Timeline of Knoxville, Tennessee
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee, USA.
Prior to 19th century
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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]
