Category: History
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Sullivan 250 | 1779: Why Sullivan County Took Its Name
11th in a 12-part monthly series to commemorate Sullivan County’s role in the 250th birthday of the United States of America November | 11 of 12 Have you ever wondered how Sullivan County got its name? The answer takes us back to 1779, when Tennessee didn’t even exist. We were part of North Carolina, and…
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Northeast Tennessee & Southwest Virginia: Are We Growing Too Fast?
For years, Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia faced a demographic challenge: our population was barely growing, deaths outnumbered births, and too few newcomers arrived to make up the difference. That picture has changed—and that’s worth celebrating. The latest Census Bureau estimates show our nine-county region added 20,221 residents between 2020 and 2025, reaching 623,799. That’s…
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Football & History: From East Tennessee to Florida
Last night, I noticed that Blountstown, Florida, was playing at Sevier County, Tennessee, some 500 miles from home. That’s roughly the distance from Kingsport to Memphis, except these schools aren’t even in the same state. How did they find each other? I have no idea. But seeing “Sevier” and “Blount” together sent me down a…
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Sullivan 250 | Why Blountville?
Tenth in a 12-part monthly series to commemorate Sullivan County’s role in the 250th birthday of the United States of America October 2026 | 10 of 12 The name Blountville was not chosen by accident. Neither was its location. By the 1790s, Sullivan County was moving beyond its earliest frontier days. Government needed permanence. Until…
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The History and Mystery of the D.W. Moulton Bridge
Thousands of people cross it every day. Ask them the name of the bridge carrying West Stone Drive across the North Fork Holston River, though, and you may get a blank stare. The Stone Drive bridge? The 11W bridge? The bridge north of Netherland Inn Road? All are understandable answers. But the State of Tennessee…
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The Power of Community Compound Interest
By Jeff Fleming I was taught early in life that whenever I received a pay increase, I should invest a portion of it for the long term. The advice was simple: if I never got accustomed to spending all of the increase, I wouldn’t miss the money. More importantly, the earlier I invested it, the…
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Model City Matriarchs
Mark your calendars for this very special presentation! There are three ways to participate: (1) Attend in person, (2) watch the livestream on the Archives Facebook page, or (3) watch it on the Archives YouTube channel that will be uploaded a few days after the event.
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Of Doaks, Campbells & Seminoles
Last night, while waiting through the delayed start of the Florida State–SMU football game, I kept hearing the announcers refer to Doak Campbell Stadium. I’d heard the name for years but never really thought about it. Was Doak-Campbell hyphenated? A place? A person? So, naturally, I looked it up. That’s how these stories often start.…
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Sullivan 250 | Rocky Mount: Where Territorial Government Took Root
Ninth in a 12-part monthly series to commemorate Sullivan County’s role in the 250th birthday of the United States of America September 2026 | 9 of 12 When the Territory of the United States South of the River Ohio was organized in 1790, federal authority needed a place where government could operate in practical terms.…
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Milton DeVault and Team Kingsport
I recently visited what our guide called a “museum of stories.” Rather than focusing mainly on artifacts, it sought to preserve the lives of ordinary people. Many visitors were descendants trying to piece together their family histories. That experience reminded me of a conversation. My niece introduced me to a friend in Knoxville who mentioned…
