[11] During the American Civil War, Blaine's Crossroads served as the site of retreat of Confederate forces following General James Longstreet's victory in the Battle of Bean's Station.

[12] Overmatched by the strength of the Union Army, Longstreet and his forces retreated at Blaine's Crossroads, ending the Confederacy's attempt at controlling Knoxville.

[12] Around 1890, a Pennsylvania native named Robert Blaine opened and operated a general store in the community.

[13] On December 31, 1952, country music singer Hank Williams was spotted during his last ride in Blaine following his departure from the Andrew Johnson Hotel in downtown Knoxville.

[14] Falling severely ill after a dinner at the hotel, Williams asked his driver, Charles Carr, drive him from Knoxville to Charleston, West Virginia for a concert in the same day.

[14] Arriving in Blaine, Williams' car was stopped by a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper for speeding.

[14] The state trooper had seen Williams lying motionless in the back of the car during the stop and assumed that he was dead.

[14] In 1978, waste management company Browning-Ferris Industries announced plans for a large sanitary landfill to service the needs of Knoxville in Blaine.

The proposal would prompt community members to petition and vote to incorporate Blaine into a city in the same year.

Blaine residents would also use acts of vandalism (notably arson) and violence against Browning-Ferris and construction companies contracted to build the landfill to oppose the project.

[16] In 2010, the Blaine City Council moved forward with the sewer project despite previous hurdles with local opposition.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.4 square miles (24.3 km2), all of it land.

In its retail and commercial markets, Blaine has a small amount of restaurants, stores and professional services.

[36] The City of Blaine operates and owns its wastewater treatment system and plant, with the LBCUD contracted to perform the billing and collection for sewer services and its fees.