Category Archives: Kingsport TN ephemera

Midnight Sun

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midnightsun

A long time ago, I began the first permanent rock show on WKPT-AM.  John Dotson had “Sounds of Summer” the previous year, but it ended when he went back to school or left town or something.  It was a good show and broke the Easy Listening hold on that staid, NBC-affiliated station.  So, I swooped in the next year, ditched “Teenage Terrace”, (which I had been on when I was in high school, from 5:00 to 6:00 pm, as I recall, with Marty running the board and we students, when we showed up, sitting at the table in the news studio) and had the 6:00 pm to midnight slot all to myself as “The Midnight Sun”.
Since this was before 8-track tapes in cars became widely available, I was a success, as it were, with the kids cruising Broad Street.  Then, the tapes came and I eventually moved into the afternoon Drive Time slot.  The fact that, for the most part, I had to buy my own records for the show and management had the nerve to put out something like this cloth sticker: “Like it is”, my ass.  The phrase was a joke by this time.
The ellipse is 4″ on the horizontal axis and 2-1/2″ on the vertical.

The Famous Rotherwood Farm

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thefamousrotherwoodfront

“The famous Rotherwood Farm at the junction of the North and South Forks of the Holston River”   bottom: “Kingsport, Tenn. in the distance”

This is one of a series of cards published by T.J. Stephenson, Kingsport, Tenn.
I have 20 unduplicated cards of this series and I know there are more.  The earliest postmark I’ve found is 1925 and the latest is 1942.  They were around for a while.
The cards were printed in Cambridge MA under the “Tichnor Quality View” name.

Here’s the back:

thefamousrotherwoodback

The plate numbers on the cards I have run from 121027 to 121042 (I don’t have all of them).

Downtown Kingsport

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dwntownkpt

This Duotone card’s picture was taken, I think, around 1915 or 16 from about halfway up Cement Hill.  The street to the left is Shelby, with the Big Store on the left.  The bank, the building with the columns, is on the corner of Broad and Main. Note there’s no Church Circle, but there is the old school and the old Presbyterian Church just to the right of where Shelby ends at Sullivan.
It looks as if someone at the publishing company (CT – Curt Teich –  in Chicago) inked in some of the fainter lines of the buildings in the background, which makes it harder to identify them.  However, I think the building I live in is there.
This card was “published by Kingsport Drug Store”.  Standard double-back for the time.  Typical penny postcard.

Kingsport Pulp Corp.

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kptpulpco

Since this shows the facility in the process of being built, I think one could safely date this picture to around 1915.  This plant went on line in 1916 and was acquired by Mead in 1920.

I have a couple of these blue-tint cards.  Surprisingly, there is absolutely no photo or publisher credit anywhere on them.  These are divided back, white border cards which were in vogue between 1915 and 1929.

bozo

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!?

Piercy – Baker Realtors

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cherokeeboatco

cherokeeboatcoback

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

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skobysfrontside

skobysbackside

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.

From “Holston Heights”

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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).
kroppcardkpt

kroppkptrev

Kingsport Hosiery Mills

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kpthosieryface

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.
kpthosieryreverse

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.