Gideon Morris, for whom the town is named, was granted a tract of land by North Carolina in 1787. The settlement flourished because important early travel routes intersected here, and in 1855 Morristown was officially incorporated. The city's continued growth coincided with the coming of the railroad to east Tennessee. Over the next 50 years, Morristown blossomed into a retail center for surrounding communities. Influences of war heroes, entrepreneurs,...