Memphis Defense Depot facts for kids

The Memphis Defense Depot was a large supply center for the United States Army. It was located on 642 acres (about 2.6 square kilometers) in Memphis, Tennessee. This depot helped the Army by providing important supplies from 1942 until 1997.

History of the Memphis Depot

How the Depot Started

The Memphis Defense Depot began its work in January 1942. The United States Army Corps of Engineers officially opened it. At first, it was called the Memphis General Depot.

What the Depot Stored

This depot was a huge warehouse for the Army. It supplied many things like clothes, food, medicine, and electronic gear. It also handled fuel and special chemicals. The depot had 130 buildings. It had more than 4 million square feet (about 371,612 square meters) of storage space.

Changes Over Time

Over the years, the depot had a few different names. From 1942 to 1962, it was known as the Memphis Quartermaster Depot. It was also called the Memphis Army Service Forces Depot. Finally, it was known as the Memphis General Depot again.

Environmental Cleanup Efforts

In 1992, the depot was added to a special list called the Superfund sites list. This list is kept by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It meant that chemicals from the depot had caused pollution. The soil, groundwater, and surface water needed cleaning. The EPA has reported that a lot of the cleanup work has been completed.

Closing and New Uses

In 1995, the depot was chosen to be closed down. On September 30, 1997, it officially closed. Since then, most of the depot's land, about 94%, has been given back for public use. Part of the old depot is now used as the Memphis Depot Business Park.