Technology revolutionized urban life: electricity, trolleys, skyscrapers, artesian wells, sewerage and sanitation facilities, and the automobile restructured Memphis lifestyles.
As Memphis rose from disease and debt, the city undertook progressive reforms. Edward Hull Crump, a rural transplant and Horatio Alger success story, gained control over local politics. In his failure to comply with state prohibition laws led to his removal from office by the courts, but he continued to exercise strong influence over municipal politics. After , and for the next twenty-one years, his rule was unchallengeable in Shelby County and across much of Tennessee.
Memphis acquired a mixed reputation in the early decades of the century. On a more positive note, the city lobbied for the Tennessee ratification of woman suffrage, promoted blues music, and initiated the self-service supermarket, the Piggly-Wiggly stores of Clarence Saunders.
When the boom times of the s gave way to the Great Depression, Memphis promoted its economic future through the organization of the Cotton Carnival. After the death of E. Crump in , Memphians entered a new political era as African American demands for full political participation emerged. Memphis promoted a policy of gradual interracial cooperation until the mids, when racial integration intensified emotions and polarization replaced accommodation. In Memphis replaced its city charter and instituted a mayor-city council form of government.
Television provided the nation with a much-needed lesson on racial oppression, but it polarized Memphis. Race baiters, both black and white, used divisiveness to personal advantage. The election of a black mayor, William Herenton, in and a black majority in the city council in restored a measure of restraint. Elvis Presley put Memphis on the map in rock music, and St. Jude Hospital made important strides in the battle against catastrophic childhood diseases.
The city has lost several large corporations in recent decades but has strengthened the local economy and maintained a high employment rate by encouraging the growth of numerous small businesses. Moreover, the corporate headquarters for FedEx and AutoZone, two internationally recognized corporations, have located in Memphis.
Both corporations were instrumental in bringing the National Basketball Association Memphis Grizzles to the city to begin play at the Memphis Pyramid for the season.
Such symbols give the city hope in an atmosphere of racial mistrust, declining population, and political cynicism. All Rights Reserved. August 8, October 10, August 22, May 26, October 23, September 26, August 26, June 9, April 14, February 26, December 19, June 6, February 18, December 3, March 22, July 30, June 24, May 21, August 21, This website uses cookies to improve your experience.
We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Read More. Home History Where did Memphis get its name? History Memphis History. Memphis borrows its name from a glorious, white-walled city on the Nile.
Photo: ancient-origins. Memphis History. Get your brew on this spring at these breweries with outdoor spaces. You may also like. Haunted tales of the Woodruff-Fontaine House October 6, The unconventional origin of the Memphis Zoo July 29, The Sultana explosion: The deadly disaster history forgot July 29, Memphis remembers the Angel of Beale Street April 21, Handy — Father of the Blues March 18, Business News.
How to build community at your next client… October 6, Why are women climbing down the corporate ladder? Business Tips. Bouncing back from uncertainty November 10, Social media tips for parents and kids November 10, Another Tennessee city is Nashville.
Its name is not as old as Chattanooga or Tanasi. The name Nashville goes back to the late s, when colonists established Fort Nashborough where the modern-day city is located now. The fort was named after Francis Nash. Nash fought during the American Revolution and was from North Carolina. Later, Nashborough was changed to Nashville in Nashville is not the only city named after a soldier from the American Revolution. Knoxville is also named after a veteran.
The name was later changed to Knoxville in It was named after Henry Knox. Knoxville, Tennessee State Museum Collection. Not all Tennessee cities are named after Cherokee words or former soldiers. One example of this is the city of Memphis. Located on the Mississippi River, the area was Chickasaw land until the Jackson Purchase of forced the tribe to cede it. The modern city was founded in and named Memphis. The name was chosen because of the ancient city of Memphis in Egypt.
Memphis, Egypt was founded thousands of years before the United States even existed. But, like Memphis, Tennessee, it was also located on a great river: the Nile. These examples show that there is a story behind the name of every Tennessee town, city, river, mountain, and valley. Some names changed after European and American settlers moved in. Others stayed the same and have Southeastern Indian origins.
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