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Travelling
makeup kit (c. 1820) |
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Perhaps John Overton’s greatest contribution to the development
of Tennessee was his founding of Memphis. The 5000-acre city plot
was part of a 65,000-acre tract that Overton purchased in 1795 for
less than 15 cents an acre. This was a risky venture as the land
in west Tennessee was claimed by the Chickasaw Indians, but by 1818,
General Andrew Jackson negotiated a treaty with the Chickasaw that
relinquished their claims to the land. This allowed development
to move ahead and city lots went on sale the next year. James Winchester,
Overton’s business partner, chose the name Memphis for the
Mississippi River town in reference to the ancient Egyptian city
on the Nile River. Overton tirelessly promoted the city until his
death in 1833.
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