Memphis

Memphis (pop. 610,300), largest city and chief river port of Tennessee, seat of Shelby County, on the high east banks bluffs of the Mississippi River below the mouth of the Wolf River. It was founded in 1819 and incorporated in 1826. Memphis is a leading market for cotton, hardwood lumber and livestock, as well as meat packing center and a transportation hub. Its manufactures include cottonseed products, textiles, farm machinery, paper, and drugs. It has foundries and rice mills. The city, noted for its fine churches, also has many educational institutions, including the medical divisions of the University of Tennessee. Memphis is the site of Beale Street, made famous by the composer W.C. Handy, and of Elvis Presley's estate, Graceland, a popular tourist attraction.

See also: Tennessee.