasse/Poverty Point, Louisiana/Jesuits BendPanel #5 Mississippi Riverwalk
A) Junior Crevasse Mile 55.0 AHP During the great flood of April 1927, the steamship Inspector was fought erratic currents downstream past the Junior Plantation. The pilot lost control and the boat’s bow crashed into the levee. . . . Map (db m114920) HM
33 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 9 — Kenner, Louisiana/Davis Crevasse/Ormand Landing, LouisianaPanel #9 Mississippi Riverwalk
A) Kenner, Louisiana Mile 113.0 AHP This community grew up on a sugar plantation owned by the Kenner family and became a railroad stop in the antebellum years. During the U.S. Civil War, Union troops were sent to Kenner to destroy the . . . Map (db m114924) HM
34 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 35 — Lake Providence, Louisiana/Stack IslandPanel #35 Mississippi Riverwalk
A) Lake Providence, Louisiana Mile 487.3 AHP To guide a boat past this point without falling prey to murderous pirates of the area was considered an “act of providence” in the early 1800’s. Both the ancient oxbow lake to the . . . Map (db m115522) HM
35 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 12 — Lutcher, Louisiana/Oak Alley/St. James Landing, LouisianaPanel #12 Mississippi Riverwalk
A) Lutcher, Louisiana Mile 147.6 AHP Tobacco was never a very successful cash crop for early French settlers, with the notable exception of Pierre Channet, who lived near here. The “Perique tobacco” he developed is still . . . Map (db m114928) HM
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36 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 4E 63 — Memphis Martyrs
In August, 1878, fear of death caused a panic during which 30,000 of 50,000 Memphians fled this bluff city. By October, the epidemic of yellow fever killed 4,204 of 6,000 Caucasians and 946 of 14,000 Negros who stayed. With some outside help, . . . Map (db m7583) HM
37 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — Memphis University School
Founded in the downtown area in 1893 by Principals E.S. Werts and J.W.S Rhea, Memphis University School soon became the city's leading boys' preparartory school. Although the "old MUS" succumbed to the Great Depression in 1936, alumni and friends . . . Map (db m87087) HM
38 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — Memphis,Tennessee/Mud Island
Memphis, Tennessee Its central location on the Mississippi River has been the basis for Memphis’s growth. The fourth Chickasaw Bluff was long occupied by the Native American tribe for whom it was named. France and later Spain built forts there . . . Map (db m115006) HM
39 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — Mertie's Lake and the Buckman Water Science Trail
Mertie W. Buckman was known in Memphis as a prominent philanthropist who provided her talent, energy and financial support to many initiatives in our community. She wanted her life to make a difference-to connect to and impact the larger . . . Map (db m132048) HM
40 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — Mosby-Bennett House
This property has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the InteriorMap (db m200794) HM
41 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 40 — Mounds Landing Crevasse/Cypress Bend/Caulk Neck CutoffPanel #40 Mississippi Riverwalk
A0 Mounds Landing Crevasse Mile 560.5 AHP The Mounds Landing Crevasse was the most disastrous levee break during the great flood of 1927. The levee was old, originally built in 1867, and a ferryboat’s frequent landings had weakened the . . . Map (db m115528) HM
42 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 18 — Mulatto Bend/Springfield Bend/Profit IslandPanel # 18
A. Mulatto Bend Mile 236.6 AHP A group of Mulatto Freedmen of French dissent established a settlement here in the early 1800’s and the river pilots named it Mulatto Bend. Wilkinson Point at the crook of the bend suffered a major washout in . . . Map (db m115000) HM
43 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 4E 10 — Nashoba
To the south lay this plantation. Here, in 1827, a Scottish spinster heiress named Francis Wright set up a colony whose aims were the enforcement of cooperative living and other advanced sociological experiments. It failed in 1830.Map (db m85673) HM
44 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 25 — Natchez Island / Vidalia, Louisiana / Giles CutoffPanel # 25
A. Natchez Island Mile 357.5 AHP Now joined to the Louisiana shore, this island was the site of one of the last steamboat accidents on the Mississippi River. The Tennessee Belle was a 38-year veteran of the river trade when she caught fire . . . Map (db m115162) HM
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45 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 26 — Natchez, MississippiPanel # 26
French settlers arrived in the early 1700’s establishing Fort Rosalie and a small plantation. The Natchez attacked in 1729, killing most of the settlers and French retaliation virtually destroyed the tribe. The British arrived in 1763, but Spain . . . Map (db m115161) HM
46 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 61 — New Madrid, Missouri/Cates Casting Field/Island No. 10Panel #61 Mississippi Riverwalk
A) New Madrid, Missouri Mile 888.7 AHP The New Madrid townsite was laid out in 1788 by Colonel George Morgan, who had brought settlers, hoping to make it the capital of an independent Spanish-allied state. The expected land grant from . . . Map (db m114732) HM
47 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 8 — New Orleans, LouisianaPanel #8 Mississippi Riverwalk
Mile 95.0 AHP Throughout its long and colorful history, New Orleans has been both a center of commerce and Mecca for seekers of a good time. As the Mississippi’s gateway to international trade, it has become the third largest port in the . . . Map (db m114923) HM
48 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — North Carolina
In the 1700s, the western boundary of the British Crown Colony of North Carolina extended, in theory, to the Mississippi River. Much of this was academic, however, and the western Tennessee territory which bordered the river was in fact the . . . Map (db m53732) HM
49 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — Ohio River
Winding 981 miles to Cairo, Illinois from its Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania head, the Ohio has been an important force in America’s history and its economy. Pioneers made it the highroad to western expansion after the American Revolution. The Ohio . . . Map (db m114727) HM
50 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 3 — Ostrica Lock/Buras, Louisiana/Empire Lock/Nairn, LouisianaPanel #3 Mississippi Riverwalk
A) Ostrica Lock Mile 25.2 AHP This lock connects the river to the Gulf of Mexico through a short channel extending north into Breton Sound. It is used chiefly by fishermen, crew boats, and pleasure craft. B) Buras, Louisiana . . . Map (db m114916) HM
51 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 24 — Palmetto Bend/Jackson Point/St. Catherine’s Creek/Ellis CliffsPanel # 24
A.Palmetto Bend Mile 326.0 AHP This bend and the plantation that lay on its bank were named for the Palmetto, a type of palm tree that was utilized by early settlers and found in abundance in this area. The trunks made durable wharf . . . Map (db m115158) HM
52 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 16 — Plaquemine, Louisiana/Manchac BendPanel #16 Mississippi Riverwalk
A) Plaquemine, Louisiana Mile 208.2 AHP The settlement that arose at the mouth of the Bayou Plaquemine took as its name the Native American word for the fruit, persimmon. Early settlers traveled on the bayou, but as the Mississippi . . . Map (db m114992) HM
53 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — Plastic Products Record PlantHub of Rock 'N' Roll — 1746 Chelsea —
A key part of the rock 'n' roll wave that swept America in the 1950s started in these Quonset huts. R. E. "Buster” Williams, a self-educated engineer, opened Plastic Products in 1949 with equipment he had researched and designed himself. . . . Map (db m149041) HM
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54 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 4 — Point a La Hache, Louisiana/Magnolia Plantation, LouisianaPanel #4 Mississippi Riverwalk
A) Point a La Hache, Louisiana Mile 45.0 AHP French explorers named the slight curve in the river bank “Point of the Axe.” It is the end of the Mainline Levee System on the east bank. B) Magnolia Plantation, Louisiana . . . Map (db m114919) HM
55 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 19 — Port Hudson, Louisiana/Fausse River CutoffPanel #19 Mississippi Riverwalk
A) Port Hudson, Louisiana Mile 256.0 AHP This settlement began as a trading post and by the time of the U.S. Civil War, it was an important shipping center with both a steamboat landing and a rail line to the east. The Confederates . . . Map (db m115001) HM
56 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 59 — Reelfoot LakePanel #59 Mississippi Riverwalk — Mile 873.0 AHP —
A tremendous earthquake struck this region on December 16, 1811, beginning a three-month series of violent quakes that devastated over 40,000 square miles. Named for the largest settlement in the region, the New Madrid earthquakes altered local . . . Map (db m114736) HM
57 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 28 — Rodney Cutoff/Bayou PierrePanel #28 Mississippi Riverwalk
A) Rodney Cutoff Mile 388.0 AHP Opened in 1936 the Rodney Cutoff bypassed an old river bend and the ghost town that once was the busy river town of Rodney. Over 4,000 people lived in the town of Rodney in the 1850’s and its bustling port . . . Map (db m115165) HM
58 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 4E 47 — Shelby County / Memphis
Shelby County Established 1819; named in honor of ISAAC SHELBY who, along with Andrew Jackson, was appointed United States Commissioner; together they arranged the purchase of the Western District from the Chickasaw Indian Nation . . . Map (db m82859) HM
59 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — Shelby County Hospital / Shelby County Center
Shelby County Hospital Completed in June of 1935, the Shelby County Hospital at Shelby Farms was built here as a replacement for both the much older Shelby County Hospital, located on the workhouse grounds at Jackson Avenue, and the "County . . . Map (db m149046) HM
60 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 36 — Skipwith Crevasse/Sara Cutoff/Island No. 89Panel #36 Mississippi Riverwalk
A. Skipwith Crevasse Mile 499.4 AHP When the levee at Skipwith Plantation broke in the flood of 1913, the water poured slowly through the break. Couriers on horseback were able to alert the residents of the Mississippi-Yazoo Delta, and no . . . Map (db m116150) HM
61 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — Spain
The Spanish were the first Europeans to discover the Lower Mississippi, but 260 years of shifting international politics allowed them only occasional sovereignty over the area. Hernando DeSoto's pioneering expedition stumbled on the Mississippi . . . Map (db m53733) HM
62 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — Tennessee
Although eastern Tennessee was settled in the 1770's, Western Tennessee was still wilderness when the state was admitted to the Union in 1796. Fort Pickering, a trading post of the Fourth Chickasaw Bluff was located near present day Memphis. At the . . . Map (db m82862) HM
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63 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — Tennessee River/Cumberland River
Tennessee River Originally one of the wildest rivers east of the Mississippi, the Tennessee has become a major waterway in the southeastern United States. From headwaters above Knoxville, Tennessee the Tennessee first flows south on a . . . Map (db m114726) HM
64 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 22 — The Atchafalaya ProblemPanel #22
The Threat of drastic change in the Lower Mississippi River channel at the Old River Junction has been the most serious problem in the modern history of the river. The Mississippi once curved westward in this area through Turnbill’s Bend. In 1831, . . . Map (db m116183) HM
65 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 7 — The Battle of New OrleansChalmette, Louisiana — Panel #7 Mississippi Riverwalk —
Mile 90.2 AHP Word of the treaty signed in December 1814, was slow to reach the countryside south of New Orleans, LA. Before dawn on January 8, 1815, General Andrew Jackson’s American troops were waiting for a British attack. Commanded . . . Map (db m114922) HM
66 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — The Lynching of Ell Persons
Near this spot on May 22, 1917, a lynching party chained Ell Persons to a log, doused him in gasoline, and burned him alive. An estimated 5,000 spectators witnessed his death or viewed his remains soon afterward. Persons, a black woodcutter who . . . Map (db m103638) HM
67 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — The Lynching of Wash Henley
Near this spot on the night of January 15, 1869, a group of masked horsemen lynched Wash Henley, a black Union army veteran, for running away with his white employer's teenage daughter. Henley, born about 1841 in Mississippi, had served as . . . Map (db m146805) HM
68 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — The Mississippi Riverwalk
The Riverwalk is a portrait of Old Man River in the miniature-the winding 1.000-mile journey of the lower Mississippi reproduced in a one-half mile concrete sculpture. On a horizontal scale of 30 inches, or one step, to the mile, this flowing . . . Map (db m114725)
69 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — The Omlie TowerVernon Cleophas Omlie (1895-1936) Phoebe Fairgrave Omlie (1902-1975)
Vernon Omlie, a flight instructor during World War I, and Phoebe Fairgrave began barnstorming in the Midwest in 1921. They landed in Memphis a year later, married and opened the first commercial aviation company in Memphis. Mid-South Airways, Inc. . . . Map (db m89711) HM
70 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — This Chimney Swift Tower
This chimney swift tower celebrates the work of Ben and Lula Coffey who directed members of the Tennessee Ornithological Society, Boy Scouts, and others in banding 113,000 swifts from 1932 to 1959. Rediscovery of six of the bands in Peru helped to . . . Map (db m108330) HM
71 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — Thomas Moss ~ Calvin McDowell ~ William Henry StewartThe Lynching at the Curve
In March of 1892, business partners Thomas Moss, Calvin McDowell and William Henry Stewart were arrested for defending an attack on their store, The People's Grocery. The white competitor and the deputy sheriffs he hired were met with gunfire. . . . Map (db m141200) HM
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72 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 60 — Tiptonville, Tennessee/Bixby TowheadPanel #60 Mississippi Riverwalk
A) Tiptonville, Tennessee Mile 872.8 AHP Its ridge-top location has kept Tiptonville dry through every flood since it was founded in the early 1800s. It was a flourishing little river town by the beginning of the Civil War, and served as . . . Map (db m114735) HM
73 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 2 — Venice Louisiana/Fort Jackson, Louisiana/Fort St. PhillipPanel #2 Mississippi Riverwalk
A) Venice Louisiana Mile 10.8 AHP Venice lies at the end of the longest continuous levee line in the world, stretching 650 miles north to the Arkansas River. It is the last town accessible by a highway on the west bank of the . . . Map (db m114915) HM
74 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 31 — VicksburgPanel #31 Mississippi Riverwalk
A) Vicksburg Mile 437.1 AHP A flourishing river port in the antebellum of Vicksburg was the site of a major Turing point of the U. S. Civil War. The Mississippi later changed course and by-passed the valley, but a man-made canal has . . . Map (db m115168) HM
75 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — Waterproof, Louisiana/Ashland Landing, MississippiPanel # 27
A. Waterproof, Louisiana Mile 381.0 AHP This small community was moved four times due to floods and the towns caving banks. The original location is now said to lie in the Mississippi River. During its third washout, a newspaper reported . . . Map (db m115163) HM
76 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 13 — White Hall Plantation/Union, Louisiana/Point HoumasPanel #13 Mississippi Riverwalk
A) White Hall Plantation Mile 166.0 AHP One of the most effective Confederate gun batteries on the river was located near White Hall. When it was bombarded by the Union Ironclad, Monongahela in 1863, the vessel’s commander was . . . Map (db m114993) HM
77 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 34 — Willow Cutoff/Salem Crevasse/Goodrich Landing,LouisianaPanel #34 Mississippi Riverwalk
A) Willow Cutoff Mile 464.3 AHP Before 1913, the lower Mississippi took a sharp turn east in this area, in a 14-mile long bend through what is now Lake Albemarle. During the 1913 flood, the river abandoned Albermarle Bend, taking a . . . Map (db m115521) HM
78 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 33 — Young’s Point / Milliken’s Bend / Omega LandingPanel #33 Mississippi Riverwalk
A) Young’s Point Mile 443.5 AHP Before he began digging at Milliken’s Bend, General U.S. Grant had tried to build a canal below Young’s Point. If successful, the project would have created an artificial cutoff and diverted the river . . . Map (db m115169) HM
79 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis — 4E 94 — Zion Cemetery
Zion Cemetery, comprising 15 acres, was established in 1876 by the United Sons of Zion Association, a group of former slaves who responded to the need for a respectable burial site for African-Americans. It is the final resting place for many . . . Map (db m86450) HM
80 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Annesdale Park — 4E 92 — Annesdale Park Subdivision
Developed as an exclusive neighborhood in 1903 by Brinkley Snowden and T. O. Vinton, Annesdale Park was the first subdivision in the South planned upon metropolitan lines. It was considered an important display of confidence in the city's future. . . . Map (db m83793) HM
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81 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Audubon Park — Elvis Presley House
On March 20, 1956 Elvis Presley and his parents, Vernon and Gladys, moved into 1034 Audubon Drive purchased with royalties from his first million-dollar-selling record, “Heartbreak Hotel.” It was the year that defined his career. The home . . . Map (db m200798) HM
82 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Audubon Park — Gen. James M. Kennedy Hospital
A U.S. Army hospital on this site treated more than 44,000 combat veterans during World War II. Opened Jan. 23, 1943, it was named for the late Brig. Gen. James M. Kennedy, distinguished Army surgeon and veteran of both the Spanish-American War and . . . Map (db m84660) HM
83 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Audubon Park — The Beginning
Larry O. Finch, the pride of Memphis'Orange Mound community, was born February 16, 1951. The oldest child of Maple and James Finch, Larry honed his basketball skills on neighborhood playgrounds and quickly earned the nickname "Dirty Red," because of . . . Map (db m214295) HM
84 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Audubon Park — The Player
Larry was recruited by several colleges. But a scholarship offer from Memphis State University became controversial. His supporters urged him to leave Memphis because of racial tension following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. But . . . Map (db m214303) HM
85 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Bartlett Corporate Park — Oak Grove Baptist Church
Named Oak Grove because of its original location in a grove of Oak trees, the history of the church began with a small group of "freed" blacks in 1863. Mary C. and Ella J. Williams of Williams plantation permitted the members to use a parcel of the . . . Map (db m88310) HM
86 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Binghampton — 199 — Joseph HanoverRoad to the 19th Amendment — National Votes for Women Trail —
Joseph Hanover As floor leader in State House, led successful effort to enfranchise women by ratifying 19th amendment in 1920. Lived here.Map (db m214696) HM
87 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Binghampton — 4E 181 — Rock of Ages Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
African Americans formed the Rock of Ages Colored Methodist Episcopal congregation c. 1907. The congregation moved into a new church in 1956, when it became the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church (CME). The name change signaled the . . . Map (db m149044) HM
88 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Castalia Heights — Heiskell Farm Reported missing
Joseph B. Heiskell obtained a farm surrounding this location about 1867. He was Chairman of Code Commission of 1858 establishing the first official Code of Tennessee, member of the First Confederate Congress 1862, member of Convention of 1870 . . . Map (db m87996) HM
89 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Chickasaw Gardens — Clarence Saunders' "Pink Palace"
Clarence Saunders, whose self-service groceries were followed by modern supermarkets, started construction of this building for his home in 1922. It was incomplete when he lost an epic Stock Exchange battle. Developers who bought the grounds gave . . . Map (db m74831) HM
90 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Colonial Acres — 4E 173 — Tragic Accident Sparks Sanitation Strike
Side 1 On February 1, 1968, sanitation workers Echol Cole and Robert Walker took shelter from the rain inside their truck's garbage barrel because they had no raincoats. One block south of here, at the corner of Colonial and Verne, the . . . Map (db m83491) HM
91 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Cooper-Young — John B. WeatherallHero-Loved One — 1900-1953 —
On the tragic day of September 12, 1953, John Weatherall gave his life in dedication to his job at Peabody Elementary School. WWI Veteran, devoted family man and custodian of Peabody Elementary, John Weatherall became aware of a fire at the school . . . Map (db m84836) HM
92 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Cooper-Young — Johnny CashFebruary 26, 1932 - September 12, 2003
Sun Studio recording artist whose first live performance in December 1954 at the Galloway Methodist Church (in background) was followed by):
• 100 Million records sold • Grammy Awards • 48 singles on Billboard Hot 100 Pop . . . Map (db m163943) HM
93 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Cooper-Young — Johnny Cash's First Performance / Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two
Johnny Cash's First Performance The singer-songwriter who became know as "The Man in Black," Johnny Cash launched his music career on this site in December 1954. Working as a door-to-door appliance salesman, Cash teamed up with guitarist . . . Map (db m102825) HM
94 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Cooper-Young — The HikerSpanish War Veterans — 1898-1902 —
Typifying the American Volunteer who fought Spain in Cuba, the Philippines, and Boxer Rebellion. Erected in 1956 with funds raised by Spanish War veterans of Memphis under the leadership of Fred Bauer, Commander.Map (db m86723) WM
95 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Cordova — Bridgewater School
Bridgewater School, formerly on this site, was founded in 1911 and exited continuously at this site until 1960. In 1921, with help from the community, the Shelby County school board, and the Rosenwald Fund, the Rosenwald school concept was . . . Map (db m118471) HM
96 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 128 Court Street
This property has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior.Map (db m74802) HM
97 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 1862 Post Office
On June 6, 1862 Memphis surrendered to Federal gunboats. The only resistance by citizens occurred here as a shot was fired at the soldiers hoisting the U.S. flag over the post office.Map (db m84464) HM
98 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — 1866 Memphis Massacre
On May 1, 2 and 3, 1866, mobs of white men led by law enforcement attacked black people in the areas near South St. (aka Calhoun & G.E. Patterson). By the end of the attack, the mobs had killed an estimated 46 black people; raped several . . . Map (db m117114) HM
99 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — A-1 — 19th Century Architecture
Center Lane alley is one of the best examples of what Memphis looked like in the late 19th century. Note the arched windows, the metal shutters, and the decorative cast iron columns, probably made by Chickasaw Iron Works.Map (db m221384) HM
100 Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Downtown Memphis — Alma H. Law1875-1947
Running on the ballot as "A. Law" to disguise her gender, Alma Law won election in 1929 as a magistrate and member of the Shelby County Quarterly Courts by a vote of 990 to 45. The first woman to be elected the county's history, she was later . . . Map (db m204480) HM

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Mar. 19, 2024