James Robertson

1742–1814 (age 72)

Pioneer/Founder

Photograph of James Robertson

Biography

James Robertson was a pioneering figure whose vision and determination were instrumental in establishing Nashville as a significant settlement in the American frontier. Born in 1742, he demonstrated the courage and enterprise characteristic of the great pioneers, leading expeditions and establishing communities in the wilderness of Tennessee.

Robertson's legacy as a founder endures through the city he helped establish and the institutions he championed. His seventy-two years of life witnessed the transformation of the frontier into civilization, and his contributions to the development of Nashville remain celebrated. His grave at Nashville City Cemetery honors a man whose pioneering spirit shaped the region.