Category: History
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The Deepest Landmark You’ve Never Seen
Sometimes you stumble across a fun fact that’s just too interesting not to share. While browsing Google Earth recently, I noticed something surprising: the Vulcan Materials quarry in Kingsport. It’s less than half a mile from West Stone Drive—as the crow flies—tucked behind Lowe’s and Walmart. Thousands of cars pass by every day without realizing…
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Kingsport: Crossroads of Daniel Boone’s Wilderness Trail
Today, the 250th anniversary of Daniel Boone’s Wilderness Trail was celebrated at Netherland Inn in Kingsport. Sycamore Shoals, in present-day Elizabethton, was the site of the 1775 Transylvania Purchase, where Daniel Boone was hired to blaze a trail through the Cumberland Gap into Kentucky. While this marked the legal and ceremonial beginning of the Wilderness…
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Rewriting My Roots: Uncovering the German Influence in Appalachia
I’ve always taken pride in my Scots-Irish heritage, believing my ancestors’ lives mirrored the plot of Outlander, where Jamie and Claire settle in North Carolina, building a life among native tribes. As war with England looms, they fight to protect their home and loved ones—just as they did in Scotland. Their story closely parallels that…
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The Very First Census Provides Shocking Insights
On a recent visit to the Kingsport Public Library, I came across a stack of books slated for removal. Most were duplicates of old census records for various Tennessee counties and surrounding states. Since these records are now readily available online, it makes sense that Kingsport wouldn’t need to store documents for counties in Middle…
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Is Kingsport Growing or Dying?
I know I’m a city planning geek who thinks way too much about this stuff, but have you ever wondered what the “right size” for a city really is? Of course, the answer depends on individual preferences. But even if you find a city that feels like the perfect fit, how can you be sure…
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Patriots to Pioneers: Tracing My Connection to Becky Boone
I grew up hearing stories about my father’s roots in Clintwood, Virginia, in Dickenson County. It’s just over an hour’s drive north of Kingsport, Tennessee, near Virginia’s border with Kentucky. I still treasure my copy of Meet Virginia’s Baby, a book highlighting Dickenson County, the youngest in the Commonwealth, formed in 1880. What I didn’t…
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First Families of Tennessee
First Families of Tennessee was established by the East Tennessee Historical Society (ETHS) in 1993 as a Tennessee Bicentennial project. Membership is open to anyone who can prove direct descent from a person or persons living in what is now Tennessee before or by statehood in 1796. I began my First Families journey recently. My…
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Butterfly, Tenn.
Occasionally as I scan old maps of our area, I stumble across a place name that has been lost to time. Such is the case of “Butterfly, Tenn.” located at the intersection of Reservoir Road and Bays Mountain Park Road. When post offices first began, there was a need for official place names that could…
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Kingsport in the 1890s, the Bridge Between the Boat Yard and the Model City: The E.C. Barnes Story
Many know Kingsport as the “Model City” incorporated in 1917, but it didn’t happen from a blank slate with a big bang. Before the planned city, there was a thriving riverport community. King’s Port (or Boat Yard) was settled in 1761, incorporated in 1822, and faded after the Civil War as railroads replaced boats as…
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Cornerstone of a Community: The Stone Family Story
Tom Parham was recently inducted into the Dobyns-Bennett High School Alumni Hall of Fame. These are Jeff Fleming’s remarks upon his induction. I want to tell you a story with all the triumphs, tragedies, and unexpected twists of a bestseller. But this isn’t fiction—it’s the story of the Stone family, a family whose history is…
Kingsport Spirit 