Historic Timeline

  • Late 1700s - First residents settle in area which is to become La Vergne
  • 1800 - 1959 - Population under 1,000
  • 1820 - Roulhac family moved to La Vergne area
  • 1837 - James B. Buchanan named postmaster at Buchananville (early name of city)
  • 1852 - Francois Lenard Gregoire de Roulhac de LaVergne dies, postmaster names post office the “LaVergne Post Office”
  • Feb 28, 1860 - City first incorporated
  • 1862 - At least 7 Civil War related battles / skirmishes fought in the city
  • 1862 - Most of city burned during Civil War
  • 1881 - Incorporation rescinded because - since the Civil War - no city officials had been elected and there were not enough adults to let the town organize a Board and town constitution
  • 1900 - Two tornados rip through La Vergne, destroying two schools
  • 1904 - First telephone in La Vergne
  • 1913 - Telephone co-op formed
  • 1923 - Electricity reaches La Vergne
  • 1945 - Tennessee Farmer's Co-Op opens
  • 1959 - Men's Club organized
  • 1951 - La Vergne Utility District organized
  • 1961 - La Vergne Primary School built
  • 1963 - La Vergne Lions Club organized
  • 1965 - La Vergne Fire Department established
  • 1968 - Calls to Smyrna no longer long-distance
  • 1970 - La Vergne Rescue Squad established
  • 1971 - Firestone (later Bridgestone) opened
  • 1972 - City incorporated, council elected. Vester Waldron named first mayor and serves from February 1972 - March 1980
  • 1972 - City holds first Old Timers Day
  • 1974 - La Vergne Council increases to five members
  • 1976 - Roy Waldron School built
  • 1976 - Bicentennial Park next to City Hall built from federal funding of the nations bicentennial celebration
  • Late 1970s - Senior Citizens Club established
  • Late 1970s - Library established
  • 1980 - Post office at 5175 Murfreesboro Road opens (currently Codes and Engineering Bldg)
  • 1980 - A.C. Puckett becomes mayor and serves from March 1980 - April 1984
  • 1982 - La Vergne Tennessee and La Vergne France twinned as sister cities
  • 1982 - Current City Hall at 5093 Murfreesboro Road opens
  • 1986-89 - La Vergne online with Metro Nashville sewer system
  • 1987 - La Vergne name officially changed from one word to two
  • 1988 - La Vergne High School built
  • 1988 - City changes charter to Alderman style
  • 1988 - Jack Moore becomes mayor and serves from July 1988 - September 1990
  • 1989 - Property tax initiated
  • 1990 - Shirley Winfree becomes mayor and serves from September 1990 - October 1994
  • 1990 - La Vergne population counted at 7,499
  • 1991 - La Vergne Rotary Club established
  • 1993 - La Vergne Water Treatment Plant opened
  • 1994 - La Vergne population counted at 11,088
  • 1994 - Mike Webb becomes mayor and serves from October 1994 - April 2004
  • 1996 - La Vergne population counted at 14,275
  • 1997 - Cedar Grove School built
  • 1997 - Veterans Memorial Park opened
  • 1998 - La Vergne population counted at 16,001
  • 1999 - Rock Springs Elementary School built
  • 1999 - Cable Channel 3 (city television channel) goes on the air
  • 2000 - La Vergne population counted at 18,687
  • 2000 - Senior Citizen Center becomes part of the City
  • 2002 - Rock Springs Middle School opened
  • 2002 - New La Vergne Public Library opened
  • 2003 - La Vergne population counted at 21,561
  • 2004 - New La Vergne Middle School opened
  • 2004 - Sherry Green becomes mayor and serves from April 2004 - October 2006
  • 2005 - La Vergne Water Treatment Plan expansion to 10 million gallons per day completed
  • 2006 - La Vergne population counted at 25,278
  • 2006 - Ronnie Erwin becomes mayor and serves from October 2006 - November 2010
  • 2006 - Box 100 Volunteer Rehab organization established
  • 2007 - La Vergne Lake Elementary School opened
  • 2008 - New La Vergne Post Office opened at 5309 Murfreesboro Road
  • 2010 - La Vergne population counted at 32,588
  • 2010 - Historic flooding in La Vergne and Middle Tennessee with 13.57 inches of rain falling in two days. While no deaths occurred in La Vergne, there were 24 who died statewide.
  • 2010 - Senna Mosley becomes mayor and serves from November 2010 - November 2014
  • 2011 - City becomes first in Rutherford county to launch social media pages, including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube
  • 2011 - City holds first Patriotic Picnic in the Park Fourth of July Celebration
  • 2011 - Mike Walker appointed to police chief position in August
  • 2011 - City holds first Miss La Vergne pageants 
  • 2011 - City holds first Parade of Lights and Tree Lighting Ceremony 
  • 2011 - First greenway opens in city - Brookside Greenway
  • 2012 - City holds September 11, 2001 Remembrance Ceremony
  • 2012 - City holds La Vergne Baby Show
  • 2013 - Shop Local program organized for local businesses
  • 2013 - Expansion of Waldron Road to five lanes completed
  • 2013 - Stewarts Creek High School opens, shifting part of student population to Smyrna
  • 2013 - La Vergne crime rate drops to lowest level in at least a decade according to TBI
  • 2013 - City begins airing all Board of Mayor and Aldermen workshops and meetings live on Channel 3
  • 2013 - Feed the Children opens distribution center in La Vergne
  • 2013 - La Vergne ranks as top affordable suburb in state by Movoto.com
  • 2013 - City purchases fire department from private company, names Rick McCormick as first fire chief
  • 2014 - City receives credit rating upgrade from Standard and Poors
  • 2014 - Lake Forest Park opens playground
  • 2014 - Dennis Waldron becomes mayor and serves from November 2014 - November 2018
  • 2015 - City approves construction of Memorial Wall at Veterans Memorial Park
  • 2015 - Fire Department reaches ISO Rating 3
  • 2016 - Walmart opens superstore in La Vergne
  • 2017 - Second greenway opens in city - Hurricane Creek Greenway
  • 2018 - Fire Chief Rick McCormick passes away
  • 2018 - Jason Cole becomes mayor and serves from November 2018 - current
  • 2018 - La Vergne population counted at 34,423 in special census
  • 2019 - Chris Clark named fire chief
  • 2019 - Mary Jane Skinner named first Citizen of the Year
  • 2019 - Former mayor and city founder A.C. Puckett passes away
  • 2019 - La Vergne establishes new Industrial Development Board
  • 2020 - La Vergne population counted at 38,719 in Federal Census
  • 2020 - ICEE moves headquarters from California to La Vergne
  • 2020 - Amazon adds distribution center to La Vergne
  • 2020 - K9 Officer Sjaak shot and killed in the line of duty
  • 2020 - Ronny Beasley named fire chief
  • 2021 - William Cartwright appointed as new city judge
  • 2021 - Burrel "Chip" Davis named police chief
  • 2022 - La Vergne celebrates the 50th anniversary of incorporation
  • 2022 - The fire administration building, formerly known as the civic auditorium, is demolished
  • 2022 - A time capsule is buried on the property of the La Vergne Public Library on August 23, to be opened in 2072 as a part of the 100th anniversary celebration
  • 2022 - La Vergne's first dog park officially opens at 377 Stones River Road
  • 2022 - La Vergne breaks ground on new fire station #41 on Old Nashville Highway
  • 2023 - Fire Department reaches ISO Rating 2
History column on tornado story
Lake
May Day 2011
Military personnel and flag