Lenoir City

History

Native Americans were living in the Lenoir City area for thousands of years before the arrival of the first European settlers. On Bussell Island, which lies across the Tennessee River to the south, archaeologists have discovered evidence of habitation dating to as early as the Archaic Period (8000–1000 B.C.). The island is also believed to have been the location of "Coste", a village visited by Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto in 1540. The Cherokee called the Lenoir City area Wa'ginsi and believed it to be the home of a large serpent that brought bad luck to anyone who saw it. By the early 19th century, an early East Tennessee pioneer, Judge David Campbell, had laid claim to part of what is now Lenoir City, where he built a log cabin and a gristmill. In the early 19th century, the state of North Carolina granted General William Lenoir a tract of land—which included what developed as Lenoir City—as payment for his services in the American Revolutionary War. David Campbell and another early settler, Alexander Outlaw, filed a case against Lenoir in court, arguing they had already laid claim to parts of the Lenoir tract. After the case was settled in favor of Lenoir in 1809, Lenoir deeded the tract to his eldest son, William Ballard Lenoir. In 1810 the younger Lenoir moved to the tract with his wife and established a large plantation. His workforce was composed of enslaved African Americans. Lenoir's agricultural enterprise included producing hams from a herd of Berkshire hogs. He also developed several small-scale industries, including a sawmill and flour mill. In the early 1830s, he built the Lenoir Cotton Mill—one of the earliest in the South—sited along the banks of Town Creek, a tributary of the Tennessee River. In the late 1880s, an abundance of financial…

Geography

The Tennessee River and TVA's Fort Loudoun and Watts Bar reservations provide the city's southern boundary. Four major federal highways pass through Lenoir City: U.S. Route 11, which runs roughly parallel to the river shore, traverses the city east-to-west; U.S. Route 321, which crosses Fort Loudon Dam south of the city, traverses the city north-to-south. Interstate 75 and U.S. Route 70 intersect US-321 in the northern part of the city. I-75 provides access to the city from exit 81, and leads northeast to downtown Knoxville (via a connection with I-40), and southwest to Chattanooga. U.S. 321 runs through the center of town from southeast to northwest, leading northwest to I-40 at exit 364 (the highway's northern terminus), and east to Maryville. U.S. 70 runs to the north of the city, leading northeast to Farragut and northwest to Kingston. U.S. 11 runs through the center of the city, leading northeast to Farragut and Knoxville, and southwest to the city of Loudon. Lenoir City is traditionally spread out along US-11, west of the road's junction with US-321. This section of the city still roughly follows a grid plan laid out in the 1890s. In recent decades, Lenoir City has annexed a corridor of land along US-321 between its US-11 intersection and I-40 intersection. This corridor contains the city's newer, commercial area which caters to the high volume of traffic brought to the area by I-75 and I-40.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Lenoir City High School
  High · Lenoir City · 1,223 students · 20.4:1 ratio
• North Middle School
  Middle · Lenoir City · 780 students · 17.7:1 ratio
• Loudon High School
  High · Loudon · 732 students · 14.4:1 ratio
• Lenoir City Intermediate/Middle School
  Middle · Lenoir City · 677 students · 16.9:1 ratio
• Eaton Elementary
  Elementary · Lenoir City · 672 students · 14.9:1 ratio
• Loudon Elementary
  Elementary · Loudon · 648 students · 14.7:1 ratio
• Lenoir City Elementary
  Elementary · Lenoir City · 583 students · 13.9:1 ratio
• Highland Park Elementary
  Elementary · Lenoir City · 395 students · 14.6:1 ratio