Category Archives: Bob’s photos

Train Station, Kingsport TN

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Dating this card is difficult.  It’s an early divided back card popular between 1907 and 1915, but the designs varied widely depending upon what company was printing them.  This train station was not completed until 1916 and the title of the card is “C C. & 0 PASSENGER STATION, KINGSPORT, TENN.  Photo by Bachelder’s Studio”.
On the back, as shown, is written “Form Minnie Fletcher Kingsport”, then “Miss Mae Cooper Keokee VA,”  There is some very, very faint writing in the lower left quadrant of the card, but, despite running it through a bunch of filters, I found it to be unreadable.
In 1916, Bachelder’s Studio (actually Bachelder & McLean Studios) was located on the second floor of what is now “Pappy’s” on the corner of Main and Cherokee in downtown Kingsport.
Note that you can see the beginnings of the neighborhood that existed on Cement Hill.
There are also at least two bicycles in the picture and a gang of people standing to the left of the building.  Behind them is one of the two-story homes that ran along the base of Cement Hill.
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Three old Kingsport restaurants

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This is the Far East Restaurant. There’s a vacuum cleaner place there currently.  On the back: “FAR-EAST RESTAURANT, The only smartest Chinese-American Restaurant in the Tri-City area is located at 1120 Bristol Highway in Kingsport, Tennessee. Featuring finest Chinese and American food.  Specializing in Chinese family dinners. Live Maine Lobster.  Choice steaks and Take-Home orders. Catering to parties.  Pub. by Fred W. Stanley, Johnson City, Tenn.” The card was published by Dexter Press, Inc. West Nyack, New York.

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The Martinique Restaurant.  On the back: “THE MARTINIQUE RESTAURANT Located at Junction of U.S. 11W and U.S. 23 Highways at circle, Kingsport, Tenn.  Near Nice Motels. ‘Serving fine food.’ Telephone Circle 5-9612.”
Elvis is said to have eaten here.

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And here’s the United Nations Restaurant.  On back: (graphic of various country flags) THE UNITED NATIONS RESTAURANT 209 E. New Street – Telephone 933 KINGSPORT, TENNESSEE”
The card was published by Howard-Duckett Co., Printers Kingsport, Tenn.
This restaurant was not in business by 1959.

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Nick’s Western Shop

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I checked my 1959 Kingsport City Directory and saw that this location, on the corner of East Market and Cherokee Streets (245 East Market Street) , was then W.B. Greene’s Bargain Annex (used furniture). Nick’s Western Shop, which also specialized in square dancing regalia, was owned by Nick Drakos.  I can anecdotally  track the business back to around 1960 or so, but I don’t have a firm opening date.  I think I took this in the mid-90s, when I learned that Nick’s was going out of business.  Corrections and additions appreciated!

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Dayton’s Grill

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I’m told that this was a popular gathering place for maybe 30 years in Lovedale.  It was located right about where Bloomingdale Pike wyes off West Sullivan.  Note the concrete post in front.  I’m pretty sure that held a U.S. Postal Service mailbox.  Lovedale was once called Peltier, a transitional commerce area before new Kingsport came into being.
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Kingsport Foundry

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This was in 2004.  The business had already closed by this time.  There’s a good aerial shot of this complex in its heyday in the “Wings Over Kingsport” second edition by Dick Alvey. I interviewed him once when I had a talk show on a little station in Kingsport.  He was a pleasant guy.  He gladly gave me permission to use a shot of Broad Street he’d taken from the upper window of the train station tower back in 1939.  I worked up a (not very good) ink drawing from it.  Made prints.  Sold some.+
Kingsport Foundry

Stone’s Grocery

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I think I took this in the late 60s, when I was working for the Times-News as a photographer.  It was just an incidental shot, but, you know, these “incidental” pictures can sometimes really end up being a window into the past.  I think Stone’s Grocery was closed by this time.  No merchandise is in the window and a sign suspiciously resembling a “For Rent” sign is in the lower left.
I don’t think the Golden Rule grocery, just across the street, again to the left, was there then, either.  Golden Rule was deep cool.  They stocked interesting food items –  the scents of which, all mingled together in the building and etched into the walls, was enticing.
However, at Stone’s Grocery, Mom would buy cheese bread delivered from Peter Pan Bakery in Bristol.  Ah, toasted cheese bread…almost as tasty as toasted salt-rising bread.  With coffee, natch.  And butter.
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