Tennessee Town Names (Knoxville, Johnson City, Oak Ridge: house, to live in, restaurants)

[LauraC]

How did the Tennessee town you live in or will live in get its name? Do you know?

Some are obvious like Oak Ridge and Alcoa but what about places like Johnson City? Who is Johnson? Soddy Daisy (very curious, can't even guess)? Which Mary is Maryville named for? Signal Mountain - who was signaling from it and when? Ditto - Lookout Mountain. Crossville - someone named Cross? Something religious? Something crossed in the town? White House - Some building looks like THE White House? All of the homes are painted white? Joe White had the biggest house and they didn't want to call the town Joesville? Paris - first settlers French? First person that lived there named Joe Paris? How does someplace in TN get the name Paris? Or Moscow or Athens? I'm thinking New Florida is coming soon. Banner Hill - What banner? Were the first settlers the Banner family?

I like this one - Gruetli-Laager (can't even guess). Red Boiling Springs - Scary name. What's red in the water there and why is it boiling? Three Way - only 3 streets in the town? There's a three way stop sign in the town? Some original settler guy was kinky? Beersheeba Springs - can't be about beer, right? Bell Buckle - you want to say Belt Buckle but that would be a strange town name, too. Crab Orchard - I'm ruling out the sea critters, crab apples maybe? Finger - love to hear the story of this town name likewise a Tennessee town called Guys (no women allowed there?). Parrotsville and Pigeon Forge - about the birds? Are there really parrots in Tennessee?

Tell us if you know. How did your Tennessee town or future Tennessee town get its name?

[JMT]

Originally Posted by LauraC

How did the Tennessee town you live in or will live in get its name? Do you know?

Some are obvious like Oak Ridge and Alcoa but what about places like Johnson City? Who is Johnson? Soddy Daisy (very curious, can't even guess)? Which Mary is Maryville named for? Signal Mountain - who was signaling from it and when? Ditto - Lookout Mountain. Crossville - someone named Cross? Something religious? Something crossed in the town? White House - Some building looks like THE White House? All of the homes are painted white? Joe White had the biggest house and they didn't want to call the town Joesville? Paris - first settlers French? First person that lived there named Joe Paris? How does someplace in TN get the name Paris? Or Moscow or Athens? I'm thinking New Florida is coming soon. Banner Hill - What banner? Were the first settlers the Banner family?

I like this one - Gruetli-Laager (can't even guess). Red Boiling Springs - Scary name. What's red in the water there and why is it boiling? Three Way - only 3 streets in the town? There's a three way stop sign in the town? Some original settler guy was kinky? Beersheeba Springs - can't be about beer, right? Bell Buckle - you want to say Belt Buckle but that would be a strange town name, too. Crab Orchard - I'm ruling out the sea critters, crab apples maybe? Finger - love to hear the story of this town name likewise a Tennessee town called Guys (no women allowed there?). Parrotsville and Pigeon Forge - about the birds? Are there really parrots in Tennessee?

Tell us if you know. How did your Tennessee town or future Tennessee town get its name?

There's a little town near Cookeville called Nameless. The story goes that when the US Post Office was established there, no one could agree on a name for the settlement, so on the official post office forms it was listed as "nameless" and that's what its official name became.

There are some other towns near Cookeville with unusual names: Calfkiller, Defeated, Difficult, Hanging Limb, Muddy Pond. I guess early life there on the Cumberland Plateau was pretty harsh!

[mbmouse]

Johnson City is named after Andrew Johnson, our 16th President. His residence was in Greeneville, which was already named, so when Johnson City was built up it, which is "just up the road a piece" it was named Johnson City.

I used to live in a little town in Greene County called Midway. It was named that because it was the rail road stop midway between Knoxville and Bristol.

[CAtoGA]

I picked up this wonderful book last week that details the history of Tennessee. I believe it is just called "Tennessee" but it is what is called a Compass book. It is some awesome reading if you are interested in learning about what made Tennessee the way it is. It also highlights some of the places to see in each area, lists places to stay and restaurants.

[TNSoundsGood2Me]

A few weeks ago in the Williamson A.M., there was an article telling how all the towns and communities in WilCo got their names. I found it online, so if anyone wants to look at it here it is:
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....42/-1/ARCHIVES

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by JMT

There's a little town near Cookeville called Nameless. The story goes that when the US Post Office was established there, no one could agree on a name for the settlement, so on the official post office forms it was listed as "nameless" and that's what its official name became.

There are some other towns near Cookeville with unusual names: Calfkiller, Defeated, Difficult, Hanging Limb, Muddy Pond. I guess early life there on the Cumberland Plateau was pretty harsh!

Calfkiller, Hanging Limb and Defeated - now those are some names that make you want to run right out and move there.

I remember Bucksnort Tennessee got its name because back in the old days you could get a snort for a buck at the local saloon.

Originally Posted by mbmouse

I used to live in a little town in Greene County called Midway. It was named that because it was the rail road stop midway between Knoxville and Bristol.

Now see, that puts it in perspective. Just think, they could have called the town "Train Stop."

[SPLIT]

Soddy,just North of Daisy on Dayton pike or present rt#27 were two Coal mining towns back in 30's. Also just north of them is Graysville another coal town. Well when coal faded away the towns got smaller, so decided to just Join together or incorporate, Soddy-Daisy (a place as unique as it's name).
. Graysville south of Dayton is almost gone for stores, maybe a post office left now.?
. . Gatlinburg, mentioned a few weeks ago, seems funny as 150 years ago, WHITE OAK FLATs, had a land developer, Radford Gatlin, that wanted to make too many changes and the town Bribed him to Leave by naming the town after him in his Honor. ?................[IMG][/IMG]

[JMT]

Originally Posted by SPLIT

Soddy,just North of Daisy on Dayton pike or present rt#27 were two Coal mining towns back in 30's. Also just north of them is Graysville another coal town. Well when coal faded away the towns got smaller, so decided to just Join together or incorporate, Soddy-Daisy (a place as unique as it's name).
. Graysville south of Dayton is almost gone for stores, maybe a post office left now.?
. . Gatlinburg, mentioned a few weeks ago, seems funny as 150 years ago, WHITE OAK FLATs, had a land developer, Radford Gatlin, that wanted to make too many changes and the town Bribed him to Leave by naming the town after him in his Honor.

I love that story of how Gatlinburg got its name! I used to think that Mr. Gatlin must've been a good guy to have a town named after him, but in fact it was just the opposite! I love it!

[KC38506]

Calfkiller isn't actually a town, just a river, but the name came as it implies. A load of cattle overturned in the river and died.

Cookeville is named for Richard Fielding Cooke, hence the silent "e" in the name. Cooke was a early town father.

Red Boiling Springs used to be reknowned for its healthful mineral springs, so that's how it got it's name. Evian (or is it Perrier?) bottles water there now.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by KC38506

Calfkiller isn't actually a town, just a river, but the name came as it implies. A load of cattle overturned in the river and died.

Cookeville is named for Richard Fielding Cooke, hence the silent "e" in the name. Cooke was a early town father.

Red Boiling Springs used to be reknowned for its healthful mineral springs, so that's how it got it's name. Evian (or is it Perrier?) bottles water there now.

Actually there is a community called Calfkiller, it's in the Calfkiller Valley on Hwy 84 that connects Monterey and Sparta.