Raleigh, Memphis

Raleigh is a neighborhood in Memphis, Tennessee that borders the suburb of Bartlett and the semi-rural neighborhood of Frayser.

Geography

Situated along a high bluff on the Wolf River, Raleigh is one of the highest points in the Memphis area.

Mary Winslow Chapman published "I Remember Raleigh," a highly personalized history and memoir about Raleigh and her family's historic home there, Goodwinslow. The book includes these vivid descriptions of the Wolf River in its natural state (pre-channelization):

:"To form any picture of [the river's environs] we must forget what we now see and imagine the Wolf as it was then, a clear, spring-fed stream slipping silently along through the endless forest, where the unbroken shade shielded it from the fierce Southern sunshine and kept it flowing fresh and cool all summer long....":"The water was fresh and sweet, flowing out of the uncontaminated woods, but gradually this condition changed. As more and more land upstream was cultivated, more silt was washed into the river. After each rain it took longer for the stream to clear, and finally, with the establishment of the Penal Farm [today’s Shelby Farms] with all its disagreeable effluvia, swimming became impossible....":"Gone now forever from this spot are the cane brake and the horses; the tall timber and the mysterious river, where hard by, on Austin Peay Bridge auto traffic streams triumphant, night and day in one unceasing roar, all oblivious of the life and history buried down below.":::M. Winslow Chapman, "I Remember Raleigh," 1977, Riverside Press, Memphis. Excerpts are displayed here with permission of the author's estate.

History

Formerly a separate city, Raleigh was the seat of Shelby County from 1827 to 1867, when Memphis regained that status. It was named in respect to Joseph Graham, the first circuit clerk of the county, who was from the Raleigh, North Carolina, area. Raleigh Cemetery in the heart of old Raleigh is home to many of the area's namesakes, such as Coleman, Burrow, Isaac Rawlings, the second mayor of Memphis, Isaac Shelby's relatives, the county's namesake, and Wilson Sanderlin. This cemetery has been in existence since the 1840s.

Economy

Today most commerce in the southern section of Raleigh comes from Covington Pike, a road which is almost exclusively designated for car dealerships, motorcycle dealerships, car garages, chop shops, and car modification shops. Northern Raleigh's commerce comes in large part from the Methodist Memorial Hospital, the Raleigh Springs Mall, Mike's Autoplex,and surrounding shopping centers.

Education

Raleigh's public schools include Raleigh-Egypt High School, which has one of the best basketball programs in the state, as well as Craigmont High School, home to the city's only International Studies Program.

References