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Knoxville, TN History

Knoxville Tennessee real estate and information gateway

THE HISTORY.....Late in the 18th century, hardy frontiersmen crossed the Appalachian into the valley of “The Tennessee ". At the junction of the Holston and French Broad rivers, General James White established White's Fort; later renamed for George Washington's secretary of war, Henry Knox. In 1792, the first frame house west of the Appalachians, Blount Mansion, was built to accommodate the governor of the vast territory south of the river Ohio. Both White's Fort and Blount Mansion remain amid the central business district; allowing us to share a bit of the past.

In 1796, when the territory of the United States south of the river Ohio became the state of Tennessee; Knoxville became the first capital of Tennessee...and remained so until 1812. Knoxville's John Sevier was the first governor of Tennessee, serving six terms in all. Elected in 1816, Tom Emmerson served as the first mayor of Knoxville. The first official census, taken in 1850, showed a population of 2,076. Read more under East TN Information Tab

LOCATION AND CHARACTERISTICS... Knoxville lies in the shadow of the Great Smoky Mountains and the Cumberland Mountains. The mountains provide Knoxvillians with beautiful national and state parks that have an abundance of recreational activities to choose from.

Knoxville is centrally located in the eastern United States. Knoxville is the hub for three major interstates, I-40 from North Carolina to California, I-75 from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, and I-81 from Canada to Knoxville. More than 60 million Americans are within a day's drive of Knoxville.

Knoxville is served by both major and regional air carriers; American, United, Delta, Northwest, TWA, USAir, Airtran Airways, Lone Star and Comair. Cherokee Aviation and Knox Air are the fixed base operators offering private and charter services. Additional air service information is available from the Airport Authority, phone [ 865 ] 970-2773.

Adjacent to the Knoxville Airport is the McGhee Tyson Airbase with the 134th Air Refueling Group and elements of the Tennessee Air National Guard. The airbase offers two runways of more than 9,000 feet and additional support facilities. Downtown Knoxville is served by the downtown Island Airport, adjacent to the business district. Stevens Aviation Services private aircraft using its facilities and the 3500 foot runway.

The French Broad and the Holston Rivers converge in Knoxville to form the headwaters of the Tennessee River which begins the 650 mile River Navigational Channel. Read more under East TN Information Tab

GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK... Evidence exists that as long as 15,000 years ago, Indians might have inhabited the Great Smoky Mountains. The highly civilized Cherokee Indians were hunting, farming and living in the foothills when the first Europeans arrived in the late 1500's. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the first of its kind, was authorized in 1934 and dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940. The park has since grown to its current size; 510,030 acres of beautiful ridges, hollows, river gorges and coves. Some of the richest and most diversified plant life in the United States, as well as the largest stand of virgin timber east of the Mississippi, are incorporated within its scenic beauty. This most visited national park hosts more than 8.45 million visitors annually and is only 45 minutes from Knoxville.