Historical Markers in Shelby County, Tennessee
128 Court Street
1862 Post Office
1866 Memphis Massacre
American Cutoff Mile/Greenville, Mississippi/Tarpley Cutoff
American Studios / Elvis Presley at American Studios
Annesdale Park Subdivision
Anthony Chapel School, Greenwood AME Church & Cemetery
Architectural Innovation
Arkansas & White Rivers
Arlington Cemetery
Arlington Historic Post Office
Arlington, Tennessee
Arlington, Tennessee Veterans Memorial
Artesian Water
Ashbrook Cutoff/Eunice Landing, Arkansas/Arkansas City, Arkansas
Barboro Grocery
Bartlett Veterans Memorial
Bartlett, Tennessee
Baseball
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Battle of Collierville
Battle of Collierville
Beale Street #1
Beale Street #2
Beale Street #3
Beale Street #4
Beale Street Baptist Church
Beale Street Historic District
Bedford Plantation
Belle Chasse, Louisiana/English Turn Bend/Caernarvon Crevasse/Poydras Crevasse
Benjamin Albert Imes
Benjamin Franklin Booth
Bettis Family Cemetery
Big Creek Baptist Church
Birthplace of Aretha Franklin
Bishop Charles Harrison Mason
Blacksmith Shop
Blair T. Hunt, Sr. / Blair T. Hunt, Jr.
Bobby Blue Bland
Bonnet Carre Spillway/Lake Pontchartrain
Booker T. Washington High School
Bridgewater School
Brodnax Jewelers
Burkle Estate
Business Men's Club
Cairo, Illinois
Calvary Cemetery
Calvary Protestant Episcopal Church
Campbell Clinic
Capt. J. Harvey Mathes
Captain Kit Dalton
Casey Jones
Central Gardens Historic District
Chalmers's Collierville Raid
Chambers Chapel United Methodist Church / Chambers Chapel Cemetery
Chew C. Sawyer
Chickasaw Trail
Chop Suey Café / Chinese Merchants on Beale Street
Christian Brothers College
Christian Brothers High School / Christian Brothers Band
Church Park
Church Park Auditorium
Civil War Capitol
Civil War Hospital
Civil War in Tennessee
Claiborne Landing / Carville, Louisiana / Belle Grove
Clarence Saunders' "Pink Palace"
Clayborn Temple
Cobblestone Landing
Cobblestones
Collierville Christian Church
Collierville High School
Collierville United Methodist Church
Collierville, Tenn.
Collierville, Tennessee Veterans Memorial
Collins Chapel Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
Commercial Barge Traffic
Confederate Germantown
Confederate History of Memphis
Confederate Park
Confederate Soldiers Rest
Confederate States of America
Congregation B'Nai Israel
Cotton Exchange Building
Court Square Saved
Crisscross Lodge
Crump Home
Crystal Shrine Grotto
D.T. Porter Building
Danny Thomas
Davies Manor
Davies Manor
Davis Island, Mississippi/Kents Island
Deaderick Family Cemetery
Donaldson Point, Missouri/Island No. 8/Hickman, Kentucky/Dorena Crevasse
Donaldsonville, Louisiana/Bayou Lafourche/Geismar, Louisiana
Dr. Greene Fort Pinkston
Dr. Joseph Edison Walker
Dr. Peter John Flippin
Eastland Presbyterian Church
Edward Shaw
Elizabeth Avery Meriwether
Ellen Davies-Rodgers
Elmwood Cemetery
Elvis Aaron Presley
Elvis Presley and Sun Records / Sun Records
Ernest C. Withers House
Eudora Baptist Church
Eudora Baptist Church
Eugene Magevney
Fargason Fields
Farnsworth Building
First Baptist Church
First Baptist Church
First Baptist Church / Mt. Olive CME Church
First Baptist Church, Lauderdale
First Black Radio Station
First Congregational Church
First Court House, First Newspaper
First Holiday Inn
First Memphis Waterfront
First Tavern
First Tennessee Bank
First "Talkies"
Former Criminal Courts Building
Forrest and the Memphis Slave Trade
Forrest's Artillery Positions
Forrest's Early Home
Fort Adams / Fort Pike
Fort Adams, Mississippi/Old River Control Structure/Homochitto Cutoff
Fort Germantown
Fort San Fernando
Fort San Fernando de Las Barrancas
Fort/Stockade
Fortunate Survivor
France
G. P. Hamilton
Gabriel Maston Bartlett
Gen. James M. Kennedy Hospital
George Jackson
George W. Lee
Germantown Baptist Church
Germantown Cemetery
Germantown, Tennessee
Grace-St. Luke's Episcopal Church
Graceland
Grand Gulf, Mississippi / Yucatan Cutoff / Big Black River
Grand Lake Cutoff/Worthington Cutoff/Kentucky Bend
Gray's Creek Baptist Church / Gray's Creek Cemetery
Great Britain
Greek Influence
Griffin House
Harrell Farm Log Cabin
Hattie Manely
Head of Passes/Pilottown, Louisiana
Heiskell Farm
Here, on April 4, 1968
/
Today, a Place of Remembrance
Herman W. Cox, Jr.
History of Arlington
History Of The Collierville Town Square
Hog Point, Louisiana/Raccourci Cutoff/Caernarvon Crevasse
Hollis Freeman Price, Sr.
Hooks Brothers Photography
Hughes-College Hill Park
Humes High School
Hurst's Raid at Barretville
Hutchison School
Hymelia Crevasse/Bonnet Carre Crevasse/Laplace, Louisiana/Reserve, Louisiana
Ida B. Wells
Idlewild Presbyterian Church
Illinois Monument
Isaac Hayes
Island No. 20/Cottonwood Point/Booth Point, Tennessee/Linwood Bend
Island No. 5 (Wolf Island)/Belmont, Missouri/Columbus, Kentucky
Islands No. 2, 3, and 4 / Fort Jefferson, Kentucky / Birds Point, Missouri
It was a Struggle for Freedom For Dignity and For Equality
J. Millard "Jack" Smith
James A. Hyter, Ol Man River
James H. Malone
Jane Terrell Hospital
Jefferson Davis Memorial
John B. Weatherall
John Gray Historic House
John Grisham
John James Audubon
Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash's First Performance / Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two
Joseph "Joe" C. Warren
Josiah T. Settle
Junior Crevasse/Poverty Point, Louisiana/Jesuits Bend
Kenner, Louisiana/Davis Crevasse/Ormand Landing, Louisiana
Kerrville Presbyterian Church
Kuni Wada Bakery Remembrance
Lake Providence, Louisiana/Stack Island
Lansky Brothers
Lauderdale Courts / Presley Family at Lauderdale Courts
LeMoyne Owen College
LeMoyne-Owen College
Let Freedom Ring
Lowenstein Mansion
Lucie Eddie Campbell
Luke Edward Wright
Lutcher, Louisiana/Oak Alley/St. James Landing, Louisiana
Mallory-Neely House
Manassas High School / The Cora P. Taylor Auditorium
Marcus Winchester
Marion Scudder Griffin
Marion Scudder Griffin
Market Square
Martin Stadium
Mary Alice Park
Mary Church Terrell
Mason Temple
Maxwelton (Circa 1855-1860)
McGinnis Park
Melrose School
Memphis & Charleston Railroad
Memphis and Shelby County Medical Society
Memphis Belle
Memphis City Hospital
Memphis Martyrs
Memphis National Cemetery
Memphis Queen II
Memphis State Eight
Memphis University School
Memphis,Tennessee/Mud Island
Memphis's Civil War Sites
Mertie's Lake and the Buckman Water Science Trail
Metropolitan Inter~Faith Association
Millington Centennial and Veterans Monument
Millington Central High School
Millington, Tennessee / Park Field
Mississippi River Park
Modern Movie~Making In Memphis
Mounds Landing Crevasse/Cypress Bend/Caulk Neck Cutoff
Mt. Moriah Baptist Church
Mud Island
Mulatto Bend/Springfield Bend/Profit Island
Mullins United Methodist Church
N. B. Forrest Camp 215 Sons of Confederate Veterans
Nashoba
Nat D. Williams
Natchez Island / Vidalia, Louisiana / Giles Cutoff
Natchez, Mississippi
Nathan Bedford Forrest
Nathan Bedford Forrest III, Airman
Naval Battle of Memphis, 1862
Nelson-Kirby House
Neshoba Junior High School
New Madrid, Missouri/Cates Casting Field/Island No. 10
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Winchester Burying Ground
Nicholas Gotten
No Man's Land Memorial
Normal Depot
Normal Station Neighborhood
North Carolina
North Memphis Driving Park
Oak Grove Baptist Church
Oaklawn Garden
Oakville Missionary Baptist Church
Ohio River
Old Stagecoach Inn
Opera House Fire
Orange Mound
Orion Hill
Ostrica Lock/Buras, Louisiana/Empire Lock/Nairn, Louisiana
Overton Park
Overton Square
Owen College
Palmetto Bend/Jackson Point/St. Catherines Creek/Ellis Cliffs
Paul W. Barret
Peabody Hotel
Peabody Lobby
Peabody Revitalization
Pee Wee Saloon
People's Grocery
Phi Beta Sigma/Abram Langston Taylor
Phillips Cottage
Pigeon Roost Road
Piggly Wiggly
Plaquemine, Louisiana/Manchac Bend
Plastic Products Record Plant
Pleasant Hill Cemetery
Point a La Hache, Louisiana/Magnolia Plantation, Louisiana
Poplar Tunes / One-Stop Shop
Port Hudson, Louisiana/Fausse River Cutoff
Porter-Leath Children's Center
Pre-Civil War Lynching at Market Square
Presbyterian Church of Collierville
Promenade
R.S. Lewis & Sons Funeral Home
Rachel H.K. Burrow Museum
Raiding the Rails
Raleigh
Raleigh Cemetery
Reelfoot Lake
Rhodes College
Richland Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church
Ridge of the attack
Robert Karriem
Robert R. Church
Rock of Ages Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
Rodney Cutoff/Bayou Pierre
Rose Garden
Rosemark National Historic District
Rufus Thomas, Jr.
Russwood Park
Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church
Sara Roberta Church
Schools For Freedmen
Second Congregational Church
Second Presbyterian Church
Sgt. Walter K. Singleton
Shelby County / Memphis
Shelby County Archives and Hall of Records / Former Criminal Courts Building
Shelby County Courthouse
Shelby County Hospital / Shelby County Center
Shelby County Training School
Site of First Memphis Telephone
Site of the former Union Avenue United Methodist Church
Skipwith Crevasse/Sara Cutoff/Island No. 89
Solvent Savings Bank
Southwestern Alumni World War II Memorial
Spain
St. Agnes Academy
St. Ann Catholic Church
St. John Baptist Church
St. John's United Methodist Church
St. Mary's Cathedral Chapel and Diocesan House
St. Mary's Catholic Church
St. Mary's Episcopal School
St. Peter Catholic Church
Statuary at the Shelby County Courthouse
Stax Recording Studios
Steele Hall
T. H. Hayes and Sons Funeral Home
Tennessee
Tennessee Club
Tennessee River/Cumberland River
Tennessee Williams Play
Tennessee Williams First Play
The 1960 Memphis Sit-In Movement
The 1969 Miss Memphis Review
The Antenna Club
The Atchafalaya Problem
The Battle of Collierville
The Battle of New Orleans
The Blues Foundation
The Blues Trail From Mississippi to Memphis
The Brick Church
The Commercial Appeal / Publishing Locations
The Country Store
The Fire of 1872
The First Lee House
The First Railroad in West Tennessee
The Geographical Center of Shelby County
The Gillis Brothers
The Grand Opera House / The New Orpheum Theatre
The Hiker
The Hole in the Wall
The Hunt-Phelan Home
The Lee Sisters
The Lindenwood Christian Church
The Lorraine Motel
The Lynching of Ell Persons
The Lynching of Ell Persons
The Lynching of Lee Walker
The Lynching of Wash Henley
The Memphis 13 / Springdale Elementary School
The Memphis 13/Bruce Elementary
The Memphis 13/Gordon Elementary School
The Memphis 13/Rozelle Elementary School
The Memphis Daily Appeal
The Memphis Home of W.C. Handy
The Mississippi Riverwalk
The Mount Nebo Baptist Church
The Omlie Tower
The Original Depot
The Original Village
The Overton Park Shell/The Levitt Shell At Overton Park
The Peabody Legacy
The Saturday Night Jamboree
The Shrine Building
The Sultana Disaster
The University of Memphis
The University of West Tennessee
The Wigfall Grays
This Chimney Swift Tower
This flagpole is dedicated to the men and women of the United States military services
This Plaque is Dedicated to Father and Son, Leaders of Their Race
Thomas Alva Edison
Thomas Moss ~ Calvin McDowell ~ William Henry Stewart
Tiptonville, Tennessee/Bixby Towhead
Tom
Tom Brooks Park
Tom Lee Memorial
Tom Lee Monument
Tragic Accident Sparks Sanitation Strike
Treating the Wounded
U.S. Colored Troops and the Battle of Fort Pillow / Remember Fort Pillow
U.S. Supreme Court Rules On Overton Park and I-40
Union Avenue
Universal Life Insurance Building / Universal Life Insurance Company
Venice Louisiana/Fort Jackson, Louisiana/Fort St. Phillip
Vicksburg
Virginia ("Ginnie") Bethel Moon
Wade Bolton and Bolton College / Bolton School
War Comes to Germantown
Warren Chapel Pisgah Cemetery
Washburn's Quarters
Waterproof, Louisiana/Ashland Landing, Mississippi
WDIA
WHER - The Nation's First All Girl Radio Station
White Hall Plantation/Union, Louisiana/Point Houmas
Wildcats
William G. Leftwich, Jr. Memorial
William Herbert Brewster, Sr.
William Neely Mallory
Willie Mitchell's Royal Studios
Willow Cutoff/Salem Crevasse/Goodrich Landing,Louisiana
Winchester Cemetery
WLOK Radio Station
WMC Radio Station
Woodruff - Fontaine House
Woodstock Community Veterans Memorial
Youngs Point / Millikens Bend / Omega Landing
Zion Cemetery
Zippin Pippin / Libertyland
About Shelby County
Shelby County Timeline
Shelby County, located in southwestern Tennessee, has a rich and diverse history dating back thousands of years. Its earliest inhabitants were Native American tribes such as the Chickasaw and Choctaw, who relied on the fertile land and abundant wildlife for sustenance. European exploration and settlement began in the late 17th century, with French explorers venturing into the region.
By the early 19th century, Shelby County had become a significant center of commerce and trade due to its strategic location along the Mississippi River. The city of Memphis, founded in 1819, quickly emerged as the region's economic hub, attracting merchants, entrepreneurs, and settlers from all across the country. The county played a crucial role in the cotton industry, with Memphis serving as a major cotton market and transportation hub.
The Civil War had a profound impact on Shelby County. While the state of Tennessee initially seceded from the Union, Memphis was occupied by Union forces in 1862, shifting the region's allegiances. The county experienced significant destruction during the war, witnessing battles and suffering from prolonged military occupation. However, with the end of the war came a period of reconstruction and rebirth for Shelby County.
Throughout the 20th century, Shelby County continued to grow and evolve. The city of Memphis became a center of civil rights activism, with pivotal events like the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. taking place there. The county has also been known for its musical contributions, particularly in the genres of blues and rock 'n' roll, with iconic artists such as Elvis Presley and B.B. King originating from the region. Today, Shelby County remains an important cultural, economic, and political center in Tennessee, blending its historical legacy with modern progress.
By the early 19th century, Shelby County had become a significant center of commerce and trade due to its strategic location along the Mississippi River. The city of Memphis, founded in 1819, quickly emerged as the region's economic hub, attracting merchants, entrepreneurs, and settlers from all across the country. The county played a crucial role in the cotton industry, with Memphis serving as a major cotton market and transportation hub.
The Civil War had a profound impact on Shelby County. While the state of Tennessee initially seceded from the Union, Memphis was occupied by Union forces in 1862, shifting the region's allegiances. The county experienced significant destruction during the war, witnessing battles and suffering from prolonged military occupation. However, with the end of the war came a period of reconstruction and rebirth for Shelby County.
Throughout the 20th century, Shelby County continued to grow and evolve. The city of Memphis became a center of civil rights activism, with pivotal events like the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. taking place there. The county has also been known for its musical contributions, particularly in the genres of blues and rock 'n' roll, with iconic artists such as Elvis Presley and B.B. King originating from the region. Today, Shelby County remains an important cultural, economic, and political center in Tennessee, blending its historical legacy with modern progress.
Shelby County Timeline
This timeline provides a glimpse into the major events and milestones that have shaped the history of Shelby County, Tennessee.
- 1819: Shelby County was established on November 24.
- 1835: Memphis was incorporated as a city on December 19.
- 1843: Shelby County Courthouse, now known as the Old Shelby County Courthouse, was built.
- 1861-1865: Shelby County was deeply affected by the American Civil War.
- 1899: The first automobile was registered in Shelby County.
- 1925: The Memphis Pyramid was completed.
- 1968: The assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. took place at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis.
- 1977: Elvis Presley, the "King of Rock and Roll," passed away in his Graceland mansion.