[5] At the time of its construction, the school was in a rural area of Shelby County called Buntyn, Tennessee, where truck farming was a major economic activity.
[2] Initially, lunches were provided by students' mothers who brought hot meals to the school at mid-day.
[5] In the 1930s, Messick became part of the Memphis City Schools system.
[4][6] Much additional residential development occurred in the area in the late 1940s, after World War II ended.
[5] The graduating class of 1981 was Messick's last, and the school's main building was demolished in 1982.