Knoxville, Tennessee

Knoxville is a city located in Knox County, Tennessee, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 173,890. It is the county seat of Knox County{{GR|6}}, and is the third-largest city in the state of Tennessee. Its nickname is the Marble City, from when it was a major center of marble distribution in the early 1900s. It was named in honor of the first Secretary of War, Henry Knox.

History

Knoxville was founded in 1791 by Territorial Governor William Blount and named after George Washington's Secretary of War Henry Knox. Knoxville was the capital of the Southwest Territory from 1791 until 1797. In 1796, a constitutional convention was held in Knoxville to establish Tennessee as a state. When Tennessee entered the United States in 1797, Knoxville was the first capital of the state until 1815 when the capital was moved to Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Related Topics:
1791 - William Blount - George Washington - Southwest Territory - 1797 - 1796 - 1815 - Murfreesboro, Tennessee

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During the American Civil War, the Battle of Campbell's Station was outside Knoxville on November 16, 1863. In that battle Confederate troops led by General James Longstreet unsuccessfully attacked Union forces under General Ambrose Burnside. The next day, the two week long Siege of Knoxville began when Longstreet placed Knoxville under siege. The siege, which culminated in the Battle of Fort Sanders, failed and Longstreet returned with his men to General Robert E. Lee.

Related Topics:
American Civil War - Battle of Campbell's Station - November 16 - 1863 - Confederate - James Longstreet - Union - Ambrose Burnside - Siege of Knoxville - Siege - Battle of Fort Sanders - Robert E. Lee

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In 1901, train robber Kid Curry (real name, Harvey Logan), a member of Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch was captured after shooting two deputies on Knoxville's Central Avenue. He escaped from the Knoxville Jail and rode away on the sherriff's stolen horse.

Related Topics:
1901 - Kid Curry - Harvey Logan - Butch Cassidy - Wild Bunch

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In 1933 during the Great Depression, the Tennessee Valley Authority was founded by the U.S. Government to help create jobs and attract manufacturing dependent on cheap electricity.

Related Topics:
1933 - Great Depression - Tennessee Valley Authority - Electricity

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Knoxville hosted the 1982 World's Fair, from which the Sunsphere remains.

Related Topics:
1982 World's Fair - Sunsphere

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