Memphis, Florida
census-designated place in Manatee County, Florida, United States
Memphis is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Manatee County, Florida, United States. The population was 9,024 as of the 2020 census, up from 7,848 in 2010. It is part of the North Port–Bradenton–Sarasota, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
The community can trace its roots back to the 1880s, when it was planned as an 80-acre subdivision, adjacent to the city of Palmetto. Tennessee-born Robert Willis (1855-1933) originally owned the land, but eventually it was sold to I.E. Barwick (1854-1924) who subdivided it. The community's traditional borders roughly lie on the west side of 16th Avenue East and just on the west side of U.S. 41, and between 17th and 25th Streets East. An 1897 Manatee County directory mentions a handful of establishments, from a clothing store to a crate mill and a bakery then under construction.
Over time, the area eventually became a predominantly African American community in the segregation era. The Old Memphis cemetery is the resting place of over 600 individuals. Many of the graves are of these early African American settlers, some of whom were freed slaves.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Memphis, Florida” as census-designated place in Manatee County, Florida, United States. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as census-designated place in Manatee County, Florida, United States. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Apr 28, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2081132. Authority coordinates are 27.540, -82.563. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2020, 2010, 1855 and 1933.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Memphis, Florida”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Memphis, Florida primary sources, Memphis, Florida archive and Memphis research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Memphis, Florida”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Memphis, Florida” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.