President's Island (Island Number 45) (Memphis, Tennessee) | industrial area

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  Urbanut (guest)

  Construction of the Port of Memphis began on President’s Island in 1947 as a response to the revolution in river shipping which necessitated a port facility that could accommodate the large barges and tugs that are commonplace on the river today. At the time, Presidents Island was the largest island on the Mississippi River. The project called for closing off the Tennessee Chute with a man made dam that would also serve to link the island with the city. Dredging created fill that raised the elevation of the property adjacent to the newly formed harbor to protect the industrial sites from periodic flood events. The project was completed in 1951. Today the Port of Memphis is the second busiest port on the Mississippi River and the 4th busiest inland port in the nation.

  14 years ago | reply | hide comment