Memphis, Tennessee

Situated at the confluence of the rivers Wolf and the Mississippi, the city of Memphis has been often been a favored settlement. The city being the biggest in the state of Tennessee has loads of attraction for settlers. Memphis is well connected by road, railways, airport and also river ports, the city is sound in infrastructure too. The city has good healthcare providers with hospitals like Methodist and Baptist Memorial health systems.

The city having humid subtropical climate has good amount of sunshine year round. The city's central location has been instrumental in its business development with its location on the banks of the Mississippi River. There are many reputed educational institutions that offer best education facilities to the students.

Culturally the city is very vibrant with many festivals in the month of May. The World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest which is held in the month of May is the largest pork barbecue cooking contest in the world. There are many museums for arts and visual arts in the city. The city has historically been a haven for music artists with many artists like Elvis Presley and B B King living some part of their life here.

The city of Memphis is the largest city located in the state of Tennessee. The city is known for its popular tourist attractions, diverse art and culture background apart from various world class health care institutions. Memphis city is popularly known for its world's largest cotton and mule market. Because of the city's close proximity to the Mississippi River, it has developed the Mississippi culture too.

Memphis History

The history of Memphis is intriguing. It is greatly influenced by the location of the city at the confluence of the Wolf River and the Mississippi Rivers. The first settlers in this region were the Native American tribes like the Mississippi Culture (the bund builders).

In the 16th century, Spanish explorer Hernado De Soto (known to be the first European to cross the Mississippi River) was the first European to come to this land. He was followed by two French explorers Sieur de La Salle and Rene Robert Cavelier. The Spanish made settlements in this new found land. In 1795, a fort was built from the land acquired by the Spanish on the banks to control entry to Mississippi. The Spanish occupancy of this land lasted till 1797. After this, the occupancy of the land has remained unclear but then came classified under the Tennessee state in 1796.

In 1819, Memphis city was founded and named by three people John Overton, Andrew Jackson and James Winchester. The city's major source of income was transportation of goods through the Mississippi and a slave trade market for the African and other skin colored slaves to work in the cotton fields in the interior lands. In 1861, The economy of the city came to a record rock bottom with the outbreak of Yellow fever that killed so many people and caused many others to flee. The city was unable to even repay its debts during this period and lost the "City" state till 1893 when it was given back its "City" state.

During the Second World War, the city's income flourished as it was used as a storage vantage point and at this time the city focused on providing aid and assistance for the war wounded. In the 1950s the city was well known for cotton, lumber and mules. During the same time, the city got planned with parks and roads in an effort to make the city "beautiful". It was in this city at the Lorraine Motel (now the National Civil Rights Museum) that Martin Luther King Jr., the leader of the American Civil Rights Movement was assassinated in the year 1968.

Over the next few years, since the city was well connected to its interior cities by road, rail, water and air, it did not take time for it to pick up its economy that had fallen due to the war. The city authorities decided to open the city to tourism, display its rich heritage, and multi culture so as to draw in more visitors. People saw opportunities in the city and various other businesses began flourishing here. Ever since then, there is no turning back for the progress of the city.

About Memphis, Tennessee

Memphis is a city that is situated on the union of the Wolf and Mississippi Rivers in the South-Western corner in the state of Tennessee. With a population nearing seven hundred thousand, Memphis is the biggest city and the second largest metropolitan in the state of Tennessee.

The geographical location of the place makes it an ideal place for settlement. The first settlers of this place have been the Native Indian Tribes and then came the Spanish in the 16th century who made this a place for natural resources (iron ore and lumber). The 19th century saw the flourishing of the cotton fields and also slave trade. The 20th century witnessed the peak of the cotton industry, mule and lumber market and on the other side the beautification of the city. In the 1968, it witnessed the assassination of Martin Luther King.

Memphis has progressed a great deal from the age old era of racial segregation and riots. The city has grown along the banks of the Mississippi River and displays a combination of historic and new buildings. A majority of the city's income is still from the port region that is a hub to bulk handling businesses like shipping and cargo. Other contributors to the city's economy are tourism, entertainment, music and movies, performing arts, healthcare and education.

Memphis is a beautifully planned city. There are so many parks in and around the place, that there is no shortage of nature anywhere. To add to the splendor of the city is the beautiful Mississippi River. For a tourist, there are so many historical sites, places of events, museums to see. Some of the mentionable ones include National Civil Rights Museum ( formerly Lorriane Hotel where Martin Luther King was assassinated), Cotton Museum, Sun Studio, Orpheum Theatre. For those interested in the music genres like Blues, Rock 'N' Roll, Crunk, etc. there are so many places to visit and learn like Graceland the home of Elvis Presley, Memphis Walk of Fame, Sun Studio, etc.

Since there have been so many settlements in the past, Memphis displays a mixed culture of these settlements. This can be noticed at the time of festivals like the Africa In April Cultural Awareness Festival, Carnival Memphis, World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest are a few of them. There are so many colorful, action packed festivals that portray in volumes the various settlements in the city.

Memphis is also known for its healthcare and education services. There are so many healthcare providing services in the city that offer world class facilities. The services provided by these instructions are state-of-the-art. The Baptist Memorial Hospital and the Methodist Healthcare are one of the oldest institutions here. There are so many educational institutions in the city (about 200 of them both old and new) providing both elementary and advanced education streams. These educational institutions are both public and private owned. The mentionable ones are the Memphis University, Baptist College of Health Sciences and University of Tennessee College of Dentistry (founded in 1878)

Memphis is known for its religious aspect as home to many faiths like Baptist, Catholic, Jews, Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists. It is home to the largest Pentecostal denomination, The Church of God in Christ in the United States.

About Shelby County, Tennessee

The Memphis Metro sprawls across three states namely Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas. Memphis Metropolitan Statistical Area consists of eight counties namely Shelby County, Tipton County, Fayette County, Desoto County, Marshall County, Tate County, Tunica County and Crittenden County.

MMSA is ranked 41st largest area in United States of America. It is one of the fastest developing metropolitan statistical areas in USA. MMSA is known to have population growth rate of about 8.5% in 2009. Estimated population of this region in 1999 was 1,305,906. Memphis is the largest city in this county. Memphis region has emerged as a global community center owing to the exotic blend of locals and foreigners in this region. Memphis region has an urban look with a touch of international culture.

In the year 1999, per capita income for the area was $16,279 whereas the median household income was recorded at $35,988. Memphis region is the hub of commercial activities and is one of the most developed counties in the state. Historically speaking, Memphis region contains some of the earliest Indian mounds. A tour to Victorian village will help you connect with the rich historical heritage that the county has to offer. Memphis Metropolitan statistical area has given the world few noteworthy Americans like Mark Twain and Elvis Presley. Rich historical background and economic prosperity attracts many tourists to this region

Memphis region has a complex transportation system. It has USA's largest cargo airport and second largest inland port in USA. Many top cargo offices including FedEx have set up their head quarters in Memphis region. Systematic development of transportation can transform Memphis region into a national leader in communication and information sector. MMSA attracts several tourists owing to its diverse offerings in arts, sports and architecture. Tourists can enjoy one day river boat cruises on the Mississippi river and enjoy the breath taking views of the city too.