First Settlers
Permanent settlement in what is now Farragut began about 3,000 years ago, when the Woodland Indians became East Tennessee’s first farmers. Around 1000 A.D., they were succeeded by the Early Mississippians, who later formed distinct tribes including the Creeks, Choctaws, and Chickasaws—all speakers of the Muskhogean language.
After 1000 A.D., a new group arrived, calling themselves the “principal people.” Their language differed from Muskhogean, and they were referred to as “Teiloki,” meaning “people of a different speech.” Linguistic ties suggest they were related to the Iroquois of the upper Great Lakes.
The Spanish called the region “Cheloque Province,” a name the group adopted, eventually becoming known as the Cherokee. Though living in separate towns, they were united as a Nation governed by a representative system. Local decisions were made democratically, with men—and sometimes women— having an equal vote. The Cherokee lifestyle was, in many ways, more advanced than that of early European settlers.
Campbell Station
In 1785, the State of Franklin (now Tennessee) signed the Dumplin Creek Treaty with the Cherokee, opening land along the French Broad and Holston rivers to settlers. Among the earliest to arrive were the Campbell family, who settled on March 7, 1787, in what is now the Farragut area of western Knox County.
Col. David Campbell built a cabin for protection and soon after established a stagecoach stop known as Campbell’s Station. Located at what is now Kingston Pike and Campbell Station Road, the “Block House” became a key rest stop for travelers, hunters, and livestock drivers heading west. It gained prominence as one of Tennessee’s earliest inns, hosting figures such as President Andrew Jackson, Louis Phillippe (future King of France), British geologist G.W.
Featherstonhaugh, and French botanist André Michaux. (pictured in order)
The house also played a role in the Civil War, serving as a field hospital during the Battle of Campbell Station on November 16, 1863. Bloodstains from wounded soldiers—both Union and Confederate—are still visible on the original pine floors.
Battle of Campbell Station
On November 4, 1863, Lt. Gen. James Longstreet—with two divisions, about 5,000 cavalry and approximately 12,000 troops—was detached from the Confederate Army of Tennessee near Chattanooga to attack Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside’s Union Department of the Ohio troops at Knoxville. Knoxville was a vital stronghold for both armies since supplies for the South were brought in from Virginia by rail. Although opposing forces first confronted each other briefly at Loudon, it was just the start of the race to Knoxville. With approximately 5,000 troops, General Burnside’s Union forces, although greatly outnumbered by Longstreet’s troops, were ordered to draw the Confederate army to Campbell’s Station and delay their advance to Knoxville. This strategic site was chosen by Burnside as a defensive location due to its high ground.
On a cold and miserable November 16, the battle began. Under General Burnside, the Union troops arrived first with barely enough time to set up defenses on the high ground near the present day intersection of Concord Road and Kingston Pike. After six hours of heavy fighting, the Confederates failed to break through the Union line, and night fell. Total casualties were approximately 348 Confederate and 338 Union troops.
Delaying the Confederate forces enabled the Union troops already in Knoxville to prepare fortifications. Through the night, Burnside’s division continued to race Longstreet toward Knoxville, taking them away from General Braxton Bragg to the south. Successful in their mission to delay the Confederate’s offensive, Union troops continued to Knoxville to join forces in the successful defense of the city.
David Farragut
James Glasgow Farragut was born on July 5, 1801. His father, Jorge Farragut, a Spanish immigrant, served in both the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. After the death of his parents in 1808, young James was taken in by family friend and naval officer David Porter, who mentored him and helped launch his naval career. Farragut soon adopted the name David G. Farragut.
By age 8, he was at sea, and by 12, he had seen combat. In 1810, he was appointed a Navy midshipman. He served under Captain Porter aboard the Essex during the War of 1812 and was promoted to acting lieutenant at age 18. He received his first command in 1823 aboard the Ferret.
Over the following decades, Farragut rose steadily through the ranks. He was commissioned as Commander in 1841, oversaw construction of the U.S. Navy’s first Pacific shipyard at Mare Island in 1854, and was promoted to Captain in 1855. He took command of his first steamer, the Brooklyn, in 1858.
Farragut’s Civil War service elevated him to national fame. He led the capture of New Orleans, passed Port Hudson, enforced the blockade of Mobile, and triumphed at the Battle of Mobile Bay—where he famously declared, “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!” In 1866, Congress created the rank of Admiral specifically for him.
Farragut married Susan C. Marchant in 1823; she passed away in 1840. He later married Virginia Loyall in 1843. They briefly lived in California during his Mare Island posting and returned to Norfolk in 1858. Disagreeing with Confederate sympathizers in Virginia, he moved to New York in 1860.
Their only son, Loyall Farragut, entered the Naval Academy in 1863 and later published a biography of his father, drawing heavily from his journals.
After the war, Farragut was celebrated across the U.S. and Europe, honored by royalty, dignitaries, and grateful citizens. He visited Spain to explore his heritage but fell into poor health soon after. Farragut died in January 1870. Despite heavy rain, over 10,000 people— including President Ulysses S. Grant—attended his funeral. Statues in his honor were later erected in Washington, D.C., and New York.
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Community History
Farragut and Knoxville are the two municipalities within Knox County, Tennessee. Located just 16 miles west of downtown Knoxville, Farragut occupies land that was originally part of Campbell’s Station, a fort and stagecoach stop established in the late 1700s.
Nearby, the community of Concord flourished in the mid-1800s with the arrival of the railroad, becoming a major commercial hub and later a center for Tennessee marble production. By the 1880s, it was the second-largest community in the county. However, Concord never incorporated, and its growth declined with the fall of the marble industry and the flooding caused by the creation of Fort Loudoun Lake. By the 1970s, development had shifted toward Kingston Pike and the interstate corridor.
Before incorporation, Farragut was governed by Knox County, but residents grew increasingly frustrated with flooding, poor roads, and a lack of development standards. In 1978, local citizens formed the Farragut Community Group to pursue self-governance and better infrastructure planning. A successful referendum in fall 1979 led to the official incorporation of the Town of Farragut on January 16, 1980. The first Board of Mayor and Aldermen was elected shortly after, on April 1.
Today, Farragut continues to operate according to its founding principles— maintaining thoughtful growth and infrastructure development—while remaining free of a municipal property tax.
Named for Admiral David Glasgow Farragut, Farragut High School began in 1904 as a six-room frame academic building on 12 acres of land at the junction of Concord Road and Kingston Pike. In addition to practical agriculture, domestic science and manual training, the curriculum included Latin, English and science to prepare students for college entrance. In March of 1906, the building and its contents were destroyed by fire. Temporary quarters were established, and a new school was rebuilt. The first class graduated in 1907, with one student awarded a diploma and two students each in the following two years.
Farragut High School has undergone many additions and modifications over the years. In 1917, the first county gymnasium was added to the campus, thus giving Farragut’s students superior athletic advantages. In 1923, a grammar school building was added, and in 1932, another building was added to the high school. An auditorium was added in 1938 and a new gymnasium in 1941. A new elementary school was built in 1949, and the final addition to the high school on the original campus was completed in 1959.
Today, Farragut High School, home of the Admirals, is one of the largest high schools in Tennessee and maintains the degree of excellence that has been shown throughout its history. The school is among state leaders in producing National Merit Scholars and has been named by West Point Military Academy as a “Spotlight School.”
Since its creation in 1904, Farragut High School has remained an important part of the Farragut community.
Memorial Plaza
The Admiral Farragut Memorial Plaza contains a wealth of information on the life of Admiral David Glasgow Farragut. The statue was created by local sculptor Linda White Rankin and was, at the time of its dedication in 2010, the only statue commissioned of the Admiral in over 100 years.
The cannons are on loan from the Washington Navy Yard. The 32 pounder gun is from the USS Independence. Farragut was ordered to the Independence in March of 1815 to cruise the Mediterranean, and remained with the Mediterranean Squadron until 1820.
The nine-inch Dahlgren cannon came from the USS Hartford. Farragut commanded this ship during the Civil War. His most brilliant victory came on August 5, 1864, in which the Federal fleet, commanded by Rear Admiral David G. Farragut on the Hartford, attacked a smaller Confederate fleet led by Admiral Franklin Buchanan and three forts that guarded the entrance to Mobile Bay. The battle was marked by Farragut’s seemingly rash but successful run through a minefield that had just claimed one of his ironclad monitors, enabling his fleet to get beyond the range of the shore-based guns.
Mobile had been the last important port on the Gulf of Mexico east of the Mississippi River remaining in Confederate possession, so its closure was the final step in completing the blockade in that region. This Union victory, together with the capture of Atlanta, was extensively covered by Union newspapers and was a significant boost for Abraham Lincoln’s bid for re-election three months after the battle.
Farragut’s Birthplace
The birthplace of David Farragut, Civil War hero and first admiral in the United States Navy, is located off Northshore Drive in Knoxville. A Civil War Trails Marker can be viewed at Admiral Farragut Park directly across the inlet from Farragut’s birth site. A marker, commissioned by the Bonny Kate Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, was dedicated there in 1900 by Admiral George Dewey. Admiral Dewey was a hero of the Spanish American War who served with Farragut during the Battle of Mobile Bay and admired him greatly. The marker is now part of the Admiral Farragut Memorial Plaza at Farragut Town Hall.
The home where Farragut was born disappeared long ago and only archaeological evidence is believed to remain, but the site is likely one of Knox County’s most nationally significant places. The site of the birthplace is on land owned by Farragut’s father in the 1790s when he operated a ferry at Stoney Point, later known as Lowe’s Ferry.
Farragut’s birthplace is located on Northshore Drive about 1/2 mile west of Pellissippi Parkway (I-140).
Directions from Farragut Town Hall
1. Head northeast on Municipal Center Drive toward S. Campbell Station Road 0.1 mi
2. Turn right onto S. Campbell Station Road 0.7 mi 3. Continue straight onto Concord Road 1.2 mi 4. Turn left onto S. Northshore Drive via the traffic circle 3.7 mi
Admiral Farragut Park located on the right
Museum
The Farragut Museum is a treasure chest of artifacts and photographs that tell the history of the Farragut and Concord communities. One of the highlights of the museum is the Admiral David Glasgow Farragut collection.
This nationally sought-after collection houses artifacts that cannot be seen anywhere else such as Farragut’s personal china, uniform ornamentation, family photographs, manuscripts, letters of interest and a large collection of scrimshaw.
The Farragut Museum is housed in Farragut Town Hall, 11408 Municipal Center Drive. Museum hours vary and can be found at townoffarragut.org/museum. After hours tours are also available upon request. Admission is Free.
Other History Sites
HISTORIC SIGNS AT FOUNDERS PARK
405 N. Campbell Station Road
Eleven signs are located along the walking path at Founders Park providing a self-guided tour of the history of the Town of Farragut and the surrounding area. The signs provide an insight into the people, places, and events that make this area significant in United States history.
CAMPBELL STATION INN
11409 Kingston Pike
The Campbell Station Inn, one of Tennessee’s earliest inns, was a popular stop for travelers passing through Knoxville. Originally part of a 500-acre Revolutionary War land grant to Col. David Campbell in the 1780s, the inn later sheltered Union and Confederate wounded during the Civil War’s Battle of Campbell’s Station. Today, its history is detailed on-site at Mayor Ralph McGill Plaza (2b) through four historical signs.
FARRAGUT MUSEUM
11408 Municipal Center Drive
The Farragut Museum houses artifacts, relics, and photographs that explain the history of the Farragut and Concord communities. The museum also has an extensive Admiral David Glasgow Farragut collection. He is best known for saying, “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead,” during the Battle of Mobile Bay on August 5, 1864.
ADMIRAL FARRAGUT MEMORIAL PLAZA
11408 Municipal Center Drive
The Farragut Memorial Plaza features a bronze statue of Admiral David Farragut, Civil War era cannons on loan from the U.S. Naval Yard, and historical markers with information about Admiral Farragut’s life.
CIVIL WAR TRAILS SIGN
11408 Municipal Center Drive
Civil War Trails Historical Markers at Farragut Town Hall and the greenway parking lot at Virtue Mill Road commemorate the Battle of Campbell Station, which was fought on surrounding land on Nov. 16, 1863.
PLEASANT FOREST CEMETERY
401 Concord Road
Established in 1796, Pleasant Forest Cemetery is one of East Tennessee’s oldest cemeteries, serving as the final resting place for many early pioneers. Notable burials include Archibald Roane, Tennessee’s second governor; Elder David Campbell of Pleasant Forest Church; and Lieutenant Thomas Boyd, a Revolutionary War veteran who served at Valley Forge with George Washington.
VIRTUE ROAD SITE
401 Concord Road
At Virtue Cemetery, a Veterans Memorial Plaza includes markers for two Medal of Honor recipients: the 17th Michigan Volunteer Regiment for their valor during the 1863 Battle of Campbell Station and Vietnam War hero Sgt. Mitchell Stout. At the Virtue Road greenway, there is a view of the historic 1840s Virtue Mill site. Although the mill was destroyed by fire in 2002, the waterwheel remains (7b).
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