Raleigh, Memphis
Encyclopedia
Raleigh is a community in northeastern Memphis, Tennessee
named for a formerly incorporated town that used to be at its center. Today the boundaries of Raleigh are designated by the 38128 ZIP Code. Raleigh is bordered on the west by the community of Frayser
(the boundary being the north-south Illinois Central Railroad tracks), on the east by the incorporated suburb
of Bartlett
, on the south by the northern loop of I-240, and on the north by the Memphis city limits.
, Raleigh is one of the highest points in the Memphis area. The old town's center, which was located around the intersection of today's James Road/Stage Road and Old Austin Peay Highway, had a commanding view of the river. Mary Winslow Chapman, in her 1977 memoir I Remember Raleigh, provided these vivid descriptions of the Wolf River in its natural state (before channelization):
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. The stone courthouse was situated between James Road and Fayette Road, where a warehouse now stands at 4216 Fayette Road. After the town lost its charter, the courthouse was dismantled and the stone was used to construct the courthouse in Bartlett. Raleigh Cemetery, off Old Raleigh-Lagrange in the heart of old Raleigh, is the final resting place of many of the area's namesakes, such as Coleman, Burrow, Isaac Rawlings, the second mayor of Memphis, relatives of Isaac Shelby, the county's namesake, and Wilson Sanderlin. This cemetery has been in existence since the 1840s.
, which has one of the best basketball programs in the state, and Craigmont High School
, home to the city's only International Studies Program.
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
named for a formerly incorporated town that used to be at its center. Today the boundaries of Raleigh are designated by the 38128 ZIP Code. Raleigh is bordered on the west by the community of Frayser
Frayser, Memphis
Frayser is a community in North Memphis, Tennessee.-History:Frayser is the western tip of a peninsula created by the Loosahatchie and Wolf Rivers as they converge into the Mississippi River just north of Downtown Memphis. Mud Island is the peninsula's southwest tip...
(the boundary being the north-south Illinois Central Railroad tracks), on the east by the incorporated suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Bartlett
Bartlett, Tennessee
Bartlett is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and part of the Memphis metropolitan area. The population was 54,613 at the 2010 census.-History:...
, on the south by the northern loop of I-240, and on the north by the Memphis city limits.
Geography
Situated along a high bluff on the Wolf RiverWolf River (Tennessee)
The Wolf River is a alluvial stream in western Tennessee and northern Mississippi, whose confluence with the Mississippi River was the site of various Chickasaw, French, Spanish and American communities and forts that eventually became Memphis, Tennessee....
, Raleigh is one of the highest points in the Memphis area. The old town's center, which was located around the intersection of today's James Road/Stage Road and Old Austin Peay Highway, had a commanding view of the river. Mary Winslow Chapman, in her 1977 memoir I Remember Raleigh, provided these vivid descriptions of the Wolf River in its natural state (before 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 FarmPrison farmA prison farm is a large correctional facility where penal labor convicts are put to economical use in a 'farm' , usually for manual labour, largely in open air, such as in agriculture, logging, quarrying, etc...
[today’s Shelby FarmsShelby FarmsShelby Farms, located in Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee, is one of the largest urban parks in the United States. At a size of , it covers more than five times the area of Central Park in New York City with ....
] 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.
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- M. Winslow Chapman, I Remember Raleigh, 1977, Riverside Press, Memphis. Excerpts are displayed here with permission of the author's estate.
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History
Formerly a separate city, Raleigh was the county seat of Shelby CountyShelby County, Tennessee
Shelby County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the state's largest both in terms of population and geographic area, with a population of 927,644 at the 2010 census...
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
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
area. The stone courthouse was situated between James Road and Fayette Road, where a warehouse now stands at 4216 Fayette Road. After the town lost its charter, the courthouse was dismantled and the stone was used to construct the courthouse in Bartlett. Raleigh Cemetery, off Old Raleigh-Lagrange in the heart of old Raleigh, is the final resting place of many of the area's namesakes, such as Coleman, Burrow, Isaac Rawlings, the second mayor of Memphis, relatives of Isaac Shelby, the county's namesake, and Wilson Sanderlin. This cemetery has been in existence since the 1840s.
Economy
With the exception of a large Nike distribution center on New Frayser-Raleigh Road, Raleigh's business community is almost exclusively retail. There are two main commercial corridors, Covington Pike and Austin Peay Highway. The southern section of Covington Pike comprises Memphis's largest collection of automobile dealerships and related businesses, while the area around Stage Road offers fast food and casual restaurants, shopping centers, and major retailers such as Home Depot. Austin Peay Highway likewise is crowded with fast food and casual restaurants, shopping centers, grocery stores, and the Raleigh Springs Mall, which was the community's commercial center from its opening in 1973 into the 1990s. Austin Peay and Covington Pike meet at a major intersection that includes Methodist North Healthcare Hospital on one corner and a Wal-Mart Supercenter and other businesses on the other.Education
Raleigh's public elementary schools include Scenic Hills, Coleman, Spring Hill, Egypt-Central, Keystone, and the STAR Academy public charter school. Its two high schools are Raleigh-Egypt High SchoolRaleigh-Egypt High School
Raleigh-Egypt High School is a secondary school located at 3970 Voltaire Road in Raleigh, a section of Memphis, Tennessee. It is part of the Memphis City Schools district. It shares a campus with Egypt Central Elementary School and Raleigh-Egypt Middle School.This school was originally part of...
, which has one of the best basketball programs in the state, and Craigmont High School
Craigmont High School
Craigmont High School is a public high school located in Memphis, Tennessee, in the Raleigh community. It is part of the Memphis City Schools district. It is home to the city's only International Studies Program. The school first opened in 1974 for only 7th through 10th grade students, but each...
, home to the city's only International Studies Program.