The market house in the Public Square, constructed in 1801, was one of the first brick buildings in Nashville and was an important commercial site. Through the earliest days of the city, business was primarily situated on Market Street (current-day Second Avenue) and the public square. As the city began to develop further, its location on the Cumberland River led to an expansion of mercantile firms. Transportation was dominated by wagons and keelboats at this time.

Nashville was also a hub for iron production. In general, Middle Tennessee was dotted with blast furnaces and forges, with iron-making largely taking place on integrated plantations worked by a significant Black enslaved population. Production in Middle Tennessee peaked around 1856. However, due to financial difficulties stemming from technological development and the Panic of 1857, the industry faced a decline going into the 1860s. Montgomery Bell was one of the primary industrialists operating in this space in Middle Tennessee.

"I, Wm. G. Brien, do solemnly swear that the supplies described in the duplicate invoices attached hereto, transportation for which is hereby applied for, are necessary for the use and consumption of the family of myself and not for sale, and that no part thereof shall be sold or otherwise disposed of by me or by my authority, connivance or assent, except for the sole use and consumption of the said family." ~ William G. Brien

Cotton remained an important good after the war, with a large factory being built by Col. Samuel D. Morgan in 1871. There were eight banks, six railroad lines, and almost 200 manufacturing firms with almost $60 million in annual business.