| |
Nashville is one of the country's most historic places. The
city's prehistoric past dates back thousands of years. Some important
events and characters associated with Nashville's recorded history are
below.
Fort Nashborough- 1779
In 1779 James Robertson led a
small group of men from North Carolina to explore the Cumberland
Bluff. Once these men arrived, they established
Fort Nashborough, named for Francis Nash, a brigadier general in
the American Revolution. In April 1780, John Donelson, along with
about sixty families, followed Robertson to settle the community.
After getting situated into their new home, they drew up the
Cumberland Compact under which James Robertson became the chief Civil
and military officer of the community. The compact was signed on May
13, 1790.
Davidson Academy- 1785
Colonel James Robertson obtained the passage of an act establishing
the
Davidson Academy. This “Act for the promotion of learning in the
county of Davidson” bears the date December 29, 1785. The board of
trustees consisted of 9 people, one of whom was James Robertson.
During a legislative assembly Colonel Robertson met Rev. Thomas
Craighead whom became a trustee for the school and later the
president. Rev. Craighead stated, “tall oaks from little acorns grow.”
From the “Davidson Academy” has grown the “University of Nashville”
which John Overton’s step-son, James May, attended.
Andrew Jackson-1788
Andrew Jackson came to
Nashville in 1788. The next year he boarded with John Overton
Sr. at the Widow Donelson’s house. He served as the attorney general
until 1796 and became Tennessee’s first representative to Congress in
1796. From 1798 to 1804 he served as the State Superior Court Judge.
After leading troops in the War of 1812, Jackson decided to make his
way to the White House, running in 1824. Sadly, the people did not
elect him for this term, but with the help of his unofficial campaign
manager, John Overton, he won the election of 1828 in a very bitter
fight with John Quincy Adams.
Belle Meade: John Harding- 1807
In 1807 John Harding bought a log cabin and 250 acres in Nashville.
His family grew and prospered in the early years by boarding horses
for several of their neighbors. The Civil War brought hard times to
the family, as it did all families in the area. When the armies
skirmished on their front lawn during the 1864 Battle of Nashville,
bullets hit the mansion. One of Mr. Harding’s daughters, Rachel
Harding became the first wife to John Overton Jr. and bore him a son,
John Overton III.
Nashville Female Academy- 1816
The Nashville Female Academy opened in 1816 with Dr. C. D. Elliott as
its conductor. Dr. Berry principled the school for several years,
during which time Margaret Jane May, Ann, and Elizabeth Overton
attended the academy. When Dr. Berry resigned, Rev. Hume presided
until his death in 1833 after which Rev. Robert Lapsley oversaw about
200 students with a little over 70 in the boarding house. The school
saw hard times during the Civil War and closed soon afterwards.
Sam Houston- 1818
Sam Houston
moved to Nashville in 1818 to study law with Judge James Trimble.
Houston practiced in Lebanon, Tennessee before serving as District
Attorney until 1821, when he decided to open a law office. Only two
years later he held the position of U.S. Congressman until 1827 when
he became the Governor of Tennessee. Houston visited Travellers Rest
on his honeymoon with Eliza Allen. After only three months of
marriage, Sam and Eliza divorced and Sam decided to move to Texas
where he became the President of the Republic of Texas from 1836 to
1838.
Trail of Tears- 1838
In 1838 the Cherokee passed through Nashville on the
Trail of Tears
which developed from the Indian Removal Policy in 1825. Over fifteen
thousand Cherokee resisted and protested the policy, taking it all the
way to the Supreme Court. Despite winning the case, the removal policy
went ahead as planned. Thousands of Cherokee held out until 1838, when
the army was ordered to evict them from their land. The path they took
earned the grim nickname from the many that died along the way. They
were relocated to present day Oklahoma.
Nashville as the Capital- 1843
A boom in the population of Middle Tennessee resulted in Nashville
holding the first title of state capital in 1812. However, the capital
moved to Knoxville where it stayed from 1815 to 1817. Murfreesboro
then held the title until 1826 when Nashville took it back. In 1843 a
legislative decision made Nashville the permanent capital. By this
time, both Andrew Jackson and James K. Polk, along with many other
prominent figures in Tennessee history, resided in Nashville.
James K. Polk-1844
After practicing law in Columbia and Nashville,
James K. Polk made his
way up the ranks and captured the governor’s seat in 1840. Only four
short years later the virtually unknown Tennessee politician grabbed
the Presidency, surprising even himself. Many often refer to Polk as
the first Dark Horse candidate in United States history. While in
office, he fulfilled all his campaign promises, including annexing
Texas as a state, revising the nation’s tariffs, and establishing an
independent treasury. After his one term in the White House was over,
he retired to his home in Nashville where he died two months later in
1849.
Maxwell House-1860
With the cornerstone laid on August 23, 1860, the
Maxwell House Hotel
began its rich journey in Nashville history. Years before, as the
story goes, John Overton, II, stumbled upon an auction and bid $15 for a
cow; however, when he told the auctioneer to deliver it to his house,
Overton got a startling surprise and learned that he had not bid on
the cow, but on the lot. The Union Army took over the hotel just after
the start of the Civil War and used it for a confederate prison
becoming known as “Zollicoffer’s Barracks”. On September 29, 1863, a
set of stairs collapsed, killing an estimate of thirty seven
confederate prisoners.
Fort Negley- 1862
Nashville was occupied by the Union Army in late February of 1862.
During the fall and winter of 1862, the Union army built a series of
fortifications to defend Nashville against possible Confederate
attack. At the behest of Military Governor Andrew Johnson, General
James Negley, the post commander, ordered the impressment of 2700
black laborers to construct these fortifications for the city.
The largest was known as Fort Negley.
Andrew Johnson- 1865
After the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, on April 14, 1865,
Andrew
Johnson assumed the presidency. Controversy marked his term, mostly in
relation to the Reconstruction of the South following the Civil War.
In 1867, after opposing several laws passed by Congress, he gained the
dubious distinction of the first U.S. president to be impeached. He
narrowly remained in office by only one vote. Johnson isthe third and
last native Tennessean to serve as President.
Nashville Centennial Exposition- 1880
Nashville citizens, so determined to show visitors the true spirit of
enthusiastic enterprise, built an enormous two-story structure in the
span of four months. On April 24, 1880 the Centennial Exposition
opened, and the guests could not notice that just the night before,
1,200 gas lights aided hundreds of people still working on the $24,893
building. On opening day the Tennessee Historical Society displayed a
large number of historical artifacts devoted to heroes of the city’s
antebellum past.
The Temperance Crusade- 1880’s
The Four-Mile Law prohibited saloons from being within four miles of a
school and became the focal point of the temperance forces after
passing the state legislature. Temperance conventions came to the area
in 1884 and 1885 and helped create the Woman’s Christian Temperance
Union which held annual meetings in Nashville and eventually became a
force to reckon with. A major referendum to prohibit alcohol from
establishments came to the people on September 29, 1887. With a great
deal of lobbying on both sides, the amendment failed much to the
dismay of the Temperance Union.
Trolley Cars- 1888
In February 1888 Nashville’s McGavock and Mount Vernon Company
introduced the first electric powered service. The railway ran lines
into south Nashville and Mount Olivet Cemetery, eventually
accumulating fifty miles of track. This movement to expand the
electric trolley system also helped promote suburban real estate. The
transit system kept the fares low and either reduced or eliminated
transfer fees in order to keep passenger numbers high. Soon after,
Thomas Wrenne headed the company and capitalized $1 million in stock.
Nashville General Hospital- 1890
The Nashville city hospital opened on April 23, 1890 containing only
sixty beds. Dr. Charles Brower of the University of Nashville Medical
Department was appointed the superintendent of Nashville General
Hospital. A year later, the school of nursing opened in Nashville with
Charlotte Perkins as the superintendent. The nursing school was
located in a vital position because it held the only training school
for nurses between the Ohio River and New Orleans, Louisiana.
The Panic of 1893
Before the Panic of 1893, the south was desperately short of capital
because of the dominance of agriculture, conservative attitudes toward
banks, and dependence on northern financial institutions. During the
1880’s, Nashville’s financial district went through consolidation and
expansion. Nashville’s state chartered banks, trust companies, and
small savings companies claimed $1 million in deposits. This money,
along with $5.5 million from nationally chartered banks, gave
Nashville the title of “banking capital” for Tennessee as well as
portions of Kentucky and Alabama. When the smallest of the national
banks folded, uneasiness in the public grew and on August 10, 1893
large groups of people attempted to get their money, which became
known as the Panic of 1893.
Union Station- 1900
Opening on October 9, 1900, Union Station allowed Nashville residents
an easier way to get around. The move for a new depot started in 1886
when the old L&N Station north of public square burned, and the parent
company had no other option but to share cramped quarters with its
subsidiary, NC&StL. The L&N chief engineer, Richard Monfort, designed
a new structure allowing more passengers than before. The city
council delayed construction for several years, during which they
fought over several bills and amendments. In 1986 the city renovated
Union Station, transforming it into an elegant hotel.
Street Car Boycott- 1905
In January 1905 Representative Charles Fahey introduced a bill that
separated white and colored passengers on streetcars. His bill passed
the lower house with a vote of 81 to 4 and the upper house with a 28
to 1 vote. On July 5, when the bill took effect, streetcar operators
were to designate which portion of the car blacks could occupy.
However, on that same day, African American Nashvillians protested by
boycotting the Nashville Transit Company and walked. The Union
Transportation Company was created on August 29, 1905 the African
Americans had a way to ride around town. The company soon began
experiencing difficulty and eventually the
boycott ended.
The Great Nashville Train Wreck- 1918
After the U.S. entered WWI in April 1917, Nashville geared up
factories for the needed war production. The entire community got
involved, including the powerful railroads. On July 9th,
1918, two trains of the Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis Rail
Company carrying factory workers collided south of Nashville on White
Bridge Road. Due to a communication failure, the two trains lingered
on the same track hitting head on. More than 100 people, mostly
African American war factory workers were killed in the catastrophic
collision. This remains the worst railroad disaster in the history of
the state.
Votes for Woman- 1920
On August 18, 1920, Tennessee became the 36th state to
ratify the 19th amendment to the U.S. constitution. This
ratification came after weeks of intense lobbying by several national
leaders. When the amendment narrowly passed the Tennessee congress by
one vote, all American women were granted the right to vote. The
Hermitage Hotel in Nashville held several celebration parties for the
suffragists. Incidentally, the headquarters for both the suffragists
and anti-suffragists occupied the Hermitage Hotel.
Grand Ole Opry- 1925
On October 5, 1925, Edwin Craig and Jack DeWitt, an engineering
student, first aired WSM radio from downtown Nashville. At 8 p.m. on
November 28, 1925, George Hay launched the WSM Barn Dance, later known
as the Grand Ole Opry. Judge George Hay created his show because of
his experience seven years earlier at a hoedown with a group of Ozark
Mountaineers in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas. Judge Hay decided to feature
this “rural” music on his new show with WSM. In 1943 the Grand Ole
Opry moved to the Ryman and in 1974 it moved again to its current
location at Opryland.
Nashville Sit-Ins- 1960’s
The former First Baptist Church became the headquarters of the 1950’s
and 60’s sit-in movement that took place in Nashville. Reverend Kelly
Mill Smith led the movement and held meetings at the church. First
Baptist Church, formerly located at Eight Avenue and Charlotte Pike,
also held the administration offices for the reverend. The newly
formed Nashville Christian Leader Conference began their
demonstrations on March 26-28, 1958 with a sit-in. On May 10, 1960,
Nashville became one of the first major cities in the south to start
the desegregation process.
Metropolitan Nashville- 1962
On June 17th, 1958 voters in Davidson county defeated a
measure to consolidate the governments of Davidson county and
Nashville. Four years later, before holding a second vote, the city
government, the League of Woman Voters, and the Chamber of Commerce
backed the decision and on June 28th, 1962 the measure
officially passed. This joining of county and city government was the
first in Tennessee and most successful in the area. |
|
