Memphis is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

of Hall County,

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

, United States. As of the 2010 census, the

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction usi ...

was 2,290.

History

Memphis, Texas, the county seat of Hall County, is at the junction of U.S. Highway 287, State Highway 256, and Farm Road 1547, in the northeastern part of the county. It started in 1889, when J. C. Montgomery purchased land for a townsite north of Salisbury on the Fort Worth and Denver City Railway. This land had been previously owned by W. H. Robertson, who had a dugout near Parker Creek. Montgomery and Robertson, with Rev. J. W. Brice and T. J. Woods, Jr., of Dallas, formed a townsite company and presented a plat early in January 1890. P. M. Kelly opened a law office. A rooming house (later the Memphis Hotel), a general store, a drugstore, and several residences were soon erected. For a time, the new town was without a name. Several suggestions were submitted to federal postal authorities, but with negative results. Finally, as the story goes, Reverend Brice, while in Austin, happened to see a letter addressed by accident to Memphis, Texas, rather than Tennessee, with the notation "no such town in Texas". The name was submitted and accepted, and a post office was established on September 12, 1890, with Robertson as postmaster. In the meantime, Hall County was being organized. Memphis was engaged in a heated county seat battle with neighboring Salisbury and Lakeview. Memphis won the election with a total of 84 votes. County officers were elected in June, and a school district was subsequently formed. Since Memphis was without a depot and trains did not stop there, certain citizens sought to remedy that situation by smearing the tracks with lye soap. A subsequent agreement was struck between town promoters and railroad officials. In 1891, a depot was built, and businesses were moved on wheels from Salisbury to the new county seat, where a courthouse of homemade bricks was constructed in 1892. Memphis thus enjoyed a boom period. Two saloons, a bank, numerous stores, blacksmith shops, and livery stables attested to its role as a shipping and trading center for area ranchers and farmers. The Missionary Baptist Church was organized in Memphis; its minister Rev. J. L. Pyle began Baptist congregations throughout the county. Telephone service was first installed in 1901. In June 1906, the town was incorporated with a mayor-council form of city government. The Memphis Cotton Oil Mill was established in 1907. Memphis had at one time or another several newspapers, including the ''Hall County Record'' (1889–1893), the ''Hall County Herald'' (1890–1928), the'' Memphis Journal'' (1892–1894), the ''Memphis Times'' (1896), the ''Memphis Leader'' (1897–1899), the ''Hall County News'' (1897–1903), and the ''Memphis News'' (1928–1929). The only newspaper extant in 1986, the ''Memphis Democrat'', was launched in 1908 and went through a succession of owners. By the 1920s, Memphis had a new brick-and-stone courthouse, modern utilities, a cotton compress, three hotels, brick school buildings, and a Carnegie Library. In 1922, the city's Morning Side addition was founded east of the tracks as a residential area for blacks who labored in the cotton fields and mills. In 1935, E. M. Ewen and his wife formed the Hall County Old Settlers' Reunion (later the Hall County Picnic Association). Four years later, they staged a rodeo as part of the annual two-day celebration. Since the Great Depression era, Memphis has continued as a farm supply center. In 1986, the city had a cotton compress, gins, a grain elevator, two banks, eight churches, four public schools, a modern medical complex, two motels, several mercantile stores (including three wholesale houses), and a municipal airport northeast of town. In addition, Memphis is noted for its tree-lined streets, city park, one swimming pool, community center, and 50 blocks of brick paving laid in 1926. Brookhollow Country Club Lake, a private fishing lake with cabin sites, is six miles northeast of the city. Heritage Hall, which occupies the old First National Bank building on the square, contains local history displays and natural science exhibits. The population was 3,332 in 1960 and 3,352 in 1980. Memphis reported 81 businesses in 1984. United States Congressman Jack Hightower comes from Memphis. The route of the annual Cotton Boll Enduro, a 125-mile cross-country motorcycle event held in late October, begins and ends at Memphis. In 1990 Memphis had a population of 2,465. The population was 2,479 in 2000 and 2,290 in 2010. The county was named after Warren D.C. Hall, who served as Secretary of War while Texas was a republic. He was a lawyer from North Carolina before coming to Texas. A timeline of significant events in Memphis' history: 1889: Land was bought along the Fort Worth and Denver City Railway 1890: Townsite platted, yet names were rejected by postal authorities until September of that year
1891: Memphis wins contested election for county seat against towns of Salisbury and Lakeview
1891: Depot built after Memphians kept putting soap on rails to stop trains
1892: Courthouse constructed
1901: Memphis gets telephone service
1906: Town is incorporated
1912: Memphis gets its own Carnegie Library
1923: New courthouse built
1926: 50 blocks of streets are paved with brick

2013 Civil rights case

In September 2013, a federal suit was filed by Laura Dutton, alleging that the cities of Estelline and Memphis, former Officer Jayson Fry and Memphis Police Chief Chris Jolly violated her Fourth Amendment rights against illegal search and seizure when she was arrested November 28, 2012, in Estelline on a felony money-laundering charge, seizing more than $29,000 from her pickup and illegally keeping $1,400 of her cash. The city of Estelline maintained no written records of past searches or seizures, yet traffic fines and forfeitures made up more than 89% of its gross revenues in fiscal year 2012. The cities and the officers denied her claims, but in July 2014, the city of Estelline and Hall County authorities settled with Dutton for $77,500.

Geography

Memphis is located at (34.726716, –100.541560). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the city has a total area of , all land. Hall County Seat, Texas Panhandle
Hwy 287 and State Hwy 256,
28 miles SE of Clarendon
64 miles SE of Amarillo
29 miles NE of Childress
14 miles NE of Estelline,
Population: 2,290 (2010)

Climate

The Köppen climate classification subtype for Memphis, Texas, is ''BSk'',

semiarid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi- ...

, on climate maps.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

, there were 2,048 people, 915 households, and 628 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, 2,479 people, 1,024 households, and 660 families resided in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 1,105.2 people per square mile (427.3/km). The 1,245 housing units averaged 555.1/sq mi (214.6/km). The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the city was 71.40% White, 9.08% African American, 0.56% Native American, 0.04% Asian, 17.63% from other races, and 1.29% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 26.02% of the population. Of the 1,024 households, 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were not families. About 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.03. In the city, the population was distributed as 27.1% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 22.1% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 21.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $23,102, and for a family was $27,367. Males had a median income of $24,620 versus $18,816 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $13,856. About 18.5% of families and 23.9% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 38.2% of those under age 18 and 15.4% of those age 65 or over.

Government

William McClellan "Mac" Thornberry is the U.S. representative from the

Texas Panhandle The Texas Panhandle is a region of the U.S. state of Texas consisting of the northernmost 26 counties in the state. The panhandle is a square-shaped area bordered by New Mexico to the west and Oklahoma to the north and east. It is adjacent to ...

. He has served since 1995, when the House seated its first Republican majority in 40 years. Thornberry represents , a Republican stronghold which stretches between the

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...

and

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...

borders. It winds across the Panhandle into the

South Plains The South Plains is a region in northwest Texas, consisting of 24 counties. The main crop is cotton. Counties The South Plains region includes 24 counties: The northernmost four (Parmer, Castro, Swisher, and Briscoe) are also considered to be p ...

, then runs east across the Red River Valley. Covering over , it is the second-largest district geographically in Texas and one of the largest (excluding at-large districts in

Wyoming Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to t ...

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...

, and

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U ...

) in the country. It is larger in area than 13 states. The principal cities in the district are

Amarillo Amarillo ( ; Spanish for " yellow") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Potter County. It is the 14th-most populous city in Texas and the largest city in the Texas Panhandle. A portion of the city extends into Randall Cou ...

and

Wichita Falls Wichita Falls ( ) is a city in and the seat of government of Wichita County, Texas, United States. It is the principal city of the Wichita Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Archer, Clay, and Wichita counties. According ...

. Kelton Gray Seliger is a Republican member of the

Texas State Senate The Texas Senate ( es, Senado de Texas) is the upper house of the Texas State Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing single-member districts across the U.S. state of Texas, with populations of approximately 806,000 per con ...

representing District 31, which stretches from the

Panhandle A salient (also known as a panhandle or bootheel) is an elongated protrusion of a geopolitical entity, such as a subnational entity or a sovereign state. While similar to a peninsula in shape, a salient is most often not surrounded by water on ...

to the Permian Basin. Republican Drew Springer, Jr., a businessman from Muenster in Cooke County, has since January 2013 represented Memphis in the

Texas House of Representatives The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. As of the 2010 United States census, each member represents abo ...

Education

Memphis is served by the

Memphis Independent School District Memphis Independent School District is a public school district based in Memphis, Texas ( USA). Located in Hall County, the district also serves the towns of Estelline and Lakeview. Small portions of the district extend into Childress, Co ...

. Clarendon College – Childress Center is located about 29 miles southeast in Childress, Texas.

Clarendon College (Texas) Clarendon College is a public community college in Clarendon, Texas. It also operates branch campuses in Pampa and Childress. The college was established in 1898 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South and administered as a private institutio ...

is a community college located around 28 miles northeast in Clarendon, the seat of Donley County in the Texas Panhandle. The college operates branch campuses in Pampa and Childress. As defined by the

Texas Legislature The Texas Legislature is the state legislature of the US state of Texas. It is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The state legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin. It is a powerful ar ...

, the official service area of Clarendon College is

Armstrong Armstrong may refer to: Places * Armstrong Creek (disambiguation), various places Antarctica * Armstrong Reef, Biscoe Islands Argentina * Armstrong, Santa Fe Australia * Armstrong, Victoria Canada * Armstrong, British Columbia * Armstrong, ...

, Briscoe, Childress, Collingsworth, Donley,

Gray Grey (more common in British English) or gray (more common in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning literally that it is "without color", because it can be compose ...

Hall In architecture, a hall is a relatively large space enclosed by a roof and walls. In the Iron Age and early Middle Ages in northern Europe, a mead hall was where a lord and his retainers ate and also slept. Later in the Middle Ages, the gre ...

, and

Wheeler Wheeler may refer to: Places United States * Wheeler, Alabama, an unincorporated community * Wheeler, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Wheeler, California, an unincorporated community * Wheeler, Illinois, a village * Wheeler, Indiana, a ...

Counties.

Media

Radio

* KCTX-AM * KCTX-FM * KLSR-FM

Newspaper

* ''The Hall County Herald'' Owner: Blackburn Media Group Inc
Founded: 1890, (previously known as the ''Memphis Democrat'')
Shari Watson is the editor of the ''Hall County Herald''
Mailing address: 617 W. Main, Memphis, TX 79245-3703 * ''The Red River Sun'' Owner: Blackburn Media Group Inc
Founded: July, 2014, (previously the'' Childress Index'')
Ginger Wilson is the editor of the ''Red River Sun''
Mailing address: PO Box 1260, Childress, TX 79201
* ''Clarendon Enterprise'' Owner: Roger A. Estlack
Founded: 1878, (as the ''Clarendon News'')
Roger A. Estlack is the editor of the'' Clarendon Enterpris''e
Mailing address: PO Box 1110, Clarendon, TX 79226-1110
* ''Amarillo Globe-News'' Owner: Morris Communications LLC
Founded: 1909, (as the ''Amarillo Daily News'')
Darci Heiskell is the editor of the ''Amarillo Globe-News''
Mailing address: 900 S. Harrison, Amarillo, TX 79101
Web Site
Amarillo Globe-News: Local News, Politics & Sports in Amarillo, TX
* ''Lubbock Avalanche-Journal'' Owner: Morris Communications LLC
Founded: 1900
James Bennett is the editor of the ''Lubbock Avalanche-Journal''
Mailing address: 710 Ave. J, Lubbock, TX 79401
Web Site
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Local News, Politics & Sports in Lubbock, TX

Television

* 2 KACV PBS
City: Amarillo, Texas
Owner: Amarillo Junior College
Web Site
kacv.org
br /> Station Info: Digital Educational Full-Power * 4 KAMR NBC ID: "KAMR Local 4 News"
City: Amarillo, TX
Owner:

Nexstar Media Group Nexstar Media Group, Inc. is an American publicly traded media company with headquarter offices in Irving, Texas; Midtown Manhattan; and Chicago, Illinois. The company is the largest television station owner in the United States, owning 197 te ...

Web Site
KAMR – MyHighPlains.com
br /> Station Info: Digital Full-Power * 7 KVII ABC ID: "ABC 7 News"
City: Amarillo, TX
Owner:

Sinclair Broadcast Group Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (SBG) is a publicly traded American telecommunications conglomerate that is controlled by the descendants of company founder Julian Sinclair Smith. Headquartered in the Baltimore suburb of Cockeysville, Maryland, ...

Web Site
Amarillo News, Weather, Sports, Breaking News
br /> Station Info: Digital Full-Power * 10 KFDA CBS ID: "NewsChannel 10"
City: Amarillo, TX
Owner:

Raycom Media Raycom Media, Inc. was an American television broadcasting company based in Montgomery, Alabama. Raycom owned and/or provided services for 65 television stations and two radio stations across 44 markets in 20 states. Raycom, through its Communi ...

Web Site
Home – KFDA – NewsChannel 10 / Amarillo News, Weather, Sports
br /> Station Info: Digital Full-Power * 14 KCIT FOX ID: "KCIT Fox 14"
City: Amarillo, TX
Owner: Mission Broadcasting (operated by

Web Site
KAMR – MyHighPlains.com
br /> Station Info: Digital full-power

Events

Memphis is home to the Annual Traditional Bowhunters 3D target competition and Annual Country Club Memorial Day Tournament. The 3D competition is a group of targets set up along the plainsman

archery Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In ...

club course. Bowhunters compete against each other scoring points for accuracy. This competition is held on the first weekend in May. The Country Club holds an annual golf tournament on Memorial Day.

Notable people

Larry Combest Larry Ed Combest (born March 20, 1945) is a retired American Republican politician who represented Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1985 to 2003. Early life Combest was born in Memphis, Texas, a small town in West Texas and the s ...

, U.S. Representative from 1985 to 2003 *

John Richard Fowler John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Seco ...

, politician and pharmacist * Jack English Hightower, Democrat, U.S. Representative from 1975–1985 * Warren D.C. Hall, served as Secretary of War while Texas was a republic * Lou Wills Hildreth, American Southern gospel performer, songwriter, talent agent and television host *James Loyd Sexton, Banking Commissioner of Texas, 1983–1986 *

Blues Boy Willie Blues Boy Willie (born William Daniel McFall, November 28, 1946) is an American electric and soul blues singer, musician, and songwriter. Influenced jointly by his grounding in gospel and Junior Parker's recordings, Blues Boy Willie's songwriti ...

, blues singer

Gallery

Image:Memphis highway sign IMG 0670.JPG, 2000 Incorporation sign Image:Mem. street IMG 0672.JPG, Downtown Memphis Image:Les Sims Memorial Park in Memphis, TX IMG 0674.JPG, Les Sims Memorial Park

References

External links

Hall County Memories
{{authority control Cities in Texas Cities in Hall County, Texas County seats in Texas 1889 establishments in Texas