Down On The Corner

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sullivanfairview1

This is on the corner of Fairview and West Sullivan.  Back in the 50s, this was Barker’s Grocery.  The owners lived upstairs.  Down from it somewhere was a Yellow Front Market.  There were a number of homes and small businesses here once, before the city decided that the increase in traffic warranted a complete redo of that area where Sullivan Street goes under the railroad.  The roads in the area; West Sullivan Street, West Center Street and Ft. Robinson Drive, were also rerouted slightly.
The home next to the building is of the period, also.  It’s not in this picture, but if you look carefully, should you be idly passing by this area sometime, you’ll see a stonework gatepost with the original iron still in it just west of the brick house.  I suspect it was the entrance once to the Roller property.

Excellent Litho Post Card

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statestreet

statestreetback

This is a 1907 or so post card.  The postmark is Nov 11, 1908.
Before World War I, quality post cards were lithographed in Germany.  They’re just excellent cards.  Remember, color film was not made commercially available in the United States until around 1936, with the introduction of 35mm size Kodachrome.  This was a factory-colored black & white positive, probably sent in with color notations from the photographer.  It’s a beautiful card.  (Note that some uncaring dealer has defaced that card back with a penciled-in price)
The divided back post card only became acceptable for postal use in 1907.

In the card, there’s not a car in sight, but there is a Coca-Cola sign.

It was published by Souvenir Post Card Co. in New York.

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.

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 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.

Porterfield City Feed

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porterfieldfeed

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 currently derelict.

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.

Pen staff, Kingsport Inn

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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

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.