Such a long time ago. Rusty Cury was Bozo, full costume and all. I had gone down to Dallas with him to meet with Larry Harmon, the Original Bozo. I was going to be the second banana, Slappy Pappy. That didn’t work ouit, thankfully. Slappy Pappy!?
Category Archives: Kingsport TN ephemera
Piercy – Baker Realtors
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Piercy – Baker opened this office in 1953. It was at 1701 Ft. Henry Drive at Brooks Circle.
Behind it are, as you may have noticed, Cherokee Boat Company and Motor Sales Company of Kingsport, both presided over by Myrtle C. King, with Clifford V. Bryant Sec Treas. John L. Mitchell was in charge of boats, motors and fishing equipment at Cherokee, while Mrs. Anna A. Hester was asst. sec trucks at Motor Sales. That building is listed as being on Eastman Road. The Pot O’ Gold, then just a delicatessen, presided over by James A. Brockman, was at 1713 Ft. Henry Drive.
The postcard picture was taken by Fred W. Stanley of Johnson City, printed by our old friends Dexter Press on West Nayak NY. Inventory number 73775.
Interestingly, it appears that Kingsport was recovering from a snow storm when this picture was taken. Note the wet asphalt and, to the left, what appears to be leftover snow.
Skoby’s
I picked this card up at a flea market recently for 25 cents. It was published by Creed Studios in Bristol and measures 8-3/4″ by 3-1/2″. This had to have been published before 2005, when Skoby’s left the Barger hands. The card was printed by Dexter Press in West Nyack NY. ID number is 78651-D. I see these often.
I miss Skoby’s. I didn’t eat there often, but I always enjoyed it when I did. The Back Room was rather a middle-class dive, but the restaurant’s food was excellent.
I miss the old Peerless, too. At one time, it was in the same class as Skoby’s.
Old Kingsport Drug Stores
Couple of Kingsport drug store pill boxes I picked up somewhere.
From “Holston Heights”
When I first spied this card, I thought it was maybe from the 50s. Then I saw the old City Hall/Public Library on the left and revised my estimate of the printing date. Later, I scored this specific card, which is dated, sort of.
“Holston Heights”? We always called it “Cement Hill”.
This is an E.C. Kropp card, printed in Milwaukee. Plate #4844-N. 333 miles is about right for Washington, D.C. (and a million other places).
Kingsport Hosiery Mills
Hello, Dobyns-Taylor Warehouse. In some places on the current building, the old sign is beginning to show through. This is a T. J. Stephenson postcard. A Tichenor printing, plate 12140. It’s postmarked on the back: Kingsport Tenn. July 11 3-pm 1935.
The postmark covers some of the message. “spent night in (unreadable) we’ll spend night in Tenn. then head for home. Krepps”
Addressed to: Mrs. M. Valentine & Family Keymar Carroll (?) 6 (?) 0 Md.
The card was published in the late 20s.
1910 postcard
This is one of my favorite cards. It was mailed in Kingsport, probably at the Big Store, July 25, 1910.
On the front, in ink, is “add, kingsport Tenn”
Below that: “Main St. Johnson City, Tenn. Pub. by The Bee Hive”
(you can still see The Bee Hive sign in downtown Johnson City)
On the back:
It’s addressed to Mrs. Claud Jolly, Rockmart Ga
The message:
Dear Mrs Jolly
How are you we are well. I suppose you are in Rockmart by now. Our chickens are all o.k. Mother is with us again. We are getting along fine. Hope you will be able to visit some time. There isn’t much here yet, but building. just 28 houses here now. Answer soon. Love to you all also the ?mother?. Mrs. L. E. Mahan
The Liberty Cafe
The Liberty Cafe, managed by Charles Joseph and Stellis Mallis (Mallis is an old restaurant name in Kingsport…note the name on the building about halfway down the 100 block of West Main Street), was located where “The Pub” is today on Five Points. I vaguely recall the establishment, or maybe just the sign that remained after the restaurant had closed. This 3-1/2 x 4-1/2 card is pretty dingy – I cleaned it up in Photoshop. I don’t have the foggiest idea where I got it. It might have been my stepfather’s…I think he stayed in one of the rooms above the restaurant for a while back in the ’40s.
On the other side is a convenient listing of distances to various other places.
Kingsport Traffic Laws, summary thereof, 1951
(Opened out to show the map)
Prepared by the Kingsport Junior Chamber of Commerce, printed by Franklin Printing. Excluding the cover and back, 12 pages. The text is standard city law, but the cover map is interesting in that it shows the extensive railroad spurs and lines and some streets that either are no longer extant or have different names.
In the back:
“This booklet was made possible by the contributions of the following:
Bennett & Edwards
Bray & King Insurance Agency
F. J. Brownell & Son
Dougherty – Roller
J. T. Parker Insurance Agency
Price & Ramey
Roy B. Moore Truck Line
Robinson Transfer Motor Line
United Warehouse & Transfer”
Bob Lawrence's Kingsport 