Timeline of Knoxville, Tennessee

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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
  • Siege of Knoxville.
  • Battle of Fort Sanders.
  • Knoxville National Cemetery established.^[4]
• 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
  • Knoxville Negro World newspaper begins publication.^[3]
  • Chamber of Commerce established.^[8]
• 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

Map of Street Railway Lines of the Knoxville Railway and Light Company c 1912

• 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
  • Knoxville-Oak Ridge Regional Network online.^[28]
  • Adair Park built.^[23]
• 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]

See also

• 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