Editing Smyrna, Tennessee (section)

==History==
[[File:Sam Davis House.jpg|thumb|right|[[Sam Davis]] House]]

The town of Smyrna has its European American roots in the early 19th century and began as an [[Agrarian society#In the Modern World|agrarian community]]. It was important during the [[American Civil War|Civil War]] because its railroad station lies between [[Nashville]] and [[Chattanooga]]. One of the major events of the war for the town involved the [[Confederate States]] soldier [[Sam Davis]], who, after being charged with spying, gave up his life instead of giving any information to the [[Union Army]]. He was captured November 20, 1863, and was hanged by Union forces on November 27 of that year.<ref>[http://www.samdavishome.org/history.php "History"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131018171258/http://samdavishome.org/history.php |date=October 18, 2013 }}, Sam Davis website</ref> The Sam Davis Plantation, located on {{convert|160|acre|km2}} of well-maintained farmland, is the town's most important historical site.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.samdavishome.org/|title=The Historic Sam Davis Home and Plantation: A Nonprofit Organization|website=The Historic Sam Davis Home and Plantation: A Nonprofit Organization}}</ref><ref name="townofsmyrna.org">[http://www.townofsmyrna.org/smyrnahistory/index.htm "History"] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20040104125154/http://www.townofsmyrna.org/smyrnahistory/index.htm |date=January 4, 2004 }}, Town of Smyrna website</ref>

Smyrna was originally incorporated in 1869 but its charter was rescinded by the state several years later. In 1915, the town re-incorporated and adopted a [[City commission government|commission-mayor form of government]].

In 1941 during World War II, [[Sewart Air Force Base]] was established here and served as a [[B-17 Flying Fortress]] and [[B-24 Liberator|B-24]] advanced training facility. During the 1950s and 1960s, the military personnel and dependents totaled more than 10,000 persons stationed at the base. The base was scheduled for closing in 1971. Most of the property was divided among the [[State of Tennessee]], Rutherford County, and the [[Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority]]. On its portion, the state opened and operates a [[Tennessee Army National Guard]] base and the Tennessee Rehabilitation Center. Much of the additional land was developed as the Smyrna/Rutherford County Airport Authority in 1990.<ref name="townofsmyrna.org"/>

During the 1970s, many new industries moved to the area. The city began a period of growth stimulated by production of such companies as Better Built Aluminum, Cumberland Swan (currently known as Vi-Jon, Inc.), and [[Square D]] building plants. In the early 1980s, [[Nissan Motors]] constructed a [[Nissan Smyrna Assembly Plant|manufacturing plant]] in the city, and in 1983, the first vehicle was produced.<ref>{{citation |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |date=April 27, 2009 |title=The Road Ahead: Smyrna, Tennessee, vs. Detroit |author=Peter J. Boyer |url=http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/04/27/the-road-ahead }}</ref> The Nissan plant now employs around 8,400 workers,<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://nissan-smyrna.com/infographic-nissan-manufacturing-tennessee/|title=INFOGRAPHIC: Nissan Manufacturing in Tennessee - Nissan Smyrna Manufacturing and Assembly Plant|date=October 6, 2016|newspaper=Nissan Smyrna Manufacturing and Assembly Plant|language=en-US|access-date=December 12, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170218045859/http://nissan-smyrna.com/infographic-nissan-manufacturing-tennessee/|archive-date=February 18, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> has a production capacity of 640,000 vehicles annually,<ref name=":0" /> and covers an area of {{convert|5200000|sqft|m2|abbr=on}}.<ref>[http://www.nissanusa.com/about/careers/ "About: Careers"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100225031120/http://www.nissanusa.com/about/careers/ |date=February 25, 2010 }}, Nissan USA</ref> In 2012, Smyrna began manufacturing Nissan's electric car, the [[Nissan Leaf]], and its batteries.<ref>[http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100909/BUSINESS01/9090349/Tennessee-to-offer-2-500-rebates-on-Nissan-Leaf-electric-car/]{{dead link|date=June 2020}}</ref>

On March 14, 2000, the mayor and board of commissioners adopted a new charter. The city now operates under the [[city manager]] form of government, whereby the commissioners hire a city manager for daily operations.<ref name="townofsmyrna.org"/>

On June 2, 2016 [[Blue Angels]] #6 crashed in Smyrna when practicing for the [[Great Tennessee Air show]], killing pilot Capt. Jeff Kuss, USMC.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://captjeffkussusmcmemorial.com/|title=Capt. Jeff Kuss USMC Memorial &#124; Capt. Jeff Kuss USMC Memorial}}</ref> The people of Smyrna raised funds to have a memorial built in his honor. The Capt. Jeff Kuss USMC Memorial sits across from the Smyrna Airport, where Capt. Kuss departed on his tragic final flight, and the centerpiece is a retired F/A-18 Hornet loaned to Smyrna from the United States Navy, painted in the colors of the Blue Angels performance squadron with Capt. Kuss' name under the cockpit hatch and the number 6 on the tails to represent which plane he flew on his final flight.