Country music stars with guitar-shaped pools, cowboy hats and big old Cadillacs are just a few of the stereotypes that come to mind when you think of Nashville. While it's true that (a) Nashville is home to the Grand Ole Opry; (b) country music star Webb Pierce did once own a guitar-shaped pool; and (c) Cadillacs appear in countless country music songs, you will find a lot more fascinating aspects of Nashville's history than these stereotypes.

James Robertson founded Fort Nashborough in 1779 with an establishment along the Cumberland River. This small fort would grow increasingly large over the next few decades. Several more groups of settlers would arrive later. The importance of the fort was based largely on its location in middle-America's trade industry. The fort soon grew into what would later become Nashville.

Soon after Nashville was named a city, cotton became a major industry and the city further developed trade around this crop. It later became a major railroad center with the development of several railroad shops as well as other diverse manufacturing plants including glass, wood, steel, and rubber products.

Contrary to popular belief, country music was not always king in Nashville. However, it evolved into the music's epicenter over time. Nashville's location -- smack in the middle of the country -- and its history of blue-collar American labor provided influences for the city's often down-on-your-luck country musical stylings.

Fun Facts about Nashville

• Nashville is sometimes referred to as the "Athens of the South," due to its numerous buildings constructed with classical design. There is even a replica of the Parthenon.
• Nashville was officially founded on Christmas Eve in 1799.
• The city is home to several large publishing houses which produce everything from religious materials to telephone directories.
• Andrew Jackson's famous homestead -- The Hermitage -- has a driveway shaped like a guitar.
• The area between 16th and 17th Avenue South is known as Music Row.
• Country music stars Jimmy Dean and George Jones each developed a brand-name sausage business.
• After drinking a cup of coffee produced in Nashville, American President Theodore Roosevelt coined the phrase "Good to the last drop"
• Nashville's Fire Department celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2007.

Sources:
(http://www.nashville.com/facts.html)

(http://education.yahoo.com/reference/encyclopedia/entry/Nashvill)

(http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/es/tn/opry_1)

(http://www.thehermitage.com/)

(http://www.bellemeadeplantation.com/)