President's Island facts for kids
President's Island is a piece of land that sticks out into the Mississippi River in Memphis, Tennessee. It's like a big finger of land. This area is very important for the city because it has a major river port (where ships load and unload goods) and a large industrial park (where many factories and businesses are located).
History of President's Island
The name President's Island was first used a long time ago, around 1801 or 1802. It was called this because it was the biggest island on the Mississippi River at that time. Yes, it used to be a real island, completely surrounded by water! Some old maps even show a part of it called Vice President's Island.
After the American Civil War, in 1865, a place called the Freedmen's Bureau set up a camp on the island. This camp was for freed slaves, who were people who had been enslaved but were now free. About 1,500 people stayed there for a while.
Later, a man named Nathan Bedford Forrest tried to use the island as a large farm where people worked to grow crops like corn and cotton.
In the late 1870s, the island became a safe place for many people. This was during a time when a serious illness called yellow fever was spreading through the city, making thousands of people sick.
How the Island Became a Peninsula
In the 1940s, a big plan was made to change President's Island. The idea was to close off a small channel of the river, called the Tennessee Chute, which separated the island from the land. By doing this, they created a deep-water harbor called McKellar Lake. This lake could be reached from the Mississippi River.
The U.S. government approved money for this project in 1946, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers started building in 1948. This project helped control floods and allowed for more industrial growth. Before this, the island was often flooded, which made it hard to farm or live there safely. Because it was so isolated, it was sometimes used for unofficial gatherings.
Several people from Memphis were very important in turning President's Island into an industrial hub. These included businessman Frank C. Pidgeon, E.H. Crump, U.S. Senator Kenneth McKellar, and writer Jack Carley. Senator McKellar was especially helpful because he was in charge of a committee that helped fund the project. The city of Memphis officially took over the island in 1947.
President's Island Today
Today, President's Island is a large area, about 7,500 acres. It has a mix of nature and industry. A big part of it, about 1,200 acres, is set aside for industrial development. Most of this industrial land is already being used by companies.
The businesses on President's Island bring in a lot of money each year, about $7.1 billion! They also provide jobs for about 4,000 people at around 200 different companies. Even with all the industry, there are still thousands of acres of undeveloped woodlands, which are home to many different kinds of wildlife.
