History Of Our Town Millington is located along U.S. Highway 51, with easy access to Interstate 40, 240 and 55, in northern Shelby County, five miles from Memphis. Millington around 1910    Around 1878, a North Shelby County plantation owner offered to donate land for a town and to help build a railroad station on the newly established Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad line, which crossed his five-thousand acre tract of land. Part of his land was elevated and would offer higher ground for their homes, and settlers accepted his offer and agreed to name the town after the donors, Mr. and Mrs. George Millington. The communities of Millwood and Glencoe combined to from the newly established town of Millington.    The community continued to grow, along with other small settlements nearby. By the time the city incorporated in 1903, citizens of this small country town had developed a sense of civic pride. Soon Millington established water and light systems, bus service, a telephone company, a local newspaper, library and music room, scout groups and annual community celebrations.    Millington can still boast about providing the first school bus service for students in Shelby County, a wagonette, drawn by mules. Millington is also proud to claim the first accredited school in Shelby County (which includes Memphis).    Today Millington has some of the finest schools in the nation. Millington South Elementary, recognized by the United States Department of Education, is just one of four local elementary schools with a combined enrollment of 2,139 students and 104 teachers. The junior high (middle school) has an enrollment of 500 students and 30 teachers.    Millington Central High School is a comprehensive school for 1,500 students and employs more than 80 teachers, supported by a staff of some 30 auxiliary personnel. Eight buildings and a football stadium occupy the campus.    Since 1941, Millington has been the home of the world's largest inland Navy Base. The relationship continues to be mutually beneficial as the Navy and Millington work together for the joint use of a civilian/military airport facility.    In recognition of its many accomplishments in economic development, community leadership and overall livability, the state of Tennessee has awarded Millington its Three-Star Award, the state's highest community rating.    Officially designated "Flag City, Tennessee" by the state legislature in 1986, Millington hosts a Flag Day Celebration each June, just one of several events each year that capture the city's small town flavor and community spirit. Some other events include International Goat Days in September (est. 1990), and a Christmas parade in early December.    Millington, nestled in a beautiful section of northern Shelby County that's dotted with peach orchards, cotton fields, a myriad of lakes and crisscrossed by bridle paths through the scenic wooded countryside, is a community with just the right balance of yesterday and today. Photos From The Past