Opryland Tennessee History

Nashville was originally established as a settlement called Fort Nashborough on Christmas Eve in 1779. It was founded by two teams of pioneers from the Carolinas. It was originally. The daughter of one of the pioneers was Rachel Donelson, who became the wife of President Andrew Jackson. Opryland’s history as the center for country music began in the Ryman Auditorium built by Captain Thomas G. Ryman in 1892. The Grand Ole Opry show commenced in 1943, and established itself as the “Mother Church of Country Music”. In 1974, the Opry moved to its present home at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center. In 1994 the Ryman Auditorium was restored as a museum to legends of country music and a national showplace. Musical performances are still held there today. The area’s music history also included African American spirituals and gospel songs of the late 19th century. Blues became a mainstay in the 1950s with popular nightclubs along Jefferson Street with such notables as Little Richard, Muddy Waters and Ray Charles. The city hosts numerous music events, concerts and festivals with “Opryland” as an anchor attraction.

Major industries in the area, in addition to hospitality and tourism, include publishing, technology, manufacturing, music production, automobile production and health care management. It is ranked as the fifth most popular city for business relation, and is a vacation destination for over ten million visitors annually.