TIMELINE

The first settlers in the area that is today known as Nashville were Mississippian Indians who resided in the area between 1000 and 1400 A.D. They grew grain, built massive earthen mounds, and painted exquisite ceramics before inexplicably vanishing. Other tribes such as the Cherokee, Chickasaw, and Shawnee followed and used the area for hunting.

French fur traders, who built a trading post in 1717, were the first white Europeans to arrive in the area. However, it was not until 1779 that the first village was built. A party of pioneers led by Englishman James Robertson cleared the area and built a wood stockade on the banks of the Cumberland River at the center of present-day downtown Nashville.

This was Fort Nashborough, named after General Francis Nash, who was well-known in the fledgling town of North Carolina at the time. The name of the town was changed from Nashborough to Nashville in 1784.

Tennessee was admitted to the Union as the sixteenth state in 1796, and Nashville was designated as the state’s permanent capital in 1843.

Nashville was a prosperous city in 1860, but the Civil War would soon devastate it. The city was occupied by Federal troops for three years because of its strategic location on the river and railroad. The Battle of Nashville, fought in 1864, was the Confederate Army’s final offensive engagement.

Nashville had a resurgence in population, economy and industry, and education in the decades following the war. Another area of expansion was country music, which has flourished to the point where Nashville is now referred to as Music City, USA.

Nashville and Davidson County have a single government under the current Metropolitan Charter, which took effect on April 1, 1963, with control over more than 500,000 people and 533 square miles, a vice-mayor, and a 40-member legislative council.

Beginnings of Nashville

In 1779, James Robertson and a group of Wataugans constructed Nashville, which was initially known as Fort Nashborough, after American Revolutionary War hero Francis Nash. Nashville flourished swiftly as a result of its strategic location, river port accessibility, and later reputation as a major railroad hub. Nashville became the county seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, in 1806, when it was founded as a city. In 1843, the city was designated as the state’s permanent capital.

When the first rumblings of secession were heard across the South in 1860, antebellum Nashville was a thriving metropolis.

Because of its importance as a commercial port, the city became a prized prize for controlling major river and train tradelines. Nashville was the first state capitol to fall to Union forces in February 1862.

Despite the fact that the Civil War left Nashville in grave economic straits, the city recovered swiftly. Within a few years, the city had restored its key maritime and commercial role, as well as establishing a strong manufacturing base. Nashville experienced a period of prosperity following the Civil War in the late nineteenth century. These prosperous periods left a legacy of great classical-style structures in the downtown area, which may still be seen today.

The Grand Ole Opry’s arrival in 1925, paired with an already robust publishing business, cemented the city’s status as “Music City USA.” Nashville became the first big city in the United States to adopt a metropolitan government when it merged its administration with Davidson County in 1963. Since the 1970s, the city has grown dramatically, particularly during the 1990s economic boom under the leadership of Mayor (now-Tennessee Governor) Phil Bredesen, who prioritized urban renewal and facilitated the construction or renovation of several city landmarks, including the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Nashville Public Library downtown, the Sommet Center, and Nissan Stadium.

A Look at Today’s Nashville

The Sommet Center (previously Nashville Arena and Gaylord Entertainment Center) was constructed as a big concert venue as well as a draw for a National Basketball Association (NBA) or National Hockey League (NHL) sports club. Nashville was awarded an NHL expansion team in 1997, and the Nashville Predators were named after them.

The National Football League’s (NFL) Houston Oilers agreed to relocate to the city in 1995, prompting the construction of Nissan Stadium (previously LP Field and Adelphia Coliseum). Vanderbilt Stadium hosted the NFL’s first game in Nashville in 1998, and LP Field opened in the summer of 1999. The Oilers were renamed the Tennessee Titans after a season that culminated in the Music City Miracle and a thrilling Super Bowl game.

Today, the metropolis along the Cumberland River is a cultural crossroads and the fastest-growing part of the Upper South, spanning the territory between Atlanta and Texas. Several ideas for several residential and business skyscrapers, including the Signature Tower, are currently in the works in the downtown region. If built, it will exceed the BellSouth Building as the highest building in Nashville and Tennessee, as well as the tallest building in the United States outside of New York and Chicago, surpassing the Bank of America Plaza in Atlanta.