Bemis, Tennessee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Bemis Historic District
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 Location in Tennessee
Location in the United States
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| Location | Roughly bounded by D St., the Illinois Central Gulf RR tracks, Sixth St. and rural property lines to the W and S, Jackson, Tennessee, United States |
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| Area | 450 acres (1.8 km2) |
| Built | 1900 |
| Architect | Multiple |
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| NRHP reference No. | 91001777 |
| Added to NRHP | December 16, 1991 |
Bemis is a special place in Madison County, Tennessee, United States. It used to be a "company town." This means a company built and owned the town for its workers. The Bemis Brothers Bag Company created Bemis in 1900. They built a large cotton mill here. They also built homes for all the mill workers. Today, Bemis is part of the city of Jackson. A big part of Bemis is now called the Bemis Historic District. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. This means it's an important historical area.
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The Story of Bemis
Around 1900, Judson Moss Bemis led the Bemis company. He decided his company needed a cotton mill in the southern United States. This area grew a lot of cotton. Madison County was chosen for the mill. The county government helped by buying land for the company.
Building a Company Town
Construction started in 1900. The first mill opened in June 1901. It had 21,000 spindles for making thread. A "planned community" was built around the mill. Albert Farwell Bemis, Judson's son, helped design the town. He was a civil engineer. He wanted the town to look like it grew naturally over time.
Several neighborhoods were built for workers. Each area had different house styles. These included shotgun homes and L-shaped houses. The first neighborhood was called Old Bemis. It was built in 1900. A second area, Bicycle Hill, was added in 1903. A separate neighborhood was also built for African American workers. This was on Congo Street, later called Butler Street. More homes were built later, like Silver Circle in 1919.
Life in Bemis: Community Facilities
Bemis had many facilities for its residents. These included schools and churches. There were sidewalks and fire protection services. The town also had company stores and a post office. A hotel and a boarding house were available. There was even a railroad depot.
An 850-seat auditorium was built in 1922. It was designed by architect Andrew Hepburn. Bemis also had a YMCA building and a swimming pool. Parks, a bath house, and a golf course were also part of the town. Unusually for a company town, workers did not have to live in Bemis. Transportation was offered to those living elsewhere.
What the Mills Made
The mills in Bemis made fabric sheeting and thread. These were sent to other Bemis company factories. There, they were used to sew bags. In 1950, the Bemis mills were very busy. They had 50,000 spindles and 1,710 looms. About 1,250 workers processed 26,000 bales of cotton each year. They produced 50 million yards of cotton cloth. They also made one million pounds of thread. Bemis was so successful that the company built another town. This was Bemiston in Alabama.
Changes Over Time
Around 1965, the Bemis company started selling the town. Workers were given the chance to buy their homes. The company helped with financing. By the end of the 1960s, most houses had been sold.
In 1977, Bemis became part of the city of Jackson. The Bemis Company sold the mills in 1980. The new owner kept them running until 1991.
Bemis as a Historic Place
In 1991, Bemis was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It became the Bemis Historic District. This district covers 450 acres. It includes 511 important buildings. The cotton mill building is one of them. The auditorium, now the Bemis Museum, is also notable. The Bemis United Methodist Church, built in 1908, is another key building. It was first a Union Church for all faiths.
In 2014, the city of Jackson announced plans. They wanted to tear down the old Bemis Mill. They planned to create a memorial park there. Even though the mill was in the historic district, it was not protected by local rules.
Some types of houses, like shotgun houses, were disappearing in nearby Jackson. But in Bemis, these homes were valued. Homeowners and the community worked to preserve them.
Today, some industrial facilities still operate in Bemis. These include a cotton gin. There is also a modern cotton warehouse.
