Timeline of Knoxville, Tennessee
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee, USA.
Prior to 19th century[edit]
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- 1786 – White's Fort built.[1]
- 1791
- Knoxville founded as the capital of the Southwest Territory, named for Henry Knox[2]
- Knoxville Gazette newspaper begins publication.[3]
- 1792 – Blount Mansion built.[4]
- 1793 – First Presbyterian Church established.[4]
- 1794 – Blount College (later the University of Tennessee) established.[4]
- 1796 – Knoxville becomes capital of new U.S. state of Tennessee.[4]
19th century[edit]
- 1806 – Hampden and Sydney School incorporated.[5]
- 1815 – City of Knoxville incorporated.[6]
- 1816 – Thomas Emmerson becomes mayor.
- 1817 – Knoxville Hotel in business.
- 1818 – Craighead-Jackson House (residence) built.
- 1827 – Knoxville Female Academy established.[5]
- 1828 – The Atlas becomes the first steamboat to reach Knoxville, having successfully navigated the lower Tennessee River
- 1834 – East Tennessee Historical and Antiquarian Society founded.
- 1844 – Tennessee Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb established.[7]
- 1845 – Warner Tabernacle AME Zion Church congregation established.
- 1849 – Brownlow's Whig newspaper relocates to Knoxville.
- 1850
- Old Gray Cemetery established.
- Population: 2,076.[4]
- First Baptist Church built.
- 1854
- James C. Luttrell becomes mayor.
- Market Square established
- 1855
- East Tennessee and Georgia Railroad begins operating.[4]
- William Graham Swan becomes mayor.
- 1863
- 1864 – E.J. Sanford and Company in business.[8]
- 1868 – City Hall built on Market Square.
- 1869 – Knoxville Industrial Association founded.[8]
- 1870
- Ebenezer Mill built (approximate date).
- Population: 8,682.
- 1871 – Cowan, McClung and Co. building constructed.
- 1872 – Staub's Theatre opens.[4]
- 1873 – William Rule becomes mayor.[9]
- 1874
- Customs House built.
- Peter Staub becomes mayor.[9]
- 1875 – Knoxville College founded.[4]
- 1885
- Knoxville Fire Department and Lawson McGhee Library[4] established.
- Knox County Courthouse built.[4]
- 1886 – Sentinel newspaper (later the Knoxville News Sentinel) begins publication.[10]
- 1887
- 1888
- Sterchi Brothers Furniture Company in business.
- Martin Condon becomes mayor.[9]
- 1890
- Peter Kern becomes mayor.[9]
- Population: 22,535.
- Electric streetcar begins operating.[6]
- 1891 – H. T. Hackney Company in business.
- 1892 – St. John's Cathedral rebuilt.
- 1896 - Flag of Knoxville, Tennessee is designed
- 1897
- "Million Dollar Fire" destroys part of Gay Street.[6]
- Market House rebuilt on Market Square.[4]
- North Knoxville (modern Old North Knoxville) becomes part of city
- 1898
- West Knoxville (modern Fort Sanders) becomes part of city.
- Gay Street Bridge constructed.
20th century[edit]
- 1905
- Knoxville Railway and Light Company established.[11]
- L&N Station (Knoxville) built.
- 1909 – Knoxville City Beautiful League organized.[12]
- 1910
- First Appalachian Exposition held.
- Population: 36,346.
- 1911 – Second Appalachian Exposition held.
- 1912 – The city replaces its mayor-alderman form of government with a commission.
- 1913 – National Conservation Exposition held.
- 1914 – Candoro Marble Works in operation.
- 1917
- Park City becomes part of the city.
- South Knoxville becomes part of the city.
- 1919
- Riot of 1919 takes place.
- October: Streetcar strike.[13]
- 1920 – Population: 77,818.[14]
- 1921 – WNAV radio begins broadcasting.[6][15]
- 1923 – The city replaces its commission with a city manager-council form of government; Louis Brownlow hired as first city manager
- 1925 – City government moves to City Hall on Summit Hill Drive.[16]
- 1926
- Knoxville News Sentinel in publication.
- Lincoln Park United Methodist Church built.
- 1927
- WROL radio begins broadcasting.[15]
- Daylight Building constructed.
- 1928
- Tennessee Theatre opens.
- James Alexander Fowler becomes mayor.
- 1930
- Andrew Johnson Building constructed.
- Population: 105,802.[14]
- 1931 – Henley Street Bridge constructed.
- 1932 – Church Street Methodist Episcopal Church built.[4]
- 1933 – Tennessee Valley Authority headquartered in Knoxville.[6]
- 1934 – United States Post Office and Courthouse built.
- 1938 – Park Theatre opens.[17]
- 1940 – Population: 111,580.[14]
- 1942 – Town of Oak Ridge developed near Knoxville.[8]
- 1943 – Oak Ridge National Laboratory established near Knoxville.
- 1946
- Cas Walker becomes mayor.
- Journalist John Gunther dubs Knoxville the "ugliest city" in America, sparking beautification efforts
- 1947 – Office of City Manager merged with Mayor's office
- 1950 – Population: 124,769.[14]
- 1951 - Municipal Zoo established.[18]
- 1952 – George Roby Dempster becomes mayor.[9]
- 1953 - WATE-TV and WTVK (television) begin broadcasting.[19]
- 1956 - WBIR-TV (television) begins broadcasting.[19]
- 1959 – John Duncan, Sr. becomes mayor.
- 1960
- Protest by African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement.[20]
- Population: 111,827.
- 1962
- Fountain City and Bearden become part of the city.
- Highlander Research and Education Center relocates to Knoxville from Monteagle.[21]
- 1970 – Population: 174,587.[14]
- 1972 – Kyle Testerman becomes mayor.[9]
- 1974 – Streaking occurs.[6]
- 1976 – Randy Tyree becomes mayor.
- 1980 – Population: 175,045.[14]
- 1981 – Knoxville Community Food Cooperative organized.[22]
- 1982 – 1982 World's Fair held;[11] Sunsphere built.
- 1983
- Knoxville Opera Company active.
- Halls Cinema in business.[17]
- 1984 – Doyle Park established.[23]
- 1985 – Riverview Tower built.
- 1987 – Victor Ashe becomes mayor.
- 1988
- WCKS radio begins broadcasting.
- Jimmy Duncan Jr. becomes U.S. representative for Tennessee's 2nd congressional district.[24][25]
- 1990 – Population: 165,121.
- 1991 – City bicentennial.[6]
- 1992 – Petro's Chili & Chips franchise headquartered in Knoxville.
- 1994 – Home & Garden Television headquartered in Knoxville.
- 1995 - City website online.[26][27]
- 1996
- 1998 - Knoxville Area Chamber Partnership organized.[8]
21st century[edit]
- 2003 – Bill Haslam becomes mayor.
- 2005
- Knoxville Marathon begins.
- Tennessee Archive of Moving Image and Sound[29] and Three Rivers Market food co-op[22] established.
- 2010 – Population: 178,874.[30]
- 2011 – Daniel Brown becomes mayor, succeeded by Madeline Rogero.[9]
- 2019 - Indya Kincannon becomes mayor.
- 2020 Population 190,740.[31]
See also[edit]
- History of Knoxville, Tennessee
- List of mayors of Knoxville, Tennessee
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Knox County, Tennessee
- Timelines of other cities in Tennessee: Chattanooga, Clarksville, Memphis, Murfreesboro, Nashville
References[edit]
- ^ Faulkner 2000.
- ^ Bruce Wheeler. "Knoxville". Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
- ^ a b "US Newspaper Directory". Chronicling America. Washington DC: Library of Congress. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Federal Writers' Project 1939.
- ^ a b White 1924.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Fun Facts About Knoxville". City of Knoxville. Archived from the original on October 1, 2004. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
- ^ Chas. A. Miller, ed. (1890), Official and Political Manual of the State of Tennessee, Nashville
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ a b c d e Wheeler 2005.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Mayors". City of Knoxville. Archived from the original on May 4, 2012. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
- ^ "Tennessee", Rowell's American Newspaper Directory, New York: Printers' Ink, 1909
- ^ a b University Libraries. "(Knoxville)". Special Collections Online. University of Tennessee. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
- ^ American Federation of Arts 1910.
- ^ Burran 1979.
- ^ a b c d e f Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990, U.S. Census Bureau, 1998
- ^ a b Jack Alicoate, ed. (1939), "Standard Broadcasting Stations of the United States: Tennessee", Radio Annual, New York: Radio Daily, OCLC 2459636
- ^ McNabb 1972.
- ^ a b "Movie Theaters in Knoxville, TN". CinemaTreasures.org. Los Angeles: Cinema Treasures LLC. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
- ^ "History". 12 February 2016.
- ^ a b Charles A. Alicoate, ed. (1960), "Television Stations: Tennessee", Radio Annual and Television Year Book, New York: Radio Daily Corp., OCLC 10512206
- ^ Zagumny 2001.
- ^ Robert E. Weir; James P. Hanlan, eds. (2004). Historical Encyclopedia of American Labor. Greenwood. ISBN 9781849724906.
- ^ a b "NCGA Co-ops: Tennessee". Iowa: National Cooperative Grocers Association. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
- ^ a b "Parks". City of Knoxville. Archived from the original on July 29, 2012. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
- ^ "Tennessee". Official Congressional Directory. 1989. hdl:2027/mdp.39015024653415.
- ^ Civic Impulse, LLC. "Members of Congress". GovTrack. Washington, D.C. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
- ^ "Citizens guide to city services now available on web", Knoxville News Sentinel, September 8, 1995
- ^ "Welcome to the City of Knoxville". Archived from the original on 1998-05-12 – via Internet Archive, Wayback Machine.
- ^ "Knoxville-Oak Ridge Regional Network". Archived from the original on 1997-06-18.
Community information for and about Knoxville, Oak Ridge, and the surrounding area
- ^ Reeves 2010.
- ^ "Knoxville (city), Tennessee". State & County QuickFacts. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 8, 2007. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
- ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Knoxville city, Tennessee". www.census.gov.
Bibliography[edit]
Published in the 19th century[edit]
- R.H. Long (1863), "Knoxville", Hunt's Gazetteer of the Border and Southern States, Pittsburgh, Pa.: John P. Hunt
- Charles H. Jones (1873), "Knoxville", Appletons' Hand-book of American Travel: the Southern Tour, New York: D. Appleton & Co.
- Joseph Buckner Killebrew; Tennessee Bureau of Agriculture (1874), "East Tennessee: Knox County: Knoxville", Introduction to the Resources of Tennessee, vol. 1, Nashville: Tavel, Eastman & Howell
- "Knoxville". Tennessee State Gazetteer and Business Directory for 1876-7. Nashville: R.L. Polk & Co. 1876.
- Norwood's Knoxville Directory: 1884. Cotton Belt Pub. Co. 1883.
- J.W. Caldwell (1893). "History of Knoxville, Tennessee". East Tennessee: Historical and Biographical. Chattanooga, Tenn.: A.D. Smith & Co. hdl:2027/wu.89077948958. ISBN 9781403500816.
- "Knoxville", Rand, McNally & Co.'s Handy Guide to the Southeastern States, Chicago: Rand, McNally & Co., 1899
Published in the 20th century[edit]
- William Rule, ed. (1900), Standard History of Knoxville, Tennessee, Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company, OL 23369722M
- F.H. Richardson (1905). "Knoxville". Richardson's Southern Guide. Chicago: Monarch Book Company – via Internet Archive.
- City of Knoxville, Tennessee and Vicinity (Knoxville: Knoxville Board of Trade, 1906)
- "A New Knoxville", Art and Progress, 2, American Federation of Arts, 1910
- Knoxville, Tennessee Directory, 1915 (Knoxville: Knoxville Directory Company, 1915).
- Kate White (1924), "Knoxville's Old Educational Institutions", Tennessee Historical Magazine, 8 (1): 3–6, ISSN 2333-9012, JSTOR 42637473
- Federal Writers' Project (1939), "Knoxville", Tennessee: a Guide to the State, American Guide Series, New York: Viking, hdl:2027/mdp.39015066068928
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link) - Tennessee Historical Records Survey (1941), "Hamilton County (Knoxville)", Directory of Churches, Missions, and Religious Institutions of Tennessee, no. 47, Nashville
- Knoxville City Directory, 1960 (Knoxville: City Directory Company, 1960)
- W. R. McNabb (1972), "History of the Knoxville City Hall", Tennessee Historical Quarterly, 31 (3): 256–260, ISSN 0040-3261, JSTOR 42623317
- East Tennessee Historical Society, Lucile Deaderick (ed.), Heart of the Valley: A History of Knoxville, Tennessee (Knoxville, Tenn.: East Tennessee Historical Society, 1976)
- James A. Burran (1979), "Labor Conflict in Urban Appalachia: The Knoxville Streetcar Strike of 1919", Tennessee Historical Quarterly, 38 (1): 62–78, JSTOR 42625936
- Charles S. Aiken (1983). "Transformation of James Agee's Knoxville". Geographical Review. 73 (2): 150–165. doi:10.2307/214641. JSTOR 214641.
- George Thomas Kurian (1994), "Knoxville", World Encyclopedia of Cities, vol. 1: North America, Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, OL 1431653M – via Internet Archive (fulltext)
Published in the 21st century[edit]
- Charles H. Faulkner (2000), "Knoxville and the Southern Appalachian Frontier: An Archaeological Perspective", Tennessee Historical Quarterly, 59 (3): 158–173, JSTOR 42627557
- Lisa L. Zagumny (2001). "Sit-Ins in Knoxville, Tennessee: A Case Study of Political Rhetoric". Journal of Negro History. 86 (1): 45–54. doi:10.2307/1350178. JSTOR 1350178. S2CID 141496195.
- William Bruce Wheeler (2005). Knoxville, Tennessee: A Mountain City in the New South. Univ. of Tennessee Press. ISBN 978-1-57233-336-9.
- Bradley Reeves; Louisa Trott (2010), "Itinerant Filmmaking in Knoxville in the 1920s: A Story Told through Unseen Movies", Moving Image: The Journal of the Association of Moving Image Archivists, 10 (1): 126–143, JSTOR 41167344
- "Timeline of events in Knoxville from 1900-1909", Knoxville News Sentinel, January 29, 2012
- "Timeline of news in Knoxville: 1920-1929", Knoxville News Sentinel, March 25, 2012
- "A timeline: Knoxville, 1950-1959", Knoxville News Sentinel, June 24, 2012
- "1970s timeline", Knoxville News Sentinel, August 26, 2012
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Knoxville, Tennessee.
- Items related to Knoxville, various dates (via Digital Public Library of America).
- Bibliography of Tennessee Bibliographies: Local History, Nashville: Tennessee Secretary of State