Editing Memphis, Florida (section)

== 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, Florida|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.<ref>"I.E. Barwick, Noted Figure in Florida's History, Dies". ''The Tampa Tribune'', October 18, 1924. Newspapers.com</ref><ref>"Robert Willis of Palmetto Passes Today". ''The Bradenton Herald'', June 21, 1933. Newspapers.com</ref> 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.<ref name="January Holmes 2007">"Keeping Memories Alive", by January Holmes. ''The Bradenton Herald'', August 19, 2007. Newspapers.com.</ref> An 1897 Manatee County directory mentions a handful of establishments, from a clothing store to a crate mill and a bakery then under construction.<ref>Meserve, Andrew. "General Directory of Manatee County, Florida" (1897). Manatee County Public Library Historic Digital Collection. https://cdm16681.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16681coll2/id/9397/rec/7</ref>

Over time, the area eventually became a predominantly [[African American]] community in the [[racial segregation in the United States|segregation]] era.<ref name="January Holmes 2007"/> 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. The cemetery lies north of the community and was closed by the 1970s. Early residents included the Reverend Daniel and Isabel Baity. Reverend Baity became the first minister of the first African American church in [[Sarasota, Florida|Sarasota]].<ref>"Grave Condition: Historic Cemetery Eroding", by Sara Langenberg. ''The Bradenton Herald'', February 3, 1998.  Newspapers.com.</ref><ref>"100 Years in Palmetto: 1868-1968", by Ruth E. Abel. Palmetto Centennial Association, 1967.</ref> The identity of the close-knit community was interrupted with the construction of U.S. 41 in the 1960s.<ref name="January Holmes 2007"/> In more recent years, the old cemetery fell into disrepair and was cleaned up on several occasions. An historical marker was erected in 2013 at the entrance of the Old Memphis cemetery.<ref>The Historical Marker Database, ed. Tim Fillmon. Accessed January 31, 2022. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=100898.</ref><ref>Florida Department of State, "Florida Historical Markers Programs-Manatee County-Old Memphis Cemetery", Accessed January 31, 2022. http://apps.flheritage.com/markers/markers.cfm?county=manatee</ref>