In 1785 Scot-Irish farmers from Virginia settled along Pistol Creek in the shadow of the Great Smoky Mountains. The settlement was named Maryville, after Gov. William Blount's wife, Mary, when it became the seat of newly carved Blount County 10 years later. Agriculture, lumber production and textile milling sustained the community throughout the 19th century; the economy was boosted considerably in 1914 when the Aluminum Company of America opened a plant nearby, creating hundreds of jobs for area residents. Learn More...