Tennessee is sometimes called the “Volunteer State” because an estimated 20,000 Tennessean troops volunteered to fight in the War of 1812. And in 1846, around 30,000 people enlisted to fight in the Mexican-American War.
Though its nickname’s origin is clear, no one is sure how Tennessee got its proper name. However, there were two Native American villages that were called Tanasi and Tanasqui, which both sound similar to Tennessee.
Let’s learn about even more interesting Tennessee facts together!
1. Cotton Candy was Invented in Tennessee
In 1904, a sweet treat called Fairy Floss made its debut at the World’s Fair in St. Louis, Missouri. Developed by two Tennesseans, a dentist named William Morrison and a candy maker named John C. Wharton, Fairy Floss was a huge hit!
Morrison and Wharton patented their candy machine and sold it to the Electric Candy Machine Company in Nashville. After the World’s Fair, many machines were sold across the country. It was renamed cotton candy in the 1920s by another dentist.
2. The Grand Ole Opry is One of the Longest Running Live Radio Broadcasts
The Grand Ole Opry is a live country music radio broadcast that originates from Nashville, Tennessee. Depending on the time of year, it is held between two and five nights a week. Grand Ole Opry began on November 28, 1925, and was originally called the WSM Barn Dance, before being renamed in 1927.
It features a mix of famous singers performing country, bluegrass, Americana, folk, and gospel music, plus comedic skits and performances. Icons like Dolly Parton and Elvis Presley are among these performers. The Grand Ole Opry attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year, and millions more listen to the radio show at home.
3. Nashville is Often Referred to as Music City
Speaking of music, in 1950, radio announcer David Cobb ad libbed the phrase, “Music City, USA,” which established Nashville’s famous nickname. Musisicians and fans consider the city the country music capital of the world, with many iconic musical acts recording and performing there over the years. The Country Music Hall of Fame is also located in Nashville, attracting avid country music lovers every year.
4. Memphis also has Musical Roots
Ever heard of a place called Graceland? Elvis Presley’s former home-turned-museum is located in Memphis, Tennessee. He moved to Memphis with his family when he was 13 and then built Graceland after becoming famous. Thousands of people visit each year, making it the second-most visited house in the United States after the White House.
Other musicians were born in the city, including: the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, Justin Timberlake, Al Green, and the hip hop group, Three 6 Mafia.
5. Mountain Dew is a Tennessee Original
In 1940, Barney and Ally Hartman invented the original formula for Mountain Dew. At the time, soda companies distributed their products regionally, making it difficult to buy certain brands. So, the Hartmans decided to create their own!
They developed their own soda recipe and revised it in 1958. Interestingly, the name, Mountain Dew, comes from a 19th-century slang term for whiskey. Back then, many people liked to mix soda with whiskey.
So the name stuck, and the Hartmans trademarked it in 1948. Eventually, PepsiCo purchased Mountain Dew, and the rest is history!
6. Tennessee Contains the Largest Underground Lake in the United States
Located in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains are the Craighead Caverns, a cave system located between Sweetwater and Madisonville, Tennessee. People named the caverns after Cherokee Chief Craighead because the Cherokee used them as a meeting place for councils. The area also contains the world’s second-largest non-subglacial lake, known as The Lost Sea.
In 1905, a 13-year-old boy named Ben Sands discovered the lake. Sands often played in the caves and found a small opening that he crawled through. Consequently, he discovered an area so large he couldn’t see the ends of the space.
By the time he went back to investigate, the water level had risen, hiding the entrance. Local explorers discovered it several years later. Since then, cave divers have explored many rooms filled with water without reaching the end of the cave.
At normal capacity, the visible surface of the lake measures 800 feet long and 220 feet wide. Today, visitors can tour the lake in a glass-bottomed boat!
7. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is America’s Most Visited National Park
The history of this park is a tale of conflicts with colonizers and the Indigenous people who inhabited the land. In fact, a large part of the Southeast United States, including the park, is homeland to the Cherokee tribe. The U.S. government forced Indigenous peoples, including the Cherokee, to walk hundreds of miles west in a journey now known as the Trail of Tears and to live on reservations
In 1934, the government created the 521,896-acre park to stop the logging industry from clearing the forests of the Great Smoky Mountains. Today, the park welcomes as many as 10 million tourists every year, making it the most visited national park in the United States.
8. Eight states Share a Border with Tennessee, Tying it for the Most Borders of any U.S. State
Both Tennessee and Missouri share borders with eight states, the most of any US state. In the north, Tennessee borders Kentucky and Virginia. North Carolina is to the east. Arkansas and Missouri border the state on the west.
And in the south, Tennessee borders Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. In fact, its wiggly western border is courtesy of the Mississippi River.
9. Davy Crockett was Born on a Mountaintop in Tennessee
At least that’s how the song goes. One of America’s best-known folk heroes, Crockett was a politician, militia officer, and frontiersman. His nickname is the “King of the Wild Frontier.” Born in the area now known as Green County, Crockett grew up in East Tennessee.
He represented Tennessee in the US House of Representatives, where he opposed many of President Andrew Jackson’s policies, especially the Indian Removal Act. Also, he fought in the Texas Revolution and died at the Battle of the Alamo.
10. The State Funds Tennessee State University as the only HBCU in Tennessee
Also known as Tennessee State, Tenn State, or TSU, this public, historically Black college or university (HBCU) is located in Nashville. They founded it in 1912. Oprah Winfrey is perhaps the most famous graduate from this institution, which offers 41 bachelor’s degrees, 23 master’s degrees, and eight doctoral degrees.
More Fun Facts About Tennessee
Iris: State Flower
Tulip Poplar: State Tree
Mockingbird: State Bird
State Motto: “Agriculture and Commerce”
