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.
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 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.
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.
This is 469 West Sullivan Street. In 1959, this was Porterfield City Feed Company, next to City Poultry and Egg Company. CP&ECo was on the corner of Sullivan and what was then Island Street (It’s now Mission Street). The buildings are no longer there.
When I was a kid, I had a paper route in downtown Kingsport. One year, the Kingsport Times-News, then located on Market Street, held some sort of contest and I ended up winning a certificate for a turkey from CP&Eco, just in time for Thanksgiving. It was, as I recall, a mingy turkey, but it was quite welcome, since my stepdad wasn’t having a particularly good year. My stepdad never had a particularly good year.
Couple of Kingsport drug store pill boxes I picked up somewhere.
I rescued this pen staff (it’s just one; I rotated it so you could see the whole graphic on the staff) as the Kingsport Inn was being demolished. A buddy and I, we both lived downtown, went over one evening to explore the building. It was partially razed, but the lobby and some of the rooms were still accessible. There was no security that we saw. We wandered around and looked at stuff. I remember finding a room rate card, but it’s been lost in one of many transitions.
To use this, one would insert a steel nib, dip the pen in an inkwell, and sign your name with a scratchy flourish, or not. Really, casual handwriting has hardly improved.
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).
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.
Bob Lawrence's Kingsport 
