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Nashville History continued...
The history of Nashville goes back a long way. Originally, the area was home to various Native American tribes. The first white settlers arrived in the area that is now Nashville around 1717. French fur traders decided to establish a trading post in the area. On Christmas Day in 1779, the first permanent settlement in what is now Nashville was established on the banks of the Cumberland River. The group was led by the Englishman, James Robertson. Robertson and the other pioneers cleared the land and built a log stockade. In April 1780, John Donelson and 60 other families followed the original pioneers. At the time, the land was part of North Carolina. The new settlers quickly began spreading across the countryside, building walled forts for protection from the Native Americans.
With the frequency of Indian attacks dying down and a developing sense of stability, the inhabitants of the area were encouraged to build more permanent homes. At the end of the 18th century, the residents built the area's first brick homes. These houses were modeled after houses that they had seen in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. The original name for the settlement was Nashborough, in honor of Francis Nash. However, in 1784, the settlement's name was changed to Nashville.
Shortly after Tennessee became a state in 1796, Nashville became the state capital in 1812. However, its role as the capital was short-lived. The capital was moved back to Knoxville in 1815. Nashville did not become the state capital again until 1826. A spirited legislative session in 1843 gave permanent capital status to Nashville. By that time, Nashville was the home to former presidents of the United States, Andrew Jackson and James K. Polk.
The cornerstone for a new capitol building was laid on July 4, 1845. William Strickland, who was a famous architect at the time, was chosen to design the building. Although not completed until 1859, the General Assembly held its first meeting in the building on October 3, 1853. The building, which was modeled with Greek architecture in mind, dominated the city's skyline until the appearance of the city's first skyscrapers in the middle of the 20th century.
Nashville had become a prosperous river city by 1860. The city's location, on the river and the railroad, proved to be strategic to the U.S. military. In 1862, the city was occupied by federal troops. In 1864, the city played host to the last aggressive action of the Confederate Army, the Battle of Nashville.
Nashville's recovery after the civil war was hampered by two cholera epidemics. The two epidemics together killed around one thousand people and caused thousands more to flee the city. In 1897, the Centennial Exposition was held in the city. In order to commemorate this event, the city built a replica of the Greek Parthenon, which still stands today.
The Maxwell family, which had become prominent in Nashville, owned a hotel in the downtown area. The Maxwell family began manufacturing coffee and quickly earned the most important endorsement in the country. One evening, while staying at the Maxwell House Hotel, President Teddy Roosevelt proclaimed that Maxwell House Coffee was “good to the last drop”, a slogan still used today by Maxwell House Coffee.
In 1925, Nashville began broadcasting its live Barn Dance radio program. The program quickly became popular among the citizens of Nashville. The program was originally produced to rival the popular National Barn Dance Radio Show, which was broadcast out of Chicago. By the end of 1925, the program had been sarcastically nicknamed the “Grand Ole Opry.” Due to the rocketing popularity of the Grand Ole Opry, the city quickly became known as the “Country Music Capital of the World.” Recording studios and production companies began to establish themselves along Music Row, which was just west of downtown. In 1945, W47NV began broadcasting out of Nashville. It was the first FM radio station in the country.
Fisk University, which was established in the late 1860's, was dedicated to the higher education of African Americans. In the 1960's, students from the university led all-black sit-ins at lunch counters downtown. They encouraged an economic boycott and marched on city hall to desegregate city facilities. Their successful non-violent protests became models for civil rights demonstrations throughout the South.
Today, Nashville is still the Country Musical Capital of the World. The city's largest industries, however, are actually insurance and finance. Religious publishing is also important in the city. The city also has a Nissan plant as an economic mainstay and can rely on its $2 billion a year tourism industry.
There is so much more to the city of Nashville than country music. The city is also home to many fine cultural and educational institutions as well as tourist attractions. Among the museums in the city are the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, the Cheekwood botanical Garden and Museum of Art and Fisk University's Van Vechten and Aaron Douglas Galleries. Visitors to Nashville can also visit the Tennessee Performing Arts Center.
Some of the more popular sites in the city include the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Ryman Auditorium (which was for many years the site of the Grand Ole Opry) and the Parthenon, which is a full-scale replica of the original in Greece.
Nashville is also the home to many fine educational institutions. Among them are Vanderbilt University, Tennessee State University, Belmont University, Lipscomb University and Meharry medical College.
Nashville is also the home to many professional sports teams. Among them are the Nashville Predators of the NHL and the Tennessee Titans of the NFL. In 1998, one of the most serious urban tornados in the history of the United States struck the downtown area. In its path of destruction was the still-incomplete stadium for the Tennessee Titans. Although three cranes were toppled and the opening of the stadium was delayed, no one was injured.
The city of Nashville remains the center of country music in the United States. It is also a vibrant, modern city with a towering skyline. Whether it's country music sung by cowboys with 10 gallon hats or museums and professional sports, Nashville is a city that has it all.
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