Lenoir City, the "Lake Capital of the South", began as a 5,000-acre plantation.
The plot of land was given to General William Lenoir, by the state of North Carolina.
Loudon County historian, Joe Spence, says that General Lenoir sent his son, William Ballard Lenoir, and his wife, Elizabeth Avery, to settle the land in 1810.
After the Civil War, Major William Ballard Lenoir died and his sons continued to develop the land.
In the 1890s, a group of business men from Knoxville, New York City and Ohio formed the "Lenoir City Company".
"We had a large store and depot on the railroad track," said Spence. "They built a flower mill and a cotton mill."
The city was incorporated in 1907.
"If you look around, there are houses and ruins of businesses and factories that still tell you the history of Lenoir City," added Spence.
You can learn more about Lenoir City's history at the Lenoir City Museum on Depot Street.
