Whitehaven, Memphis
Encyclopedia
Whitehaven is a predominantly African-American community in Memphis
, Tennessee
, first organized in the late 19th century. Its current population is about 50,000.
and is roughly bounded by Brooks Road on the north and the Mississippi
state line on the south, with South Third Street on the west and Airways Boulevard on the east.
The major traffic artery of the community is U.S. Route 51
, later known as Elvis Presley Boulevard. This roadway began as a toll "Plank Road" built between Memphis and Hernando
, Mississippi in 1852.
Whitehaven is no longer its own city, but a part of Memphis.
to Memphis markets, establishing strong commercial links.
Some of the other founding family names are Raines, Hale, McCorkle, and Harbin. E. W. Hale moved to the area in the 1880s and opened a store near what is now Whitehaven High School on Elvis Presley Blvd. Hale's Store was a landmark for many decades.
In 1926, WREC radio began operations there, and in 1928 Whitehaven's Hoyt B. Wooten was one of the first six television licensees in America. His original home is the centerpiece of a private development called Lion's Gate.
Much of the later residential and commercial development was done by Carrington Jones and Lacy Mosby in the mid 20th century, to provide housing for "baby boom" families who moved from Memphis to a pleasant environment in the old community. This gradually transformed plantation tracts to neighborhoods in the late 1940s and 1950s.
Originally a farm community, Whitehaven was developed as a residential suburb of Memphis in the 1950s and early 1960s. In 1950 Whitehaven had a population of 1,311. In 1960 Whitehaven had a population of 13,894.
Whitehaven was annexed by the city of Memphis January 1, 1970. It was integrated in the late 1960s and white flight
ensued over the next two decades.
. Whitehaven High School was opened by 1911 and was the only high
school in the community until Hillcrest opened during the 1960s. A strong rivalry developed between the two schools, and the Hillcrest/Whitehaven game became one of the major events in the community during football season. Bishop Byrne, a private co-educational Catholic high school adjacent to St. Paul Church on Shelby Dr., opened in 1966.
Whitehaven's major tourist attractions is still Graceland
mansion and the annual Elvis Week, attracting many thousands there annually to remember "The King" on the anniversary of his death on August 16, 1977.
During the two decades he lived in Whitehaven, Elvis spent as much time as possible at his home and was a beloved neighbor to residents there.
Elvis Presley
bought his famous home, Graceland, in 1957; soon afterward the farmland surrounding the estate was subdivided into homesites.
Southland Mall
opened near Shelby Drive and Elvis Presley Blvd in 1966 and is still a destination for shoppers from all over the region. It greatly helped the community to prosper. Southland Mall was the first enclosed mall in Memphis.
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....
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, first organized in the late 19th century. Its current population is about 50,000.
Geography
Whitehaven is the largest neighborhood in South MemphisSouth Memphis, Memphis
South Memphis, one of the oldest portions of Memphis, Tennessee, is a vast community stretching from downtown to the Mississippi state line. In its early days, it was primarily an agrarian community...
and is roughly bounded by Brooks Road on the north and the Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
state line on the south, with South Third Street on the west and Airways Boulevard on the east.
The major traffic artery of the community is U.S. Route 51
U.S. Route 51
U.S. Route 51 is a north–south United States highway that runs for 1,286 miles from the western suburbs of New Orleans, Louisiana to within of the Wisconsin-Michigan border. Much of the highway in Illinois and southern Wisconsin runs parallel to or overlaps Interstate 39...
, later known as Elvis Presley Boulevard. This roadway began as a toll "Plank Road" built between Memphis and Hernando
Hernando, Mississippi
Hernando is a city in central DeSoto County, Mississippi. The population was 6,812 at the 2000 census. The 2006 census estimate reflects a population of 10,580. Hernando is the county seat of DeSoto County, the second-most-populous county in the Memphis metropolitan area. US Hwy 51 and the I-55...
, Mississippi in 1852.
Whitehaven is no longer its own city, but a part of Memphis.
History
The community takes its name from a Colonel Francis White, who was an early settler and major property owner. White was influential in getting a rail line to run through what was first called White's Station, later White Haven and then Whitehaven. This Mississippi and Tennessee Railroad was chartered in 1853, and the first trains ran in 1856. The first "White Haven" post office was opened in 1871. The roads and train tracks connected the cotton farms of the Mississippi DeltaMississippi Delta
The Mississippi Delta is the distinctive northwest section of the U.S. state of Mississippi that lies between the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers. The region has been called "The Most Southern Place on Earth" because of its unique racial, cultural, and economic history...
to Memphis markets, establishing strong commercial links.
Some of the other founding family names are Raines, Hale, McCorkle, and Harbin. E. W. Hale moved to the area in the 1880s and opened a store near what is now Whitehaven High School on Elvis Presley Blvd. Hale's Store was a landmark for many decades.
In 1926, WREC radio began operations there, and in 1928 Whitehaven's Hoyt B. Wooten was one of the first six television licensees in America. His original home is the centerpiece of a private development called Lion's Gate.
Much of the later residential and commercial development was done by Carrington Jones and Lacy Mosby in the mid 20th century, to provide housing for "baby boom" families who moved from Memphis to a pleasant environment in the old community. This gradually transformed plantation tracts to neighborhoods in the late 1940s and 1950s.
Originally a farm community, Whitehaven was developed as a residential suburb of Memphis in the 1950s and early 1960s. In 1950 Whitehaven had a population of 1,311. In 1960 Whitehaven had a population of 13,894.
Whitehaven was annexed by the city of Memphis January 1, 1970. It was integrated in the late 1960s and white flight
White flight
White flight has been a term that originated in the United States, starting in the mid-20th century, and applied to the large-scale migration of whites of various European ancestries from racially mixed urban regions to more racially homogeneous suburban or exurban regions. It was first seen as...
ensued over the next two decades.
Education
Three high schools are in the Whitehaven area: Whitehaven High School, Hillcrest High School and Bishop Byrne High SchoolBishop Byrne High School (Memphis, Tennessee)
Bishop Byrne High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Memphis, Tennessee. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Memphis.-Background:...
. Whitehaven High School was opened by 1911 and was the only high
school in the community until Hillcrest opened during the 1960s. A strong rivalry developed between the two schools, and the Hillcrest/Whitehaven game became one of the major events in the community during football season. Bishop Byrne, a private co-educational Catholic high school adjacent to St. Paul Church on Shelby Dr., opened in 1966.
Public Schools
- Fairley High School
- Whitehaven High School
- Hillcrest High School
- Havenview Middle School
- Lanier Middle School
- A Maceo Walker Middle School
- Graves Elementary School
- Raineshaven Elementary School
- Westhaven Elementary School
- Lakeview Elementary School
- Whitehaven Elementary School
- Gardenview Elementary School
- Robert R Church Elementary School
- Oakshire Elementary School
- Holmes Road Elementary School
- John P. Freeman Optional Elementary and Middle School
Graceland
Graceland
Graceland is a large white-columned mansion and estate that was home to Elvis Presley in Memphis, Tennessee. It is located at 3764 Elvis Presley Boulevard in the vast Whitehaven community about 9 miles from Downtown and less than four miles north of the Mississippi border. It currently serves as...
mansion and the annual Elvis Week, attracting many thousands there annually to remember "The King" on the anniversary of his death on August 16, 1977.
During the two decades he lived in Whitehaven, Elvis spent as much time as possible at his home and was a beloved neighbor to residents there.
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
bought his famous home, Graceland, in 1957; soon afterward the farmland surrounding the estate was subdivided into homesites.
Southland Mall
For the next decade there was rapid development, with Whitehaven Plaza shopping center becoming the area's commercial center.Southland Mall
Southland Mall (Memphis, Tennessee)
Southland Mall is a regional shopping mall in the South Memphis neighborhood of Whitehaven. It was built in 1966, becoming the first enclosed mall in the Mid-South. It is managed and co-owned by Urban Retail Properties. There are over 60 stores and 2 anchors include Macy's and Sears.-See also:List...
opened near Shelby Drive and Elvis Presley Blvd in 1966 and is still a destination for shoppers from all over the region. It greatly helped the community to prosper. Southland Mall was the first enclosed mall in Memphis.
Notable residents
- DJ PaulDJ PaulPaul Beauregard, better known by his stage name DJ Paul, is an American rapper and record producer from Memphis, Tennessee. He is one half of the current Memphis-based rap group Three 6 Mafia. He is also the half brother of former Three 6 Mafia member Lord Infamous. He won an Academy Award for Best...
of Three 6 MafiaThree 6 MafiaThree 6 Mafia are an Academy Award-winning, American rap group originating from Memphis, Tennessee. Formed in 1991 as Triple 6 Mafia, by DJ Paul, Juicy J, & Lord Infamous, the group at its most featured six members including; Crunchy Black, Gangsta Boo and Koopsta Knicca...
, Gangsta BooGangsta BooGangsta Boo, also known as Lady Boo was the first female member of the Memphis, Tennessee-based rap group Three 6 Mafia...
, Drumma BoyDrumma BoyChristopher James Gholson, better known by his stage name Drumma Boy, is a multi-platinum award winning record producer and rapper from Memphis, Tennessee.-Early life:...
, Gangsta PatGangsta PatGangsta Pat is an American rapper from Memphis, Tennessee who established himself in the Memphis underground during the late 1980s and is the son of Stax Records drummer, Willie Hall...
, Tommy Wright III and Memphizz Marc hail from this neighborhood. They refer to the neighborhood as BHZ (Blackhaven Zone), with the area near Fairley High School known as Four Corners or Pimpin'ville, from where Tommy Wright III hails. - Eco-chef and author Bryant TerryBryant TerryBryant Terry is an eco-chef, food justice activist, and author. He is currently a 2008-2010 Food and Society Policy Fellow, a national Program of the W.K. Kellogg and Fair Food Foundations...
is from this neighborhood. He graduated from Bishop Byrne High School.