Black History Month 2010
February 9, 2010
February is Black History Month.
Throughout the month I will be sharing pictures and other information from the archives to highlight Kingsport’s African-American history. For a schedule of Black History Month events please visit the City of Kingsport’s website. There are a lot of events so be sure to check them out!
Children in the Riverview Community, undated. The kids are (from left to right): unknown, Sherman Cunningham, Janice Cunningham, Carlton Johnson, Anita Briscoe, and Herman Cunningham.
For more information on Black History Month on the national level, visit http://www.africanamericanhistorymonth.gov.
Unidentified members of the Safety Council, 1946. Photo by Thomas McNeer, Jr.
Can you identify the people in the picture above? If so, feel free to leave a comment with identifications or email the archives at kingsportarchives@wrlibrary.org.
BSA- 100 Years of Scouting
February 8, 2010
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) are celebrating 100 years of scouting.
Colonial Heights Presbyterian Church Boy Scout Troop, 1962. Photo by Thomas McNeer, Jr.
The BSA was incorporated on February 8, 1910 and by 1912, Scouts were enrolled in every state.
Boy Scouts standing on a tower during the Sequoyah Council Dinner at the Civic Auditorium, 1946. Photo by Thomas McNeer, Jr.
The Sequoyah Council is the local affiliate that oversees troops in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.
Charter for Troop 52 sponsored by the American Legion Hammond Post 3, dated December 31, 1946.
Scout Oath (or Promise)
On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight.
Boy Scouts sitting around a table, 1952. Photo by David Peirce.
Scout Law
A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly,
courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty,
brave, clean, and reverent.
Members of Boy Scout Troop 254 demonstrating the proper way to fold an American flag, 1965. Photo by David Peirce.
The BSA is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States. Since its founding there has been over 100 million members.
Troop 254 demonstrating first aid skills, 1965. Photo by David Peirce.
For more information on the Boy Scouts of America
please visit http://www.scouting.org
For information on the Sequoyah Council
please visit http://www.scbsa.org
Can you identify anyone in these pictures? If so please feel free to post a comment with identifications.
JCPD looks for community help to create archives
February 3, 2010
A call box used before radios, a log book from the 1940s and a framed photo of the Johnson City Police Department from 1955. (Rex Barber / Johnson City Press)
You can view the article along with a video clip at the Johnson City Press Website. 
JCPD looks for community help to create archives
By Becky Campbell
Press Staff Writer
bcampbell@johnsoncitypress.com
Usually when the police department solicits help from the public, it’s to find information about a crime or criminal.
This time, the Johnson City Police Department needs information about, well, the department.
There’s an effort under way to put together a historical archive of the department, and when the project coordinator began sifting through material, there just wasn’t much there.
“We started looking for old stuff and we couldn’t find much of it,” said Community Relations Officer Terry Hardin.
“Our goal is to document as much of our departmental history as possible in a digital format that might be easily stored for future generations,” Hardin said.
Whether it be photographs, oral stories, newspaper articles or other memorabilia, Hardin hopes the public will come forward with their memories.
Chief John Lowry said that over the years, many things that happened at the department have gone undocumented.
“Over the years, a lot of very interesting things have happened here at our department but, unfortunately, a lot of that has gone undocumented or slipped away,” he said.
“I would like to appeal to past members of our department, their families, or friends to loan old photographs, or other materials so we might scan or photograph them, and include them in our historical archive.”
Hardin said anyone who contributes items can be assured they will get them back.
“ We don’t want to keep anything … we know it means something to them as well,” Hardin said.
Those interested in donating items such as photographs or news articles can send them to Hardin by e-mail, or take them to the police department so he can make an electronic copy.
To contact Hardin, e-mail him at thardin@johnsoncitytn.org or call 434-6121.
Saint Dominic Catholic School
January 27, 2010
Saint Dominic School will be closing this May, at the end of the academic year.
Saint Dominic's Catholic Church and School, 1962. Photo by Thomas McNeer, Jr.
Below is a recent article about the school’s closing from the Kingsport Times News. You can also view the article at the Kingsport Times News website.
Saint Dominic School to close at end of academic year
KINGSPORT — Parents and officials at Saint Dominic Catholic School disagree about plans to close the school.
Saint Dominic School, 1952. Photo by David Peirce.
The church has been spending $377,860 a year to subsidize the 52-student K-5 school, which also serves 45 pre-K students.
“It’s served our community and our parish for almost 65 years. We were all blindsided,” said Saint Dominic School Board Vice Chairwoman Susan Barnes, a mother of four at the school and a member of Saint Dominic.
“This came really from nowhere,” said Detra Cleven, who is not Catholic but has two children in the school and is president of its Home and School Association. “There was not transparency in the problem being so great the school had to close.”
The school has operated in Kingsport since 1945. It is to cease operations at the end of the 2009-10 school year this spring, according to the letter from church officials sent to parents and parishioners and dated Jan. 22.
“It’s a tough decision, but it’s necessary,” said Deacon Sean Smith, chancellor of the diocese and an assistant to Bishop Richard Stika.
Father Michael Nolan, who recently replaced longtime Father Charles Burton as head of the local parish, and officials of the Diocese of Knoxville met with the Parish Pastoral Council and Parish Finance Council of Saint Dominic Catholic Church Thursday evening.
Saint Dominic Catholic School, 1962. Photo by Thomas McNeer, Jr.
The councils are advisory bodies to Nolan. After a presentation on the finances, both councils voted at that meeting to recommend closing the school.
“Taking good Christian stewardship practices into account, it would be irresponsible to allow the current enrollment and financial conditions to persist further over time,” Stika wrote in the letter.
Barnes, who learned of the closure plans after that meeting, has since requested a meeting with Stika about the closure.
Smith said he didn’t know if Stika would be open to that, but that he was sure Nolan would meet individually with people about the closure.
Smith said Nolan also consulted with the bishop, superintendent of diocese schools and diocese finance director.
Nolan and Stika were at a retreat Monday and unavailable for comment, said Smith, who attended the Thursday evening meeting.
The administration, faculty and staff of the school were notified of the decision in a meeting Friday afternoon, and the letters went out to parents and church members, Barnes said. Smith said Nolan addressed the issue during church masses over the weekend.
Barnes said the school board knew changes had to be made but were taken aback by the quick decision. She said the school board knew nothing of the plans for closure this year, nor did the council.
Smith, on the other hand, said making the decision now gives students, parents and teachers more time to make arrangements for next school year.
“Our parish is not in the red by any means. But we’ve had a wolf at the (school’s) door for a number of years,” Barnes said.
Aerial of intersection of Center Street and Fort Henry Drive. To the left of the image is the area of Saint Dominic Catholic School. Photo by Tomas McNeer, Jr., 1946.
Smith said concerns about subsidies for the school first emerged about 10 years ago but became more critical about four years ago, when K-5 enrollment dropped from the 80s to the 50s.
Barnes said she understood the ultimate plan for the building was to sell it, but Smith said that would be determined later with help of a transition team.
The letter says students may be bused from Kingsport to Saint Mary School in Johnson City, which Barnes said has a waiting list but which Smith said would welcome former Saint Dominic students.
Saint Dominic would still pay for tuition waivers or assistance for students based on need, but Smith said that would be only for children of parishioners, not non-Catholic students as had been the case for Saint Dominic tuition.
He said the transition team, to include Nolan and the principal of Saint Mary, would help transition students. Smith also said the church would help teachers and staff at Saint Dominic find new jobs.
Asked why the Johnson City school apparently flourished while the Kingsport school struggled, Smith said he didn’t know. The diocese has seven other schools, including three high schools, in East Tennessee.
“The school was not advertised well or very much,” Barnes said.
She had hoped one solution could be using the new Family Life Center for a school and/or preschool. However, Smith said it wasn’t outfitted or designed for a school and that “wasn’t on the docket” but could be later.
The letter can be viewed on the Saint Dominic Web site, www.saintdominicchurch.org/.
Gone with the Wind Premiere in Kingsport-1940
January 25, 2010
The Knoxville News Sentinel had an interesting article recently about the premiere of “Gone with the Wind” in Knoxville in January 1940. You can check it out at Knoxnews.com. The article inspired this blog on the premiere of the movie in Kingsport.
On February 26, 1940, Kingsport’s State Theater sponsored the Upper East Tennessee premiere of “Gone with the Wind.” Based on Margaret Mitchell’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel, the movie won eight Academy Awards.
The Upper East Tennessee premiere of Gone With the Wind at the State, February 26, 1940.
A matinee admission to “Gone with the Wind” was 75 cents and the evening admission was $1.10.
Local companies capitalized on the success and hype of the movie as evident in the below advertisement from J. Fred Johnson & Company.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day Events
January 15, 2010
Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade
On Monday, January 18th at 12:00pm, there will be a parade honoring Martin Luther King Jr. in downtown Kingsport. This year’s parade will feature two marching bands, several showcase vehicles, fire trucks and lots of friendly faces. The parade will begin at the corner of East Sevier Avenue and Center Street and end at the city’s parking lot on Shelby Street.
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“5th Annual” Candlelight Vigil for Martin Luther King Jr.
New Vision Youth and City of Kingsport Parks & Recreation (Community Services) will host its “5th Annual” Candlelight Vigil for Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, January 18th, 2010 at 6:00pm at Glen Bruce Park. Everyone is welcome to attend and to bring a candle. For more information, please contact Johnnie Mae Swagerty at 429-7553 or Mark Kilgore at 224-2489.
For more information on Martin Luther King Jr. Day Events please visit the City of Kingsport’s website.
State Theatre
January 11, 2010
State Theatre, 1939. Photo by Thomas McNeer, Jr.
Check out this interesting article about the State Theatre from the Kingsport Times News.
Study envisions new future for State Theatre
KINGSPORT — The State Theatre is worth saving.
By Sharon Hayes
That’s the verdict of an economic impact study commissioned by the Kingsport Economic Development Board to determine the viability of restoring the old theater on Broad Street.
The study was conducted by the Cinema Preservation Group of Asheville, N.C., and presented to the KEDB and other community members last week at the Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce.
Ivan Eisenberg, with the Cinema Preservation Group, said a restored State Theatre has the potential to generate as much as $660,000 in annual revenues, while the city could see an increase in spending of nearly $900,000 as a result of the theater. The study suggested the theater could draw more than 110,000 people annually to the downtown area, resulting in more opportunities for other downtown businesses, more potential investment in the downtown district, and more tax dollars for the city.
“I believe there is absolutely a way to make this profitable,” Eisenberg said.
Dating back to the 1930s, the State Theatre is now owned by developer Doug Beatty, who acquired the property in 2005 and began renovations in 2006. Since then, Beatty has opened Bone Fire (formerly called 12 Bones restaurant), restored the old Kingsport Grocery Co. and opened a restaurant there, and opened the Bus Pit, a renovated music venue. All three of those ventures are located on Main Street.
Beatty has said that taking on so many projects was a big load on his shoulders — and then the bottom dropped out of the economy in the fall of 2008.
Beatty is now willing to sell the theater property. He has invested more than $650,000 in the facility, including $450,000 in renovation costs. Demolition, electrical and plumbing work is finished, while the theater still needs a new heating and cooling system, drywall and finishing work, and interior furnishings.
If someone or some organization were to buy the theater today, the cost would most likely exceed $1 million, including payment to Beatty and funds to complete the renovations.
Still, the Cinema Preservation Group believes the project is a worthwhile investment.
“Based on our findings in this study, we recommend that the Kingsport community work together to breathe new life into the downtown district by restoring the theatre that was once the heart of Broad Street,” the study reads. “Of the two remaining classic theatre spaces in Kingsport, the State presents the most promising opportunity for restoration. Kingsport has the population, resources and motivation to ensure a smooth restoration. Preserving our collective past is vital to our future success, and the potential financial and cultural benefits outweigh the risks of failure.”
Mayor Dennis Phillips said he hopes the study will encourage some individual or organization to invest in the State Theater, complete the renovations, and begin operating it for the benefit of the downtown district.
“I think if we can accomplish this without an enormous expense to the taxpayers, it certainly would be a service that is sorely needed,” Phillips said.
Asked about the Strand Theater, another Broad Street historic facility that has recently been used as a venue for live music and old movies, Phillips said the Cinema Preservation Group study could also be used by the Strand owners if they would want to market the facility one day. The Strand Theatre is owned by Restoration Church.
“I don’t know if the Strand Theater is available today. The Strand Theatre is a church,” he said.
But if the Strand were put on the market, “this report would apply … then it becomes a matter of economics of which one could be done at the least cost,” Phillips said.
He denied that the city plans to buy the State Theatre outright.
“That is not true. But the city should have an interest in having the theater be an operational theater, and we should be receptive to try and find someone or some nonprofit that may be able to operate this, which would be a benefit to all the citizens of Kingsport,” Phillips said.
“I want to make it perfectly clear — we are not looking at this to bail anyone out or to play favorites with anyone or any group. We’re looking at this as an opportunity,” he said. “We just don’t want it sitting there vacant.”
Richard Rose, artistic director at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, sent a letter of support for the State Theatre restoration to Kingsport City Manager John Campbell.
“We here at Barter have been hearing extremely positive reports from Barter’s many patrons in the Kingsport area concerning this project and are excited to see this move forward,” Rose said. “Our hope and desire is that the city of Kingsport along with its citizens, both corporate and private, will demonstrate the economic and moral support necessary to make this renovation a success, which will be to the great benefit of your downtown.”
Rose said he’s reviewed the Cinema Preservation Group study and sees the State Theatre project as “an extremely positive step for the region.”
“I know that many times there are concerns that projects like this might be viewed as competition or as having a negative impact on an institution such as Barter. On the contrary, we have found such projects to be very positive for the region, the arts and the community,” Rose said.
He said Barter Theatre has supported similar projects in the region, including The Lincoln Theatre in Marion, Va., Heritage Hall in Mountain City, and the Niswonger Performing Arts Center in Greeneville.
“We would certainly be interested in supporting The Kingsport State Theatre as it moves forward and helping in any way that we can to see that it progresses toward a very successful completion,” Rose said.
The Cinema Preservation Group study suggested a restored 600-seat State Theatre could be used to host various live performances, including theater and music, as well as first- and second-run films.
The report surveyed 260 people in Kingsport and looked at similar historic theater operations around the country, particularly the Princess Theatre, a 677-seat restored historic theater that has operated successfully for 25 years in Decatur, Ala.
Eisenberg and David Dibler, with the Cinema Preservation Group, said the Princess Theatre is owned by the city of Decatur and operated by a nonprofit organization. Some 62 percent of its revenue comes from public support, including fund-raising efforts and grants.
The Princess Theatre focuses on live performances such as music and theater, and also holds various other events, from wine tastings and private parties to political rallies and auditions for productions.
Eisenberg said the Princess Theatre is managed well and marketed well, which is key to operating a restored historic theater.
“It’s all based on management,” Eisenberg said.
He said that while the Princess Theatre focuses on live performances, other historic theaters may show first-run movies, competing with modern multiplex theaters, or second-run films, which are cheaper but may not attract as many people.
Eisenberg noted that Kingsport does not have a theater that features second-run films, which could be a good option for the State Theatre.
The theater could also serve as a venue for the performing arts as well as live music. And it could also be rented and used for private parties and other events, Eisenberg said.
The Kingsport Economic Development Board paid $10,000 to commission the study.
Fun Fest Book
January 8, 2010
The Kingsport Times News will be publishing a photo book this summer to celebrate the 30 years of Fun Fest!
The Kingsport Times News is looking for photos from every year of Fun Fest to publish in the book. Each person can submit up to 3 photos or essays (200 words or less).
Collection Dates /Locations
Kingsport Times News Office (701 Lynn Garden Drive):
Jan 12, 13, 19, 27 -
2 pm – 6 pm
Kingsport Chamber of Commerce ( 151 East Main St):
Jan 20 & 26-
2 pm – 6 pm
All photos must be original and not previously published in another book.
For more info please visit the Fun Fest Website.
New Hours
January 7, 2010
The Kingsport Public Library Building, 1962.
Starting next week the Archives of the City of Kingsport will be open on Wednesdays!
The Archives will now be open:
Monday: 2-5 pm
Tuesday: 9 am-12 pm & 2 pm-5 pm
Wednesday: 9 am-12 pm & 2 pm-5 pm
Thursday: 9 am-12 pm & 2 pm-5 pm
Friday: By Appointment
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Interior of the Kingsport Public Library, 1961.
The Library’s hours are also changing. Starting January 10 the library will be open on Sunday afternoons. The Sunday schedule will continue until June 5 and then start up again after Labor Day. During this time the library will be closing earlier on Thursdays.
The library’s hours from January 10 to June 5 will be:
Monday: 9 am – 8 pm
Tuesday: 9 am – 8 pm
Wednesday: 9 am – 8 pm
Thursday: 9 am – 5:30 pm
Friday: 9 am – 5:30 pm
Saturday: 9 am – 5:30 pm
Sunday: 2 pm- 5:30 pm
The Homestead Hotel
January 4, 2010
Homestead Hotel, 1925
The Homestead Hotel was located on the corner of West Sullivan and Clay Streets. Built in 1918 as a club house for executives of the Grant Leather Company, it was later remodeled into the hotel.
Postcard of the hotel.
According to the 1937 Rotary Club Book about Kingsport, “it is a favored location for new industrial executives and their families while waiting to locate permanently in their own homes. Many of the teachers on the city’s public schools live here during the year. Nearly sixty percent of their quests are of the permanent class.”
Ad for the hotel from the 1926 Kingsport City Directory.
Despite efforts of local citizens the Homestead Hotel was eventually torn down in the 1990’s.
Homestead, undated
Happy New Year!
December 31, 2009
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.- Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 1850
Bottles of Cook's Imperial Champagne in the snow, 1947. Photo by Thomas McNeer, Jr.
Merry Christmas!
December 18, 2009
Merry Christmas!
The Archives will be closed all next week (December 21-25). Normal hours will resume Monday, December 28.
I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas!
"The Jitney-Trolley" Downtown Kingsport, watercolor by Lorraine Brewer
Christmas Portraits from the Archives
December 17, 2009
Kingsport Shrine Club Christmas Photos
December 16, 2009
Christmas event at the Kingsport Shrine Club, 1945.
Christmas at the Kingsport Shrine Club, 1946.
Santa Claus delivering gifts at a Shrine Club event, 1947.
Christmas gathering at the Kingsport Shrine Club, 1954.
Happy Hanukkah
December 15, 2009
Holiday Pictures from the Archives
December 14, 2009
Santa Claus arriving in his North Pole Plane in front of the State Theatre, c. 1938. Photo by Thomas McNeer, Jr.
The Civic Auditorium decorated for Christmas, undated.
Christmas pageant at Fort Robinson Baptist Church, 1964. Photo by Thomas McNeer, Jr.
David Rankin pulling a wagon full of Christmas presents to the Legion Home. The presents were to given to hospitalized veterans, 1945. Photo by Thomas McNeer, Jr.
Christmas Lights on Broad Street, 1949
December 10, 2009
View down Broad Street towards Main Street, taken from the corner of Broad and Market streets. Photo by Thomas McNeer, Jr.
View down the 200 block of Broad Street towards Center Street, taken from the corner of Broad and Market streets. Photo by Thomas McNeer, Jr.
Holiday Shopping at your Local Library!
December 8, 2009
Support the Kingsport Library and Kingsport Archives AND do your Holiday Shopping at the same time!
Friends of the Archives Postcards make great stocking stuffers!
There are currently 4 different series. Each series contains 5 different historical scenes from Kingsport and are $5.00!
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“Remembering Kingsport” Historical Calendars
The Kingsport Calendars may be out of date but the pictures are still cool! All calendars are only $1.00!
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“My Boys” by LeRoy Sprankle
For the Dobyns-Bennett Football fan, “My Boys” by LeRoy Sprankle will be a hit! “My Boys” details the early years of Dobyns-Bennett High School Sports under the reign of LeRoy Sprankle. What a great buy too at only $5.00!
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Membership to the Friends of the Library and/or the Friends of the Archives!
The mission of the Friends of the Kingsport Public Library (FOL) is to support, promote and enrich the Kingsport Public Library in providing services and opportunities to the community. For more info on how to join the FOL please visit the library or check out the library’s website to learn more.
The Friends of the Archives (FOA) is a non-profit support group that plays an active role in helping to preserve Kingsport’s history. For more information please visit the archives or visit the Archives online.
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Make a donation to the Friends of the Kingsport Public Library Endowment Fund! You may make a donation in memory of a loved one or in honor of someone who enjoys the Library. Started in 1997, this fund is “to provide a growing source of income to supplement the Friends’ support of the Library, provide services to those less fortunate, and make our excellent Library even better.”
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The library itself can receive cash donations to purchase materials in memory of or in honor of someone, or to commemorate a special occasion: e.g. birthdays, anniversaries, etc. The gift will be used to purchase books. A card of notification will be sent. For a gift of $15 or more, a book will be purchased and a book plate added acknowledging the gift and naming the person for whom the book is a memorial. For more information, call 224-2588.
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The Friends of the Library Tote Bags
Tote your books around in style! The FOL are selling tote bags featuring the above logo. These bags are great and will hold a ton of books. The bags are $10.00 and the proceeds benefit the FOL.
Christmas at Allandale Mansion
December 3, 2009
Allandale Mansion will be hosting “Christmas at Allandale Mansion” this weekend, December 5-6. The Mansion will feature eleven uniquely decorated trees, antique toy displays and music to celebrate the holiday season.
Allandale Mansion, 1955. Photo by David Peirce.
Christmas at Allandale Mansion
December 5, 1 pm – 8 pm
December 6, 1pm – 5 pm
Adults- $3.00
Children -(7-12) $1.00
For more information on Christmas at Allandale please visit
http://www.allandalemansion.com.
Holiday Postcards featuring Church Circle
December 2, 2009
The Limited Edition Holiday Postcards are going fast so if you haven’t bought yours yet, you better hurry!
The Friends of the Archives are selling a limited edition set of holiday postcards. The postcards feature a painting from the archives, “Christmas Eve in Kingsport” by Paul Fuller.
The postcards can be purchased at the Kingsport Public Library in the archives, at the circulation desk or at the reference desk.
Each set is $5.00 and contains 10 postcards. All proceeds go to the Friends of the Archives and help support the Archives of the City of Kingsport.
