Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1872-04-09
FACTS ABOUT EAST TENNESSEE.
Knoxville as q Commercial Gem
ter.
NO. Inv.


We gave some important statistics and
facts in our last number concerning the
health of East Tennessee and of Knoxville.
We propose in this number to give some
facts showing the commercial importance
of Knoxville.
There are few cities Of the size of Knox
vile that are Sd favorably situated. 1t is
geographically con sidered, the natural cen
ter of very large country, Astounding in
wealth and having resources of a great
variety. If our readers will put map be-
fore them, having upon it the States of
Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, Geor-
gia and Tennessee and will follow us in our
references to localities they will better APP
preciate and understand the information
we give. Take Knoxville as a center, then,
on your map, and run your eye ever the
sections to be named, and the country ma
turally tributary to US, will be better COM
pretended. Southeastern Kentucky,
Southwestern Virginia, Western North Ca
roliua and portion of Northeastern Geor-
gia, with all of East Tennessee find their ma
tural commercial center at Knoxville. They
find here the nearest city of respectable
size with which they can communicate by
rail. East of us pa miles at Lynchburg we
find the first rival city. West of us
26O miles by rail, we find Nashville, the
nearest city competing with us as COM
mercial rival. South of us, about the
same distance, we find Atlanta, the near
est point in that direction at allinterfering
with our trade. North of us, Cincinnati
and Louisville are the nearest competing
points. Here, then, we have country,
about two hundred miles on every side OF
us, that is naturally tributary to Knox
vile. It is naturally tributary to us, be-
cause it is comparatively all isolated re-
gion. But one railroad penetrates it and
that comes to Knoxville as its central
point.
Many of the rivers of this section flow
towards us-foating to our doors the pro-
ducts of many of our richest vallies. The
mountain ranges cut up the country into
valleys, watered by rapid, healthful
streams that add to their healthfulness and
fertility. These valleys trend from the
northeast and southwest and Knoxville
gathers in their products. This vast terri
tory is a fine agricultural section, and
abounds in coal, iron and other Minerals.
1t is splendidly timbered and affords fine
grazing fields. 1t is now a growing Sec
ton and must soon become vastly more |
important. Knoxville is the only city of |
any size in it. Chattanooga and the other |
cities named are on the circle, bound |
ing it. This is what gives us our
vast wholesale trade, leading every inland |
city in the South, and this it is that must |
afford the resources upon which Knoxville |
must build her future growth. We have |
here the largest wholesale establishment |
in the South. There are not half dozen
houses in the United States that have more
commodious and convenient store rooms.
It carries an immense stock of goods and
its annual sales exceed two millions. We
have large wholesale houses in the drug,
hardware, grocery and boot and shoe trade.
We have given above the extent of the
country geographically, to which Knox
vile lays commercial tribute. Let us look
at it more in detail. 1t contains popula-
ton of over 100000. 1t represents fifty
and more counties and millions of bushels
Of produce. 1t has tributary to it section
worth over $500, OOO,O 600. 1t is estimated that
over half million bushels of corn, wheat
and oats come to Knoxville from the val
leys of the Holston, French Broad and
rivers. Some of this produce
is reshipped here by rail, some is hand
led by our commission merchants, some is
ground up into flour and some floats on
down into the Tennessee to the markets
of the South. If capital and enterprise SO
willed it, every bushel of it would stop at
our wharf. Just north of Knoxville, forty
aud less miles, are immense fields of coal.
Some dozen and more banks are now
worked and the coal is the choicest found
in the Southern markets.
The fertile fields, rich valleys and mex
haustible mines of these fifty counties, then,
are the resources that make Knoxville a
commercial center already of high rank.
They constitute section that we conf
IDENTIFY believe will yet make it one of the
very wealthiest and most prosperous in
lOnd cities of the SOOth