In 1796 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. The first official census, taken in 1850, showed a population of 2,076.

The war between the states found Knoxville sympathies of the inhabitants divided. Being a strategic point for both the Union and Confederated forces, a major battle took place on November 29, 1863 at Fort Sanders. The battle was an important victory for the federal forces.

A landmark event that was to have a profound effect on the area took place in the 1930's. A newly formed federal agency, the Tennessee Valley Authority, began its massively scaled plans to transform the entire valley with flood control and power generating dams on the Tennessee River. Knoxville was never to be the same again with the influx of new people, new ideas and the economic opportunities opened by the availability of low cost electric power, even today.

In the continuing saga of growth and expansion, aggressive business leaders and government officials started in 1976 to plan the Knoxville's 1982 World's Fair. Knoxville is the most centrally located city in the Eastern United States.

The area retains its natural beauty with its lakes and The Smoky Mountains backdrop, along with all the amenities of a metropolitan city... which makes Knoxville a very unique place to call home.

Places Rated Almanac - Millenium Edition rates Knoxville as "The Number One Best Place to live for cities under one million population."