How did this story begin? In part one, we’ve previously examined the current economic forces marching east along Magnolia Avenue from downtown Knoxville, and the obstacles and opportunities for restoring the Burlington business center in part two. Now, let’s take a look at the early history of Burlington.

In 1895, the above Knox County map in the Library of Congress, shows this was essentially rural farmland along a dirt road called Armstrong Ferry Pike that led across the Holston River via Armstrong ferry to what is now Burlington. In his book, UT historian Bruce Wheeler calls what is now Burlington as being “out in the country.” In the 1800s, Martin Armstrong and his kin owned thousands of acres, much from land grants from North Carolina dating back to the 1780s, awarded after the Battle of Kings Mountain.

The 1895 map also shows Lake Ottosee (originally called “Ought to See”) in what we later named Chilhowee Park, and little else beyond a few streets south of the park. Eastward there was farmland. The photo shows a 100-year-old, two-story log cabin in nearby “Burlington” which took-in travelers on the Armstrong Ferry Pike headed to Knoxville or the lake, and later the Cal Johnson’s Racetrack.

Several influences stand out (to me, at least) as fostering growth of the Burlington business center in the early 1900s:

  1. The Knoxville Exhibitions of 1910 and 1913 at Chilhowee Park, brought lots of people there.
  2. Cal Johnson’s Racetrack, first racing horses (1895-1907), and later cars, when horse race gambling was outlawed by the state.
  3. The Burlington Speedway addition took place in August 1921: an auction of 40 building lots along the old racetrack 1/2-mile loop.That added to the ongoing residential buildout in Burlington.
  4. The annexation of Burlington by the city in 1917 along with highway and river crossing bridge work along Asheville Highway.
  5. The addition of the Burlington trolley in the early 1920s, along with the convenience of stables built along Fern Street to leave one’s horse when traveling downtown to the big city.
  6. The development of the Holston Hills subdivision and Chilhowee Hills areas in the late 1920s, bringing middle class shoppers nearby.

Early signs of healthy business growth, shown in the photo collage below. Burlington finally entered its heydays in the 40s, 50s and 60s.

Nick Della Volpe is a lawyer, a gardener and a former member of Knoxville City Council.