Category: History
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First Cousins
On the eve of Black History Month, here’s a glimpse inside the mind of J. Fred Johnson, the father of Kingsport who coined the term “Kingsport Spirit”. This quote is from his memorial service in 1944—twenty years before the Civil Rights Act was passed. He was an early champion of equity and inclusion in gender,…
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Whatever happened to Richmond Road and “the South’s largest development”?
In 1947 (after World War II), there was a high demand for new housing in Kingsport. Enter King Construction Corporation (sometimes called King Development) headed by Glen Bruce. They developed Greenfields around six streets: Kings Road, Greenfield Avenue, Greenfield Place, Fairfield Avenue, Newbern Road, and Richmond Road. Wait, “Richmond Road”? But there isn’t a Richmond…
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Soul of a City Found in its People.
A newcomer contacted the Chamber of Commerce asking about the original owner of their recently purchased historic home in Park Hill (The Fifties). They’re the Tudor homes on the hill opposite Town Park Lofts on West Sullivan Street. Wanting to help, but not really knowing how; I started with a street address. I used Google…
Kingsport Spirit 