West Memphis

The part of Memphis that is located west of the Mississippi River is called West Memphis and is a town of its own. It was mapped out in 1884 by the Vance brothers, whom one of later became the postmaster of West Memphis. In 1885 the population was already 200 and by 1888 the town had three stores. Jack Bragg, a man who came to the area in 1904 builded the Brag Mill in West Memphis. He was in the lumber industry and had realized that eastern Arkansas had natural resources like timber, and the new railroads and the Mississippi solved transportation problems. The mill, and the houses around it were generaly called Bragg, after its owner but in the beginning of the 20th century the town started to be called West Memphis, because it was believed that this would make it possible to take higher prices for the timber.

West Memphis was incorporated in 1923 and in 1955 the close-by town of Hulbert, that was a railroad center, became a part of West Memphis.

Today West Memphis has a population of about 28,000 people.

Phone: (870) 732-7500
Fax: (870) 732-7650
Meetings: First and Third Thursday
Email: tcamper@citywm.com