Memphis's location is at 35°N, 90°W.

Its suburbs were created by citizens fleeing any changes coming about inside the city themselves. One change was the major shift in racial makeup of Memphis in the 1970s and 1980s. To keep up with the fleeing morons, Memphis, under the leadership of mayors Wyeth Chandler, Dick Hackett, and W. W. Herenton, Memphis took steps to annex these outlying communities. Between 1955 and 199?, Frayser, Raleigh, Whitehaven, Cordova, and Balmoral were quickly gobbled up by Memphis, and the communities of Hickory Hill (Nonconnah, TN(?!?)), the former Capleville and others are sure to follow.

Because of the annexation, more and more suburbs were built until they the town of Collierville, Tennessee, which sits on the opposite county line. Collierville was so far away from Memphis that it had its own address system (which now looks out of place).
Another pit-awful excuse to "escape Memphis" that came into play was the "Toy Town" law. I don't know all the details but a state law was passed that made it easier for unincorporated areas to become towns or cities. Because more people lived in these outlying areas than the actual Memphis citizens, it put most of Shelby County at odds with one another. Hickory Hill was going to become Nonconnah, Tenn. (named because of the Nonconnah Creek) and the 7th largest city in Tennessee. "The County"'s hopes were soonafter dashed because the law was ruled unconstitutional by a Tipton County judge and later the Tenn. Supreme Court.
Immediately after, Memphis absorbed another suburb, this one with the largest shopping mall in W. Tennessee, The Wolfchase Galleria.

The moral of this lesson is: Do not flee a non-threatening situation based upon assumed fear for it will catch up to you and really cause you to panic!

UPDATE: Forget about Nonconnah or even Hickory Hill. On Dec. 31, 1998, it will be officially conquered (annexed) by the City of Memphis. Rumors are flying that there will be people fleeing to Olive Branch, Mississippi. Although Memphis can't annex out of Tennessee, the same moral applies for this situation.