History of Knoxville Mayors



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Mayors of Knoxville Book Cover THE MAYORS OF KNOXVILLE BOOK

In 2019, Jack Neely and Paul James from the Knoxville History Project created a special book entitled The Mayors of Knoxville.

This book includes biographies of all of Knoxville's Mayors through Madeline Rogero and forms a fascinating history of the City of Knoxville through the lens of the Mayor's Office.

Click here to purchase the book from VisitKnoxville.com


Portraits of 46 previous Mayors of Knoxville are available for viewing enjoyment in the atrium on the 5th floor of the City County Building.

Included below is a chronological listing of all 69 different Mayors.


NOTES: Numbers in parenthesis are (year of birth - year of death). If a listing has the red NO PORTRAIT image, that means there are no official portraits in the current gallery for these Mayors. The black and white drawings you see below are scans from the 1891 / 1892 Knoxville City Directory which is part of the McClung Historical Collection of the Knox County Public Library.


Indya Kincannon Dec. 21, 2019-
Indya Kincannon
No portrait available
(1971- ----)

From 2015-18 she worked for Mayor Rogero as Special Programs Manager; administered $1.6 million in Community Agency Grants to more than 65 local non-profits; served on Knox County Board of Education 2004-14 and elected as chairperson 2008-11; taught writing, history, Spanish and drama to international students in Slovenia 2014-15
Madeline Rogero
Dec. 17, 2011-Dec. 21, 2019
Madeline Anne Rogero

(1952- ---- )

Born in Jacksonville, Florida; sworn into office as the City of Knoxville's first female Mayor on Dec. 17, 2011; City Community Development Director; County Commissioner

Learn more about Madeline Rogero and her time as Mayor
Daniel Brown Jan. 10, 2011-Dec. 17, 2011
Daniel T. Brown

(1945- ---- )

Born in Knoxville; named interim Mayor on January 10, 2011, due to the resignation of Mayor Bill Haslam who was elected as the Governor of Tennessee; first African-American to serve as Knoxville's Mayor; served on City Council; retired from the U. S. Postal Service; Honorable Discharge from the U. S. Army - Vietnam Veteran

Learn more about Daniel T. Brown and his time as Mayor
Bill Haslam Dec. 20, 2003-Jan. 10, 2011
William Edward "Bill" Haslam

(1958- ---- )

Born in Knoxville; served as president and director of Pilot Corp; former chief executive officer of SAKS Direct, the e-commerce and catalogue division of Saks Fifth Avenue; resigned as Mayor on Jan. 10, 2011; became 49th Governor of the State of Tennessee on Jan. 15, 2011

Learn more about Bill Haslam and his time as Mayor
Victor Ashe
1988-2003
Victor Henderson Ashe

(1945- ---- )

Born in Knoxville; State Representative 1968-1974; State Senator 1975-1984; U.S. Ambassador to Poland 2004-2009; nominated by President Obama to the Broadcasting Board of Governors on November 20, 2009 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on June 30, 2010
Kyle Testerman 1984-1987
Kyle Copenhaver Testerman
(1935-2015)

Born in Knoxville; lawyer and businessman; Tennessee Delegate to Republican National Convention; credited for bringing the 1982 World's Fair to Knoxville; helped form the Knoxville Coalition for the Homeless to conduct studies about homelessness; served on City Council; also served as Mayor 1972-1975
Randall Tyree 1976-1984
Randall "Randy" Tyree
(1940- ---- )

Born in Carthage, Smith County, Tennessee; lawyer; served as a police officer and Safety Director for City; candidate for Governor of Tennessee in 1982; served as Mayor during the 1982 World's Fair
Kyle Testerman
1972-1976
Kyle Copenhaver Testerman
(1935-2015)

Born in Knoxville; lawyer and businessman; Tennessee Delegate to Republican National Convention; credited for bringing the 1982 World's Fair to Knoxville; helped form the Knoxville Coalition for the Homeless to conduct studies about homelessness; served on City Council; also served as Mayor 1984-1987
Leonard Rogers 1965-1971
Leonard Reid Rogers
(1912-1996)

Born in Shelby County, Tennessee; Executive Director of Tennessee Valley Fair; served on City Council; buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
Robert Crossley
1964-1965 
Robert L. Crossley

(1928-2006)

Born in Cleveland, Ohio; lawyer, partner in the law firm of Baker, Worthington, Crossley, Stansberry & Woolf; City of Knoxville Law Director 1962-65; served as "acting Mayor" in Dec. 1964 when John Duncan was elected to U.S. Congress
John James Duncan
1959-1964
John James Duncan

(1919-1988)

Born in Huntsville, Tennessee; lawyer; served in U.S. Army during World War II; served as assistant Attorney General of Knox County 1947-56; U.S. Representative from Tennessee 2nd District; Tennessee delegate to Republican National Convention; resigned from Mayor's office Dec. 1, 1964 when elected to Congress; father of John James "Jimmy" Duncan Jr., U.S. Representative from Tennessee 2nd District; buried in Duncan Family Cemetery in Huntsville, Tennessee
Caswell Walker
1959
Orton Caswell "Cas" Walker

(1903-1998)

Born in Sevier County, Tennessee; grocery store owner; newspaper publisher; radio show host; helped launch the career of Dolly Parton and Tennessee Ernie Ford; served on City Council; served as "acting Mayor" in 1959; also served as Mayor in 1946 but was recalled on Dec. 3, 1946; buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
Jack Dance
1956-1959
Jack W. Dance

(1897-1959)

Born in Knoxville, Tennessee; county official; Tennessee delegate to Republican National Convention; died in office April 12, 1959; buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
George Dempster 1952-1955
George Roby Dempster

(1887-1964)

Born in Knoxville, Tennessee; helped build the Panama Canal; industrialist; inventor of Dempster Dumpster, 1935; City Manager; humanitarian; served on City Council; buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
James Elmore Jr. 1948-1951
James W. Elmore, Jr.

(1906-1983)

Born in Knoxville, Tennessee; businessman; son of Mayor James W. Elmore; buried in Berry Highland Memorial Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
Edward Chavannes
1946-1947
Edward L. Chavannes

(1907-1990)

Born in Knoxville, Tennessee; lumber business owner
Caswell Walker
1946
Orton Caswell "Cas" Walker

(1903-1998)

Born in Sevier County, Tennessee; grocery store owner; newspaper publisher; radio show host; helped launch the career of Dolly Parton and Tennessee Ernie Ford; served on City Council; recalled as Mayor on Dec. 3, 1946; also served as "acting Mayor" 1959; buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
Erastus Eugene Patton
1944-1945
Erastus Eugene Patton

(1874-1961)

Born in Carter County, Tennessee; educator; member of Tennessee State Legislature; served on City Council; buried in Lynnhurst Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
Fred Stair
1942-1943
Fred R. Stair

(1892-1972)

Born in Knoxville, Tennessee; lumber company executive; City School Board member for 12 years; founder of Stair Technical School (now Fulton High School); served on City Council
Frederick Allen
1940-1941
Frederick Leland "Fred" Allen

(1866-1957)

Born in Alabama; Standard Oil businessman; served on City Council; buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
Walter Mynatt
1938-1939
Walter W. Mynatt

(1898-1979)

Born in Knoxville, Tennessee; City Director of Public Service; served on City Council; buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
James Elmore
1936-1937
James W. Elmore

(1876-1938)

Born in Knoxville, Tennessee; businessman; father of Mayor James. W. Elmore Jr.; buried in Berry Highland Memorial Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
James T. O'Connor
1931-1935
John T. O'Connor

(1881-1968)

Born in Knoxville, Tennessee; machinist; business leader; President of the Tennessee Federation of Labor 1917-1919; City Welfare Director; served on City Council; John T. O'Connor Senior Center at 611 Winona St. named after him
James A. Trent
1930-1931
James A. Trent

(1885-1974)

Born in Knox County, Tennessee; printing business owner; served on City Council; buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
James Alexander Fowler
1928-1929
James Alexander Fowler

(1863-1955)

Born in Knox County, Tennessee; lawyer; Tennessee delegate to Republican National Convention; U.S. Assistant Attorney General; member of the U.T. Board of Trustees; served on City Council; buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
Benjamin Morton
1924-1927
Benjamin A. Morton

(1875-1952)

Born in Blount County, Tennessee; President of grocer H.T. Hackney Company; capitalist; civic leader; helped found the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Morton's Overlook is named after him
Ernest Wesley Neal
1920-1923
Ernest Wesley Neal

(1867-1941)

Born in Ohio; businessman; obtained law degree from U.T.; President of Dual-use Company (early direct mail); buried at Greenwood Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
John Edgar McMillan
1916-1919
John Edgar McMillan

(1868-1926)

Born in Knoxville, Tennessee; banker; was Mayor during the Knoxville Riot of 1919; served on Board of Alderman; served on City Commission; buried in Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
Sam E. Hill
1912
Sam E. Hill
No portrait available
(1873-1940)

Born in Union County, Tennessee; educator and businessman; State Senator; City Commissioner; served as "acting Mayor" in 1912; Sam E. Hill Park at 1725 Delaware Ave. is named after him; buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
Samuel Heiskell
1910-1915
Samuel Gordon Heiskell

(1858-1923)

Born in Monroe County, Tennessee; lawyer, historian, State Representative; Knoxville's first new school for blacks, Heiskell School, was named after him in 1897; also served as Mayor 1896-97, 1900-01, and 1906-07; served on Board of Alderman; buried in Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
John McMillan Brooks
1908-1909
John McMillan Brooks

(1840-1921)

Civil War Captain; insurance business; founder of the military department of the University of Tennessee; served on Board of Alderman; buried in Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
Samuel Gordon Heiskell
1906-1907
Samuel Gordon Heiskell

(1858-1923)

Born in Monroe County, Tennessee; lawyer, historian, State Representative; Knoxville's first new school for blacks, Heiskell School, was named after him in 1897;  also served as Mayor 1896-97, 1900-01, and 1910-15; served on Board of Alderman; buried in Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
William Gass
1904-1905
William H. Gass

( unknown )

President of Knoxville Banking Company; served on Board of Alderman
John Paul Murphy
1904
John Paul Murphy

(1857-1925)

Born in Bulls Gap, Tennessee; lawyer, state legislator; served on Board of Alderman for 26 years; served as "acting Mayor" in 1904
Joseph Tedford McTeer
1902-1904
Joseph Tedford McTeer No portrait available
(1840-1904)

Born in Maryville, Tennessee; stablished the business of McTeer, Payne, Burger & Hood in 1876; buried at Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee

This photo was provided to the City by a family member
Samuel Heiskell
1900-1901
Samuel Gordon Heiskell

(1858-1923)

Born in Monroe County, Tennessee; lawyer, historian, State Representative; Knoxville's first new school for blacks, Heiskell School, was named after him in 1897; also served as Mayor 1896-97, 1906-07, and 1910-15; served on Board of Alderman; buried in Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
William Rule
1898 -1899
William Rule

(1839-1928)

Born in Knox County; Civil War officer; editor of Knoxville Journal and Tribune; general store owner; Knoxville Postmaster, 1873-1881; Clerk of County Court of Knox County, 1866-1871; trustee at East Tennessee University (now U.T.), 1868; U.S. Pension Agent at Knoxville, 1889-1893; established a city waterworks; founder of the Knoxville Journal; wrote Standard History of Knoxville, Tennessee in 1900, city's first comprehensive history; Rule High School (1927-1991) was named after him; charter trustee of Lawson McGhee Library board; served on Board of Alderman; also served as Mayor 1873; buried in Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
Samuel Heiskell
1896-1897
Samuel Gordon Heiskell

(1858-1923)

Born in Monroe County, Tennessee; lawyer, historian, State Representative; Knoxville's first new school for blacks, Heiskell School, was named after him in 1897; also served as Mayor 1900-01, 1906-07, and 1910-15; served on Board of Alderman; buried in Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
M. E. Thompson
1892-1895
M. E. Thompson

(unknown -1906)

Built the Palace Hotel; realtor; livery stable owner, Thompson Livery Stables housed the City's Fire Department's horses in 1882; newest City Fire Department steamer named after him in 1893; Mayor when first brick streets were laid in Knoxville in 1893
Peter Kern
1890-1891
Peter Kern

(1835-1907)

Born near Heidelberg, Germany; Civil War soldier; businessman; founder of what eventually became Kern's Bakery; built the Kern Building at 1 Market Square which now houses the St. Oliver Hotel and Tupelo Honey; served on Board of Alderman; buried in Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
Martin J. Condon
1888-1889
Martin J. Condon

(1858-1940)

Born in Rogersville, Tennessee; wholesale grocer, Condon Brothers on Gay St; both of his brothers, Michael and Stephen, were City Aldermen; financier; industrialist; presided over the Market Square City Hall construction; aided in the building of the city's first sewers; President of American Snuff Co.; served on Board of Alderman; buried in Calvary Cemetery in Memphis, Tennessee
James Churchwell Luttrell
1885-1887
James Churchwell Luttrell, III

(1841-1914)

Born in Knoxville, Tennessee; Civil War officer; hardware merchant; son of Mayor James Churchwell Luttrell, Jr. and brother to Mayor Samuel Bell Luttrell; buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
William Fulcher
1883-1884
William Clark Fulcher

(1850-1926)

Born near Abingdon, Washington County, Virginia; building contractor; realtor; served on Board of Alderman; buried at Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
Rueben S. Payne
1882
Reuben S. Payne No portrait available
(1844-1896)

Born in Davidson County, Tennessee; Civil War soldier; hat merchant, first in New York City, then Knoxville; banker, elected president of the East Tennessee National Bank in 1884; buried in Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
Peter Staub
1881
Peter Staub
(1827-1904)

Born in Switzerland; U.S. Consul to Switzerland; tailor; builder of Staub's Theater, the city's first opera house; founded a city fire department and established the city's public school district; Tennessee and U.S. Commissioner to the Paris Exposition; also served as Mayor 1874-75; buried in Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
Hardy Branner
1880
Hardy Bryan Branner

(1851-1938)

Born in Georgia; textile mills owner; official of Standard Knitting Mills; President of Third National Bank; served on Board of Alderman; buried in Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
Samuel Bell Luttrell
1879
Samuel Bell Luttrell

(1844-1933)

Born in Knoxville, Tennessee; hardware merchant; trustee at East Tennessee College (now U.T.), 1879; President of Mechanics National Bank of Knoxville; son of Mayor James Churchwell Luttrell, Jr., brother of Mayor James Churchwell Luttrell, III and grandson of Mayor Samuel Bell; served on Board of Alderman; buried in Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
Joseph Jaques
1878
Joseph Jaques

(1825-1885)

Born in England; industrialist and bank president; operated three steamboats on the Tennessee River (the Loudon, the Tennessee, the Knoxville); V.P and general superintendent of the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad; served on Board of Alderman; one of the five mayors in 1858; also served as Mayor 1858; buried in Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
Daniel Carpenter
1876 - 1877
Daniel A. Carpenter
(1837-1918)

Born in Rockcastle County, Kentucky; Civil War officer; businessman; sheriff; appointed Collector of Internal Revenue by President Johnson in 1867; appointed U.S. Pension Agent by President Cleveland in 1887; served on Board of Alderman; buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
Peter Staub
1874-1875
Peter Staub

(1827-1904)

Born in Switzerland; U.S. Consul to Switzerland; tailor; builder of Staub's Theater, the city's first opera house; founded a city fire department and established the city's public school district; Tennessee and U.S. Commissioner to the Paris Exposition; served as Mayor 1881-82; buried in Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
William Rule
1873
William Rule

(1839-1928)

Born in Knox County, Tennessee; Civil War officer; editor of Knoxville Journal and Tribune; general store owner; Knoxville Postmaster, 1873-1881; Clerk of County Court of Knox County, 1866-1871; trustee at East Tennessee University (now U.T.), 1868; U.S. Pension Agent at Knoxville, 1889-1893; helped establish a city waterworks; founder of the Knoxville Journal; wrote Standard History of Knoxville, Tennessee in 1900, city's first comprehensive history; Rule High School (1927-1991) was named after him; charter trustee of Lawson McGhee Library board; served on Board of Alderman; also served as Mayor 1898-99; buried in Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
John Somers Van Gilder
1870-1872
John Somers Van Gilder

(1825-1902)

Born in New Jersey; developer; manufacturer; banker; started the Knoxville Leather Company; helped charter the Citizens Railway Company in 1886; buried in Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
Marcus Bearden
1868-1869
Marcus DeLafayette Bearden
No portrait available
(1830-1885)

Civil War officer; sheriff; state representative; Bearden, in West Knoxville, was named in his honor; helped found Lakeshore Mental Health Institute (formerly Lyons View Insane Asylum); served on Board of Alderman; buried in Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
James Luttrell
1859-1867
James Churchwell Luttrell, Jr.

(1813-1878)

Born in Knox County, Tennessee; Comptroller of the Treasury of Tennessee, 1855-1857; register of Knox County; Knoxville Postmaster 1861-1869; trustee at East Tennessee University (now U.T.), 1859; Senator from Knox County, 1869-1871; his two sons, James Churchwell Luttrell, III. and Samuel Bell Luttrell were both Knoxville mayors; served on Board of Alderman; also served as Mayor 1854; buried in Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
Morgan Albert Piper
1858
Albert Morgan Piper

(1820-1873)

Born in Greene County, Tennessee; merchant; U.S. Deputy Revenue Collector, 1871; served on Board of Alderman; served as Mayor from August thru December of 1958; one of the five mayors in 1858; died of cholera in 1873; buried in Rheatown Cemetery in Greene County, Tennessee
James Charles McClung
1858
Charles James McClung
No portrait available
(1826-1908)

Merchant, founding partner of Cowan, McClung & Co.; civic leader; served on Board of Alderman; never really served as mayor; according to Board of Alderman minutes for 1858, he was elected by the Board on May 6, but declined the office - A.M. Piper, another alderman, was elected mayor and served the remaining year; one of the five mayors in 1858; buried in Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
James Harvey Cowan
1858
James Harvey Cowan

(1801-1871)

Born in Knoxville, Tennessee; merchant; trustee at East Tennessee College (now U.T.), 1836; trustee of the Knoxville Female Academy, 1838; President of East Tennessee Female Institute from about 1860 to his death; trustee of Tennessee Deaf and Dumb School, 1846; served on Board of Alderman; also served as Mayor 1856; one of the five mayors in 1858, was elected and then resigned; buried in Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
Joseph Jaques
1858
Joseph Jaques
(1825-1885)

Born in England; industrialist and bank president; operated three steamboats on the Tennessee River (the Loudon, the Tennessee, the Knoxville); V.P and general superintendent of the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad; served on Board of Alderman; one of the five mayors in 1858, served only a few days and resigned; also served as Mayor 1878; buried in Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
James M. White
1858
James M. White No portrait available

( unknown )

Served on Board of Alderman in 1857; served as mayor from January through May of 1858 when he resigned; one of the five mayors in 1858; buried in Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
Thomas J. Powell 1857
Thomas J. Powell
No portrait available
(1821-1900)

Merchant; owner of a dry goods store on Gay St.; served on Board of Alderman; Mayor August 1857 to January 1858; buried in Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
Samuel Davies Carrick White
1857
Samuel Davies Carrick White
No portrait available
(1825-1860)

Born in Knoxville, Tennessee; son of State Supreme Court Justice Hugh Lawson White, grandson of James White, the founder of Knoxville; Mayor from January 1857 to August 1857
James H. Cowan
1856
James Harvey Cowan

(1801-1871)

Born in Knoxville, Tennessee; merchant; trustee at East Tennessee College (now U.T.), 1836; trustee of the Knoxville Female Academy, 1838; President of East Tennessee Female Institute from about 1860 to his death; trustee of Tennessee Deaf and Dumb School, 1846; served on Board of Alderman; Mayor from November 1856 to January 1857; also served as Mayor 1858; one of the five mayors in 1858, was elected and then resigned; buried in Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
William G. Swan
1855-1856
Willliam Graham Swan
No portrait available
(1821-1869)

Lawyer; state circuit judge; trustee at East Tennessee University (now U.T.), 1854; Tennessee Attorney General, 1851-1854; as Mayor he welcomed the first train to Knoxville in 1855; along with Joseph A. Mabry, he donated land that comprises the Market Square area; buried at Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis, Tennessee
James Luttrell
1854
James Churchwell Luttrell, Jr.

(1813-1878)

Born in Knox County, Tennessee; Comptroller of the Treasury of Tennessee, 1855-1857; register of Knox County; Knoxville Postmaster 1861-1869; trustee at East Tennessee University (now U.T.), 1859; Senator from Knox county, 1869-1871; his two sons, James Churchwell Luttrell, III and Samuel Bell Luttrell were both Knoxville mayors; served on Board of Alderman; also served as Mayor 1859-67; buried in Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
George McNutt White
1852-1853
George McNutt White

(1800-1884)

Born in Knoxville, Tennessee; sheriff; county court clerk; circuit court clerk; judge; recorder; trustee at East Tennessee University (now U.T.), 1840; trustee of Knoxville Female Academy, 1845; President of East Tennessee Female Institute, 1872-1876; grandson of this city's founder, James White; served on Board of Alderman; buried in Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
Samuel B. Boyd
1847-1851
Samuel B. Boyd
No portrait available
(1806-1855)

Born in Grainger County, Tennessee; lawyer; judge; occupant of Blount Mansion after 1844; trustee at East Tennessee University (now U.T.), 1846; trustee of Tennessee Deaf and Dumb School, 1852; buried in Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
Joseph Lewis King
1846
Joseph Lewis King
No portrait available
(1811-1900)

Born in Knoxville, Tennessee; merchant; manufacturer; one of the organizers of Knoxville and Charleston Railroad Co. in 1852; trustee at East Tennessee University (now U.T.), 1840; buried in Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia
Samuel Bell
1844-1845
Samuel Bell
No portrait available
(1798-1882)

Born in Washington County, Pennsylvania; silversmith; jeweler; at age 14 worked in arms factory making swords for use in War of 1812; made a pair of silver spurs for Gen. Sam Houston who wore them at the battle of San Jacinto; served on Board of Alderman; also served as Mayor 1840-41; buried in the San Antonio City Cemetery #1 in San Antonio, Texas
Matthew Moore Gaines
1843
Matthew Moore Gaines
No portrait available
(1807-1893)

Merchant; served as alderman in 1840-1842; his granddaughter, Mary Gaines, in 1893 laid the first brick in the sand on Gay Street near Main for the beginning of the City's first brick street; served on Board of Alderman; buried in Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
Gideon Morgan Hazen
1842
Gideon Morgan Hazen
No portrait available
(1810-1880)

Merchant; businessman; large landholder; builder of "Middlebrook," the house that provided the name for Middlebrook Pike; he established the paper mill on Middlebrook Pike from which Paper Mill Road took its name; served on Board of Alderman; buried in Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
Samuel Bell
1840-1841
Samuel Bell
No portrait available
(1798-1882)

Born in Washington County, Pennsylvania; silversmith; jeweler; at age 14 worked in arms factory making swords for use in War of 1812; made a pair of silver spurs for Gen. Sam Houston who wore them at the battle of San Jacinto; served on Board of Alderman; also served as Mayor 1844-45; buried in the San Antonio City Cemetery #1 in San Antonio, Texas
William Baine Alexander Ramsey
1838-1839
William Baine Alexander Ramsey
No portrait available
(1799-1874)

Born in Knoxville, Tennessee at Swan Pond (Ramsey House); lawyer; Knoxville Chancery Court Clerk and Master, 1832-1848; built a steamboat called Knoxville; editor/publisher of the Knoxville Register; trustee at East Tennessee College (now U.T.), 1836; Secretary of State of Tennessee 1847-1855; served on Board of Alderman; was first Mayor elected by citizens; buried at Nashville City Cemetery in Nashville, Tennessee
James King
1837-1838
James King
No portrait available
(1787-1838)

Born in Montgomery County, Virginia; set up medical practice in Knoxville in 1812; merchant; owned two steamboats that brought groceries from New Orleans for his business at the corner of Gay and Church; trustee at East Tennessee College (now U.T.), 1821; served on Board of Alderman; buried in Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee 
No Image Available
1835-1836
William C. Mynatt
No portrait available
(1787-1837)

Aid-de-camp to General Cocke, War of 1812; hotel keeper of Mynatt's Hotel on the site of the present Knox County courthouse; trustee at East TN College (now U.T.), 1820; trustee of the Knoxville Female Academy, est. 1827; served on Board of Alderman; also served as Mayor 1822-23 and 1827
Frederick Heiskell
1835
Frederick Steidinger Heiskell
No portrait available
(1786-1882)

Born in Hagerstown, Maryland; published the Knoxville Register; farmer; elected to Tennessee Senate for three terms; one of the founders of the Knoxville Public Library; Trustee of East Tennessee College (now U.T.); trustee of the Knoxville Female Academy, est. 1827; served on Board of Alderman; buried in Old Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Rogersville, Tennessee
Solomon D. Jacobs 1834-1835
Solomon D. Jacobs
No portrait available
(1795-1858?)

Merchant; farmer; trustee at East Tennessee College (now U.T.), 1826; trustee of the Knoxville Female Academy, 1829; first president of Hiwassee Railroad Co., 1837; trustee at East Tennessee University (now U.T.), 1840; served in state legislature 1839-41; served on Board of Alderman; was a Brigadier-General of Militia, moved to Washington, D.C., 1851; named First Assistant Postmaster General under Pres. Fillmore, 1851; buried in Nevitt Cemetery in Adams County, Mississippi
Donald McIntosh
1832-1834
Donald McIntosh
No portrait available
(1797-1837)

Born in Inverness, Scotland; graduated in medicine at the University of Edinburgh; came to U.S. around 1818; physician; trustee at East Tennessee College (now U.T.), 1821; died in Knoxville in the yellow fever epidemic in 1837; buried in First Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
Joseph Churchill Strong
1828-1831
Joseph Churchill Strong No portrait available

(1775-1844)

Born in Bolton, Connecticut; physician, surgeon; civic leader; economist; his residence was built in 1814 by architect Thomas Hope who also built Ramsey House; served in U.S. Navy as surgeon's mate aboard frigate Trumbull; trustee of the Knoxville Female Academy, est. 1827; President of East Tennessee College (now U.T.), 1830; charter member of Knoxville Academy of Medicine; served on Board of Alderman; buried in First Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
No image available
1827
William C. Mynatt No portrait available

(1787-1837)

Aid-de-camp to General Cocke, War of 1812; hotel keeper of Mynatt's Hotel on the site of the present Knox County courthouse; trustee at East Tennessee College (now U.T.), 1820; trustee of the Knoxville Female Academy, est. 1827; served on Board of Alderman; also served as Mayor 1822-23 and 1835-36
James Park 1824-1826
James Park
No portrait available
(1770-1853)

Born in Donegal County, Ireland; came to U.S. in 1796 and Knoxville in 1798; merchant; justice of the peace; built one of the city's 1st homes in 1812 at 422 W. Cumberland Ave. (Park House is Knoxville's second-oldest house, Blount Mansion is first); trustee at East Tennessee College (now U.T.), 1836; charter trustee of Knoxville Female Academy, 1811; director of Bank of East Tennessee; served on Board of Alderman; also served as Mayor 1818-21; buried in Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
No image available
1822-1823
William C. Mynatt
No portrait available
(1787-1837)

Aid-de-camp to General Cocke, War of 1812; hotel keeper of Mynatt's Hotel on the site of the present Knox County courthouse; trustee at East Tennessee College (now U.T.), 1820; trustee of the Knoxville Female Academy, est. 1827; served on Board of Alderman; also served as Mayor 1827 and 1835-36
James Park
1818-1821
James Park No portrait available

(1770-1853)

Born in Donegal County, Ireland; came to U.S. in 1796 and Knoxville in 1798; merchant; justice of the peace; built one of the city's 1st homes in 1812 at 422 W. Cumberland Ave. (Park House is Knoxville's second-oldest house, Blount Mansion is first); trustee at East TN College (now U.T.), 1836; charter trustee of Knoxville Female Academy, 1811; director of Bank of East Tennessee; served on Board of Alderman; also served as Mayor 1824-26; buried in Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee
Thomas Emmerson
1816-1818 
Thomas Emmerson
(1773-1837)

Born in Lawrenceville, Brunswick County, Virginia; first mayor of Knoxville; lawyer; judge; newspaper editor and publisher; helped establish the Bank of Knoxville; appointed charter trustee at East Tennessee College (now U.T.), 1807; charter trustee of Knoxville Female Academy, 1811; said to have introduced, along with David A. Deaderick, the first cast iron plow into East Tennessee; buried in Jonesborough City Cemetery in Jonesborough, Tennessee




Knoxville was settled in 1786 and founded in 1791. Knoxville was incorporated, Oct. 27, 1815, by act of the state legislature.

Information sources for the content of this page include the following:

  • Jack Neely and Paul James - The Mayors of Knoxville (Knoxville History Project, 2019)
  • Mary Rothrock (ed.) - The French Broad - Holston Country: A History of Knox County, Tennessee (Knoxville, TN: East Tennessee Historical Society, 1946, 1972).
  • East Tennessee Historical Society, Heart of the Valley: A History of Knoxville, Tennessee.
  • William Rule, George Mellen, John Wooldridge (ed.) - Standard History of Knoxville, Tennessee (Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company, 1900; reprinted by Kessinger Books, 2010)
  • American Historical Magazine and Tennessee Historical Society Quarterly, Volume 9 (1904) 
  • Oliver P. Temple - Notable Men of Tennessee: From 1833 to 1875, Their Times and Their Contemporaries (New York: Cosmopolitan Press, 1912) 
  • University of Tennessee Record, Vol. 1 & Vol. 5 by University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 1898
  • Tennessee State Library and Archives, 403 Seventh Avenue North, Nashville, Tennessee 37243-0312
  • Bruce Wheeler, Knoxville, Tennessee: A Mountain City in the New South (Knoxville, Tenn.: University of Tennessee Press, 2005)
  • FindAGrave.com
  • National Park Service
  • Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture
  • City of Knoxville Charter and Ordinances