A Brief History of Knoxville

HOlston Treaty statue on Volunteer landing a brief history of knoxville Before the United States, the Tennessee European discovery of the Mississippi River. country was the mysterious wild place Historians surmise he came right down the beyond the mountains, associated with Native north shore of the Tennessee River, directly American tribes. Prehistoric Indians of the through the future plot of Knoxville. DeSoto Woodland culture settled in the immediate began 250 years of colonial-era claims by Knoxville area as early as 800 A.D. Much Spain, France, and England, none of whom of their story is unknown. They left two effectively controlled the area. British mysterious mounds within what’s now explorers made their way into the region in Knoxville’s city limits. the early 1700s, when the future Tennessee Some centuries later, Cherokee cultures was counted as part of the Atlantic seaboard developed in the region, concentrated some colony of North Carolina. Fort Loudoun, built 40 miles downriver along what became in 1756 about 50 miles southwest of the future known as the Little Tennessee. The Cherokee site of Knoxville, was an ill-fated attempt probably knew the future Knoxville area to establish a British fort during the French mainly as a hunting ground. and Indian War. Hardly three years after Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto its completion, Cherokee besieged the fort, ventured into the area in 1541 during his capturing or killing most of its inhabitants. famous expedition that culminated in the 1780 JOHN SEVIER LEADS SETTLERS TO VICTORY IN BATTLE OF KING’S MOUNTAIN 1783 1775 revolutionary war 1786 james white builds his fort and mill Hernando DeSoto, seen here on horseback discovering the Mississippi River, explored the East Tennessee region in 1541 3 Treaty of Holston, 1791 pioneers, created a crude settlement here. For and rendered it safe from flooding by the a time, White was associated with an abortive unpredictable river. He named it Knoxville, attempt to found a new state called Franklin. in honor of his immediate superior and a In 1791, William Blount, a Revolutionary former general in the veteran from eastern North Carolina and a Revolution, Secretary of signer of the U.S. Constitution, was appointed War Henry Knox. governor of the Southwestern Territory—the Cooperating with region not yet known as Blount’s plans for the Tennessee, and formerly place, James White, with considered the far-west substantial help from part of North Carolina. his son-in-law Charles As a representative McClung, a surveyor of President George Revolutionary from Pennsylvania, laid War General Washington, he came Henry Knox out a city of sorts on the to White’s Fort in 1791 flat top of the bluff. Their to negotiate the Treaty lottery, or allotment, of these 64 plots in William Blount, of the Holston with a October, 1791, would be remembered as signer of the U.S. Constitution remarkable convention of the founding of Knoxville. about 41 Cherokee leaders Blount recruited amenities like a printing to determine the future of U.S.-Cherokee press, run by George Roulstone, originally relations, at least in the near term. One of from the Boston area, who printed the Spain maintained an interest in the militia captain from a rural area just north of several treaties of the era, it was ultimately territory’s first law books and a newspaper Tennessee country for some years even after Charlotte, N.C., White (1747–1821) brought his ineffectual, but may have allayed bloodshed called the Knoxville Gazette. that, but never established a permanent veteran’s land-grant credit to this newly opened for a time. For the next five years, the territorial presence. Neither did the British, though area, nominally controlled by North Carolina. Blount soon opted to establish his legislature met at Knoxville. Both white several familiar local place names, including He first settled in the area in 1785, and the permanent capital at White’s Fort. It was near settlers and Native Americans—who were Holston, Cumberland, and Loudoun, are following year he settled along the limestone the Cherokee settlements, important closer to an even match in the 1790s—had remnants of the British colonial era. plateau that became downtown Knoxville, for trading and negotiations, but not so near ulterior motives, and broke treaties. White Knoxville’s first permanent settlers were and built a fort and mill along a creek first that the town could be destroyed without soldiers under John Sevier relentlessly a few families led by Revolutionary War known as White’s Creek, later as First Creek. warning. The new capital’s location on top attacked Cherokee villages, ostensibly to veterans, notably James White. A former His extended family, as well as several other of a bluff provided a defensive advantage defend white settlements. 1794 blount college 1796 founded Knoxville 1792 becomes capital 1801 1809 1791 construction State of Tennessee birth of future east tennessee college, launch of of blount founded in Constitutional admiral david previously blount college, knoxville gazette, mansion Convention on Gay st glasgow farragut closes for 11 years tennessee’s first 1812 1815 newspaper 1800 war of 1812 1793 1803 1811-1812 Chickamaugan raid 1797 Andrew Jackson New Madrid Earthquakes 1816 on Cavett’s Station, ramsey house and John Sevier shake the Southeast, first church 1791 siege of Knoxville is built at argument and including Knoxville buildings, averted swan pond near-duel presbyterian and methodist, Founding of blount are built K noxville conspiracy as capital of southwestern territory 5.

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