Category Archives: Kingsport TN ephemera

From “Holston Heights”

When I first spied this card, I thought it was maybe 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

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.

1910 postcard

1910cardfront

1910cardback

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

libertycafefront

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…most of the distances are still correct, since they seldom move cities around (snicker).

libertycafeback

 

Kingsport Traffic Laws, summary thereof, 1951

kpttrafficlawscombined
(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”