Johnson City

Sonya A. Haskins

• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Year: 2005
• ISBN:
  9781439612965
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: North American History
• Index: History

The Johnson City area was originally settled in 1777 by pioneers from North Carolina with land grants who were dissatisfied with their representation in North Carolina.

These local citizens held a convention and formed the state of Franklin in 1784. This state was never recognized by Congress. It fizzled out in 1788, and Tennessee was formed in 1796. More settlers came to the new state, but the area was destined to grow into a city when a combination of railroad connections in the area sparked growth during the late 19th century. In 1903, the creation of the National Soldiers Home brought disabled veterans of the Spanish-American War and the Civil War to Johnson City. Readers of this book will enjoy viewing photographs and reading about early residents, prominent homes, and historic buildings such as the East Tennessee Normal School, which opened in 1911. Many of the more than 200 photographs in this volume have never before been published.

Seven

WORK

Joseph Brown, Grace Brown, and Elsie Reeves (left to right) are working in the office at the Brown Milling Company c. 1935. The buildings of Brown Milling Company were destroyed in a fire in 1955. (Courtesy of Grace Brown Miller and June Miller Gouge.)

John A. Sherfey pulls hay into the barn he built in 1916. The barn still stands today on West Oakland Avenue and contains original hay pulleys, forks, and rope. (Courtesy of George and Margaret Holley.)

Perry O. Smith (center, in the suit) worked at the Miller Brothers Lumber Company as a general manager in the early 1900s. The Miller Brothers Lumber Company was a large lumber manufacturing plant that dried wood, processed it, and made flooring and other wood products. (Courtesy of Barbara G. Smith.)

The Coca-Cola Bottling Company began doing business in Johnson City in February 1906 and has been at the current location on Wesley Street since 1970. This photograph of the Coca-Cola Bottling Company was taken c. 1940. (Courtesy of Doug Thompson.)

Summers Hardware & Supply Company started in Johnson City in 1893 at Fountain Square. It has been at this Buffalo Street location since 1910. While it was originally a wholesale hardware distributor, Summers Hardware & Supply Company now sells industrial and manufacturing supplies. The Central Tobacco Warehouse can be seen in the middle of the photo. (Courtesy of Doug Thompson.)

A close-up of the windows of the Johnson City Motor Supply Company c. 1938 shows spark plugs, Victor gaskets, mufflers, oil cans, Triangle brand axle shafts, and Fostoria fenders for “Fords, Chevrolets, Plymouths, and other popular cars.” (Courtesy of Doug Thompson.)

The first hotel in Johnson City may have been the City Hotel, also called the Piedmont. This hotel was open in the 1870s and was operated by Col. Robert Love, Elijah Simerly, W.M. Taylor, and other investors. Shown here is the Colonial Hotel c. 1938. (Courtesy of Doug Thompson.)

Vines, Hawkins, & Bryant and the Pet Dairy and Products Company were in the upstairs offices of the Peoples Bank building in downtown Johnson City. To the left is the office of Dr. J.M. Gobelet, eye specialist. (Courtesy of Doug Thompson.)

A special advertising offer from Van Dyke Studio, located at 307 South Roan Street, shows their phone number as 71. One 8x10 oil-colored portrait was only $1.50. Mrs. Myrtle C. Crow purchased this certificate from S.D. Pangle on May 30, 1942. (Courtesy of Doug Thompson.)

Mr. and Mrs. Herman R. Potts won $100 from the Wexler Free Service Tire Company on September 7, 1935. The “check” was issued by Hamilton National Bank and signed by Dan Wexler. The caption at the bottom of the check states that “more people ride on Goodyear Tires than any other kind.” (Courtesy of Doug Thompson.)

Dan B. Wexler and Robert Wiley opened Free Service Tire Company on June 25, 1919. ...