By: David H.
Submitted: 2009-09-16 19:29:21 | Word Count: 549
Random Facts About Knoxville
Knoxville is a very interesting US city. Here are several random facts about it. Firstly, there is a total of 455,000 lighting added to the famous Henley Bridge during the 1991 Knoxville bicentennial celebration.
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The Sunsphere established for the World’s Fair in 1982 has 26 storeys. In addition, it measures 266 feet in length. The actual sphere or ball of the Sunsphere only has 5 levels.
The residents of this city are treated with the Southeast’s biggest fireworks display every Labor day. This is called Boomsday.
The bronze statue of a man named Alex Haley measures 13 feet high within the premises of the Morningside Park, and is considered to be the largest statue built for an African American in the United States.
The popular Smoky Mountains National Park lies within a 45 minute drive of the city. It also houses 7 historical sites and over 20 museums.
This city has a zoo known as Knoxville Zoological Gardens. It is a 53 acre zone that accommodates more than 400,000 visitors every year. It is considered as the “Red Panda Capital of the World” because it is successful in breeding and surviving red pandas. It houses the very first breed of African elephants born in captivity within the Western Hemisphere. The name of the first offspring is Little Diamond.
Historical Facts in Knoxville
The city was developed in 1791 and was founded in the year 1792. It was incorporated in the 1800s. It was named after the war secretary of President Washington named Henry Knox. William Blount had the privilege to select the name for this city.
It is the home of the most intense Union supporter and editor of the Knoxville Whig Newspaper named William Brownlow.
George Dempster served as mayor from 1952 to 1955. He was also the inventor of the Dempster Dumpster.
Knoxville’s nickname is The Marble City for it is the center of marble distribution during the early 18th century.
The first settlers within the eastern part of Tennessee and Knoxville were Indians. The Cherokees lived in this region even before the time when the European settlers came out. Moreover, the first known settler in the city is James White.
N.E. Logan, better known as Whitty Logan, was a nurse that worked in France’s front lines during the 1st World War. She earned a Commendation Medal from Gen. Publishing. She also helped in founding the city of Knoxville’s own Red Cross chapter.
The first surveyor in Knoxville was Charles McClung.
The Henley Bridge was derived from an avant garde war hero who was sent to the city in the year 1973 by President Washington so as to represent the country’s war department. This local hero is actually Colonel David Henley.
Knoxville had their very first train station in 1855.
The city is the Tennessee Valley Authority headquarters. This valley authority was established in 1933. This also provided cheap and abundant hydroelectric power to thousands of people.
A native from Knoxville named James E. Karnes aided in rallying the 117th Infantry Division in a fight that busted the Hindenburg Line. This also forced the Germans to back off and retreat in the 1st World War. As a result, James E. Karnes received a Congressional Medal of Honor.
The 7 lakes that surround the city are Douglas, Cherokee, Melton Hill, Watts Bar, Ft. Loudon, Tellico and Norris.
