North Memphis is one of the five defined districts of
Memphis,
Tennessee. It includes smaller neighborhoods such as Klondike, New Chicago,
Douglass,
Hyde Park,
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood, ...
,
Nutbush,
Binghampton, Smokey City,
Scutterfeld,
Frayser, and
Raleigh.
History
North Memphis flourished during the 19th and 20th centuries. Klondike and Smokey City are two of the oldest African American elite communities in Memphis. Historic neighborhoods like Speedway Terrace,
Vollintine-Evergreen, and
Shelby Forest were home to wealthy families and a vibrant manufacturing industry.
In 1887, Memphis Artesian Water Company in North Memphis began digging artesian wells to create a modern sewer system. The facility was eventually torn down to expand parking for
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is a pediatric treatment and research facility located in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1962, it is a 501(c)(3) designated nonprofit medical corporation which focuses on children's catastrophic diseases, pa ...
Firestone Tire and Rubber Company in
New Chicago, Memphis
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...
made its first tire on January 19, 1937. In 1942, in
Frayser on 260 acres of land,
International Harvester built the largest farm-equipment manufacturing plant in the South.
By the end of the 20th century, the industrial hub in North Memphis steadily declined as manufacturing jobs disappeared due to
deindustrialization
Deindustrialization is a process of social and economic change caused by the removal or reduction of industrial capacity or activity in a country or region, especially of heavy industry or manufacturing industry.
There are different interpre ...
. Companies that closed their operations include Firestone, International Harvester, Cleo,
Schering-Plough,
Maybelline,
Velsicol Chemical Corporation,
Kimberly-Clark
Kimberly-Clark Corporation is an American multinational personal care corporation that produces mostly paper-based consumer products. The company manufactures sanitary paper products and surgical & medical instruments. Kimberly-Clark brand n ...
and
Chemtura. The companies still operating were chemical plants known for heavy pollution. The Douglass community still had eight polluting facilities.
Toxic Shock
/ref>
Music
North Memphis produced musicians like Laura Dukes
Laura Ella Dukes (June 10, 1907 – October 10 or 14, 1992), sometimes credited as Little Laura Dukes, was an American blues singer, dancer, and mandolin, banjo and ukulele player. She performed and recorded in Memphis, Tennessee, from the 19 ...
, Gary Harrison, Greg Cartwright and rappers like Project Pat, Juicy J, Yo Gotti, Snootie Wild
LePreston Porter III (April 23, 1985 – February 26, 2022), better known by his stage name Snootie Wild, was an American rapper and singer. He was best known for his first single, " Yayo", which success helped launch his career. The song charted ...
, Ceo D.We$t
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especial ...
, Frayser Boy, Lil Wyte, and C-Mo.
File:Nutbush Memphis TN 14 National Cemetery from Jackson Ave bridge.jpg, Memphis National Cemetery
File:Speedway Terrace Memphis TN 02 Faxon Ave sign.jpg, Speedway Terrace
File:Firestone Park Frayser Memphis TN 02 from N Watkins St.jpg, Firestone Park in Frayser
File:New Chicago Memphis 007.jpg, New Chicago
File:Vollintine Evergreen Memphis TN 02 Faxon Ave sign.jpg, Vollintine Evergreen
File:Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park Shelby County TN 2013-06-02 004.jpg, Shelby Forest
References
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Geography of Memphis, Tennessee
African-American history in Memphis, Tennessee