Rockford City

Blount County, Tennessee

Rockford City Hall is located at 3719 Little River Road, Rockford, TN 37853.
Phone: 865‑977‑7138.

Neighborhoods

Beginnings [1]

Located northeast of Maryville on the Little River, Rockford was an important community of the early 19th century. The Federal Road from Knoxville to Maryville crossed the river here just beyond the stagecoach stop operated by Thomas McCullock. A grist mill was established at this crossing by 1817 and in 1845 was sold to Alexander Kennedy who constructed a cotton mill on its site. This cotton mill was the first textile mill established in the county and it later expanded in 1852 when it was renamed the Rockford Manufacturing Company. The name Rockford was presumably named after the "rocky ford" at this location. A post office was established in 1854 and several stores and residences were built surrounding the mill. By 1860, the mill was one of the largest textile mills in east Tennessee.

1. Philip Thomason, Thomason and Associates, Historic and Architectural Resources of Blount County, Tennessee, 1989, National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places, Washington, D.C.

Nearby Towns: Alcoa City • Eagleton Village • Maryville City •