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Gay Street: then and now

About 1903 vs 2010 · Knoxville, TN

Gay Street, 2010Gay Street, About 1903
NowThen
Then, About 1903A black-and-white view down the street with tall brick storefronts on the left and poles with wires on the right.Photo: Detroit Publishing Company · Public domain · Source · resized
Today, 2010The same street lined with brick buildings, with a modern glass tower and green hills at the far end.Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 3.0 · Source · resized

The story

Gay Street was part of Charles McClung's original 1791 plat of Knoxville. It has served as the city's main financial and commercial street since the 1790s.

By 1850 it held three-fourths of the city's commercial activity, and in 1854 it became Knoxville's first paved road. On the eve of the Civil War, both Union and Confederate recruiting rallies were held on it at the same time.

After the war the railroad brought an industrial boom. Buildings along the street include the Bijou Theatre (1909), the Riviera Theatre (1920) and the Tennessee Theatre (1928).

Did you know? In 1854, Gay Street became Knoxville's first paved road.
Historians argue about this. Many people think a street's name tells its story. Wikipedia lists this street's real milestones, like paving in 1854.

Fact or tall tale?

Sources

More: Look for historic photos at the Library of Congress

Stamp it in person

Go there, answer the question that only someone standing at Gay Street can answer, and add the stamp to your passport. Free, no sign-up.

Play Knoxville

More in Knoxville

Next: Blount Mansion. Written from the cited sources, not yet walked on site unless noted.