Kingsport is a city located mainly in
Sullivan County with some western portions in
HawkinsHawkins County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 56,833. Its county seat is Rogersville, Tennessee's second-oldest town....
County in the US state of
TennesseeTennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. The majority of the city lies in Sullivan County. The population was 47,356 according to the 2006–2008 American Community Survey.
The name is a simplification of "King's Port", originally referring to the area on the
Holston RiverThe Holston River is a major river system of southwestern Virginia and east Tennessee. The three major forks of the Holston rise in southwestern Virginia and have their confluence near Kingsport, Tennessee. The North Fork flows southwest from Sharon Springs in Bland County, Virginia...
known as King's Boat Yard, the head of navigation for the
Tennessee ValleyThe Tennessee Valley is the drainage basin of the Tennessee River and is largely within the U.S. state of Tennessee. It stretches from southwest Kentucky to northwest Georgia and from northeast Mississippi to the mountains of Virginia and North Carolina...
. Kingsport is the largest city in the Kingsport–
BristolBristol is a city in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 26,702 at the 2010 census. It is the twin city of Bristol, Virginia, which lies directly across the state line between Tennessee and Virginia. The boundaries of both cities run parallel to each other along State...
–
BristolBristol is an independent city in Virginia, United States, bounded by Washington County, Virginia, Bristol, Tennessee, and Sullivan County, Tennessee....
, TN-VA
Metropolitan Statistical AreaThe Kingsport–Bristol–Bristol, Tennessee-Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area is a Metropolitan Statistical Area in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia as defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget...
(MSA), which had a population of 302,997 as of 2006–2008. The Metropolitan Statistical Area is a component of the
Johnson CityJohnson City is a city in Carter, Sullivan, and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, with most of the city being in Washington County...
–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-
VAThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
Combined Statistical AreaThe United States Office of Management and Budget defines micropolitan and metropolitan statistical areas. Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas consist of one or more counties...
– commonly known as the "
Tri-CitiesIn Tennessee and Virginia the name "Tri-Cities" refers to the region comprising the cities of Kingsport, Johnson City and Bristol and the surrounding smaller towns and communities in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia...
" region. Census data from 2006–2008 for the Tri-Cities Combined Statistical Area estimates a population of 496,454.
Kingsport is commonly included in what is known as the "Mountain Empire", which spans a portion of
southwest VirginiaSouthwest Virginia, often abbreviated as SWVA, is a mountainous region of Virginia in the westernmost part of the commonwealth. Southwest Virginia has been defined alternatively as all Virginia counties on the Appalachian Plateau, all Virginia counties west of the Eastern Continental Divide, or...
and the mountainous counties in Tennessee to the east.
Geography
Kingsport is located at 36°32′N 82°33′W (36.5369, −82.5421), at the intersection of U.S. highways
11U.S. Route 11 is a north–south United States highway extending 1,645 miles across the eastern United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 90 in the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge in eastern New Orleans, Louisiana. The northern terminus is at the United...
and
23. Kingsport is the northwest terminus of
Interstate 26Interstate 26 is a nominally east–west main route of the Interstate Highway System in the Southeastern United States. I-26 runs from the junction of U.S. Route 11W and U.S. Route 23 in Kingsport, Tennessee, generally southeastward to U.S. Route 17 in Charleston, South Carolina...
.
According to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 45.0 square miles (116.6 km²) of which 44.1 square miles (114.1 km²) is land and 0.9 square miles (2.4 km²) (2.07%) is water.
History
The North and South Forks of the Holston River converge on the west end of what is now Kingsport, and the town itself was known in 1787 as "Salt Lick" along the banks of the South Fork, about a mile from the
confluenceConfluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
. The Long Island of the Holston River is near the confluence, which is mostly within the corporate boundaries of Kingsport. The island was an important site for the
CherokeeThe Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
, colonial pioneers and early settlers. Early settlements at the site were used as a staging ground for people taking the
Wilderness RoadThe Wilderness Road was the principal route used by settlers for more than fifty years to reach Kentucky from the East. In 1775, Daniel Boone blazed a trail for the Transylvania Company from Fort Chiswell in Virginia through the Cumberland Gap into central Kentucky. It was later lengthened,...
leading to
KentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
through
Cumberland GapCumberland Gap is a pass through the Cumberland Mountains region of the Appalachian Mountains, also known as the Cumberland Water Gap, at the juncture of the U.S. states of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia...
. First chartered in 1822, Kingsport became an important shipping port on the Holston River. Goods originating for many miles from the surrounding countryside were loaded onto barges for the journey downriver to the Tennessee River at Knoxville.
In the Battle of Kingsport (December 13, 1864) during the
American Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, a force of 300
ConfederatesThe Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
under Colonel Richard Morgan (1836–1918) stopped a larger
UnionThe Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
force for nearly two days. An army of over 5,500 troops under command of Major General George Stoneman (1822–1894) had left
Knoxville, TennesseeFounded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
, to raid Confederate targets in Virginia: the salt works at
SaltvilleAs of the census of 2000, there were 2,204 people, 909 households, and 660 families residing in the town. The population density was 273.7 people per square mile . There were 1,003 housing units at an average density of 124.5 per square mile...
, the lead works at
WythevilleWytheville is a town in Wythe County, Virginia, United States. The population was 8,211 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Wythe County. The town is home to a Chautauqua Festival, held the third weekend in June every year since 1985...
and the iron works in
MarionMarion is a town in Smyth County, Virginia, United States. The population was 5,968 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Smyth County. The town is named for American Revolutionary War officer Francis Marion.-Tourism:...
. While Col. Morgan's small band held off a main Union force under Major General Cullem Gillem on the opposite side the Holston River, Col. Samuel Patton took a force of cavalry to a ford in the river 2.5 miles (4 km) north and came down behind the Confederates. Out-numbered, out-flanked and demoralised by the bitter winter weather, Col. Morgan surrendered. The Confederates suffered 18 dead, and 84 prisoners of war were sent to a Union prison in Knoxville.
The young town lost its charter after a downturn in its fortunes precipitated by the Civil War.
On September 12, 1916, Kingsport residents demanded the death of circus elephant Mary (an
Asian elephantThe Asian or Asiatic elephant is the only living species of the genus Elephas and distributed in Southeast Asia from India in the west to Borneo in the east. Three subspecies are recognized — Elephas maximus maximus from Sri Lanka, the Indian elephant or E. m. indicus from mainland Asia, and E. m....
who performed in the
Sparks World Famous Shows Circus) for her killing of city hotel worker Walter Eldridge, who was hired the day before as an assistant elephant trainer by the circus. Eldridge was killed by Mary in Kingsport while he was taking her to a nearby pond. Mary was impounded by the local sheriff, and the leaders of several nearby towns threatened not to allow the circus to visit if Mary was included. The circus owner, Charlie Sparks, reluctantly decided that the only way to quickly resolve the situation was to hold a public execution. On the following day, she was transported by rail to
Erwin, TennesseeErwin is a town in and the county seat of Unicoi County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 5,610 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Johnson City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area...
, where a crowd of over 2,500 people assembled in the
Clinchfield RailroadThe Clinchfield Railroad was an operating and holding company for the Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway . The line ran from the coalfields of Virginia and Elkhorn City, Kentucky, to the textile mills of South Carolina...
yard to watch her hang from a railroad crane.
Re-chartered in 1917, Kingsport was an early example of a "garden city", designed by city planner and landscape architect
John NolenJohn Nolen was an American landscape architect. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, John Nolen was orphaned as a child and placed in the Girard School for Orphaned Boys by the Children's Aid Society...
of
Cambridge, MassachusettsCambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
. It carries the nickname the Model City from this plan, which organized the town into areas for commerce, churches, housing and industry. The result included some of the earlier uses of traffic circles (roundabouts) in the United States. Kingsport was among the first municipalities with a
city managerA city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a council-manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief executive officer or chief administrative officer in some municipalities...
form of government and a school system built on a model developed at
Columbia UniversityColumbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. Most of the land on the river was devoted to industry. Indeed, most of The Long Island is now occupied by
Eastman Chemical CompanyEastman Chemical Company is a United States based chemical company, engaged in the manufacture and sale of chemicals, fibers, and plastics. Eastman has 11 manufacturing sites in seven countries, supplying its products throughout the world...
, which is headquartered in Kingsport.
Pal's Sudden ServicePal's Sudden Service, normally called Pal's for short, is a regional fast food restaurant chain located in northeast Tennessee and southwestern Virginia, with stores concentrated in the Tri-Cities, Tennessee metro region...
, a regional fast-food restaurant chain, opened its first location in Kingsport in 1956.
Demographics
At the 2000 census, there were 44,905 people, 19,662 households and 12,642 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,018.9 per square mile (393.4/km²). There were 21,796 housing units at an average density of 494.6 per square mile (191.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.32% White, 4.22% African American, 0.79% Asian, 0.24% American Indian/Alaska Native, 0.02% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, 0.34%
some other raceRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.06%
two or more racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.05% of the population.
There were 19,662 households of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% were married couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22, and the average family size was 2.80.
Age distribution was 21.7% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 20.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 84.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.4 males.
The
median household incomeThe median household income is commonly used to generate data about geographic areas and divides households into two equal segments with the first half of households earning less than the median household income and the other half earning more...
was $30,524, and the median family income was $40,183. Males had a median income of $33,075 versus $23,217 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,549. About 14.2% of families and 17.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.9% of those under age 18 and 13.0% of those age 65 or over.
Board of Mayor and Alderman
Kingsport uses the Council-Manager system which was established in 1917 when the city was re-chartered.
Kingsport is governed locally by a seven member Board of Mayor and Aldermen (BMA). The citizens elect the mayor to a two year term and the six aldermen to four year terms. The elections take place in odd numbered years with the mayor and three aldermen elected every two years. New terms begin on July 1. The Board then elects a vice mayor from the six aldermen. As of 2011 the board is composed of Mayor Dennis Phillips, Vice Mayor Ben Mallicote, and Aldermen Ken Marsh, Larry Munsey, Tom Parham, Valerie Joh, and Jantry Shupe.
State government
The Sullivan County portion of Kingsport is represented in the
Tennessee House of RepresentativesThe Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.-Constitutional requirements:...
by the 1st and 2nd State Representative Districts, and the Hawkins County portion by the 6th district. Currently serving in these positions are Representatives
Jon LundbergJon Lundberg is an American politician and a Republican member of the Tennessee House of Representatives for the 1st district. He was first elected to the 105th Tennessee General Assembly...
,
Tony ShipleyAnthony "Tony" Paul Shipley is the State Representative for the Tennessee House of Representatives 2nd District in Sullivan County.Born in Blountville, Tennessee, Shipley is a graduate of Sullivan Central High School and also a 1976 graduate of the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor of Arts...
, and
Dale FordRobert Dale Ford is a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives representing the 6th district, which is composed of parts of Washington County and Hawkins County. He is a member of the Agriculture and Transportation Committees.He lives in Jonesborough with his wife Joyce. He has 5 children...
respectively. In the Tennessee State Senate, the Sullivan County portion of Kingsport is represented by the 2nd Senatorial District and the Hawkins County portion by the 4th district. Lt. Gov.
Ron RamseyRonald Lynn "Ron" Ramsey is the Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee and Speaker of the State Senate. A Republican from Blountville in East Tennessee, Ramsey succeeded long-term Democratic Lieutenant Governor John S...
and State Senator
Mike FaulkMike Faulk is a Tennessee politician. In November 2008, he was elected to the Tennessee State Senate, defeating incumbent Micheal R. Williams by the narrow margin of 29,417 to 29,171. Mike is a Republican, representing Claiborne, Grainger, Hancock, Hawkins, Jefferson, and Union counties. Before his...
currently serve in these positions. All of these elected officials are members of the
Republican PartyThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
.
National government
Kingsport is represented in the
United States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
by Republican
Phil RoeDavid Phillip "Phil" Roe is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district is based in the Tri-Cities area in the northeastern portion of the state....
of the 1st Congressional District.
Education
Residents of Kingsport are served by the
Kingsport City SchoolsKingsport City Schools is a public school district that serves the residents of the city of Kingsport, Tennessee. As of October 2005, the district's schools had a combined enrollment of 6,451.-Pre-K Schools:*John Adams Elementary School...
public school system which operates eight elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. In addition, Kingsport has eight private academies, most with religious affiliation.
While no college or university houses its main campus within the city,
Northeast State Technical Community CollegeNortheast State Community College is a public comprehensive community college based in Blountville, Tennessee, offering technical education and college transfer programs in Blountville and at teaching sites in Elizabethton, Gray, and Kingsport. The school strives to tailor its programs and services...
,
East Tennessee State UniversityEast Tennessee State University is an accredited American university located in Johnson City, Tennessee. It is part of the Tennessee Board of Regents system of colleges and universities, the nation's sixth largest system of public education, and is the fourth largest university in the state...
,
King CollegeKing College is a private, comprehensive college located in Bristol, Tennessee. Founded in 1867, King is independently governed with covenant affiliations to the Presbyterian Church and the Evangelical Presbyterian Church ....
, and the
University of TennesseeThe University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
have branch campuses in Kingsport.
List of Kingsport city schools:
- John Adams Elementary School
- Andrew Jackson Elementary School
- Andrew Johnson Elementary School
- John F. Kennedy Elementary School
- Abraham Lincoln Elementary School
- Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School
- Thomas Jefferson Elementary School
- George Washington Elementary School
- Ross N. Robinson Middle School
- John Sevier Middle School
- Dobyns-Bennett High School
Former school for African-Americans
Douglass High SchoolDouglass High School was an African-American high school in Kingsport, Tennessee that closed in 1966. At the time, it was the largest African-American school in Upper East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia and Southeast Kentucky, and the largest between Knoxville, Tennessee and Roanoke, Virginia...
in Kingsport was one of the largest African-American high schools in the region when it closed for
desegregationDesegregation is the process of ending the separation of two groups usually referring to races. This is most commonly used in reference to the United States. Desegregation was long a focus of the American Civil Rights Movement, both before and after the United States Supreme Court's decision in...
in 1966. The school's former building on East Walnut Avenue (now East Sevier Avenue) was a historic
Rosenwald SchoolA Rosenwald School was the name informally applied to over five thousand schools, shops, and teachers' homes in the United States which were built primarily for the education of African-Americans in the early twentieth century. The need arose from the chronic underfunding of public education for...
, built in 1929–30 with a combination of funds from the city, private citizens and the
Rosenwald FundThe Rosenwald Fund was established in 1917 by Julius Rosenwald and his family for "the well-being of mankind."...
. Although during the years of segregation the Douglass Tigers football team was not allowed to play white teams, the Tigers won a Tennessee state football championship and a state basketball championship in 1946, and a state basketball championship in 1948. The present building, built in 1951 at 301 Louis Street, is now the V.O. Dobbins Sr. Complex, named for Douglass' former principal, and home to most of Kingsport's non-profit agencies, a Parks and Recreation extension, as well as home to the Sons and Daughters of Douglass, Incorporated, administrators of the Douglass Alumni Association – Kingsport, an IRS 501(c)3 non-profit corporation.
Medical
- Kingsport is the location of the Holston Valley Hospital and Indian Path Medical Center.
Military
- The vessel SS Kingsport Victory, which later became USNS Kingsport
USNS Kingsport began its career as Kingsport Victory , which served as a cargo vessel during World War II. The ship was laid up in the James River Reserve Fleet after transfer to the Maritime Commission on 29 September 1947...
, was named in honor of the city.
Notable natives and residents
- Lisa Alther
Lisa Alther is an American author and novelist. Her first name is pronounced as if it were spelled Liza.-Biography:...
, American author, born and grew up in Kingsport
- Edward L. Ayers
Edward Lynn Ayers is an American historian. He is the current president of the University of Richmond, having served in this capacity since July 1, 2007. Prior to his appointment, he had been on the faculty of the University of Virginia since 1980, most recently as the Buckner W. Clay Dean of the...
, Bancroft PrizeThe Bancroft Prize is awarded each year by the trustees of Columbia University for books about diplomacy or the history of the Americas. It was established in 1948 by a bequest from Frederic Bancroft...
-winning historian and ninth president of the University of RichmondThe University of Richmond is a selective, private, nonsectarian, liberal arts university located on the border of the city of Richmond and Henrico County, Virginia. The University of Richmond is a primarily undergraduate, residential university with approximately 4,000 undergraduate and graduate...
, raised in Kingsport
- Barry Bales
Barry Turner Bales is the bass player and harmony vocalist for Alison Krauss and Union Station....
, Grammy Award winning musician with Alison Krauss and Union Station
- Harry Coover
Harry Wesley Coover, Jr. was the inventor of Eastman 910, commonly known as Super Glue.-Life and career:Coover was born in Newark, Delaware, and received his Bachelor of Science from Hobart College before earning his Master of Science and Ph. D. from Cornell University...
, The inventor of Super Glue.\
- Denny Crawford
Denny Crawford is a former professional American football guard. He was a member of the New York Yankees of the All America Football Conference....
, professional football player.
- Amy Dalley
Amy Dalley is an American country music artist. Signed to Curb Records in 2003 she left the label in 2008. Dalley has released seven singles, of which five have entered the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, despite never releasing an album. Her highest-peaking single is "Men Don't Change",...
, country music artist.
- Bobby Dodd
Robert Lee Dodd was an American college football coach at Georgia Tech. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame as a player and coach, something that only three people have accomplished....
, College Football Hall of FameThe College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
inductee as both a football player (University of TennesseeThe University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
) and coach (Georgia Institute of TechnologyThe Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
).
- Bobby Eaton
Robert Lee "Bobby" Eaton is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, who made his debut in 1976. Eaton is most famous for his work in tag teams, especially his days as one-half of the team the Midnight Express. Under the management of Jim Cornette, Eaton originally teamed with Dennis...
, professional wrestler.
- Elle and Blair Fowler
Lisa "Elle" Fowler and Elizabeth "Blair" Fowler are sisters who post beauty and style-related tutorials on YouTube under the monikers AllThatGlitters21 and juicystar07 . Elle first stumbled into the beauty and fashion world of YouTube the summer of 2008, and soon convinced Blair to begin filming...
, grew up in Kingsport.
- Cliff Kresge
Clifford Terry Kresge is an American professional golfer. He has played on the PGA Tour and Nationwide Tour since 1997....
, a PGA TourThe PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
player who splits his time between homes in Kingsport and Florida.
- Cripple Clarence Lofton
Cripple Clarence Lofton , born Albert Clemens in Kingsport, Tennessee, was a noted boogie-woogie pianist and singer....
, noted boogie-woogie pianist and singer, was born in Kingsport.
- Brownie McGhee
Walter Brown McGhee was a Piedmont blues singer and guitarist, best known for his collaborations with the harmonica player Sonny Terry.-Life and career:...
and Stick McGheeGranville Henry McGhee, also known as Stick McGhee, was an African-American jump blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, best known for his blues song, "Drinkin' Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee".-Early life:...
, brothers and blues musicians, grew up in Kingsport and other East Tennessee towns.
- Ken Mellons
Kenneth Edward "Ken" Mellons is an American country music artist who released his self-titled debut album in 1994. This album produced the single "Jukebox Junkie", a Top Ten hit on the Hot Country Songs charts...
, country music artist.
- John Palmer
John Spencer Palmer is a former news correspondent for NBC News. He worked for the network over the course of 40 years, first from 1962 to 1990; and again from 1994 until his retirement in 2002...
, former NBC NewsNBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
correspondent, born in Kingsport and a graduate of Dobyns-Bennett High School.
- John Shelton Reed
John Shelton Reed is a sociologist and essayist, author or editor of eighteen books, most of them dealing with the contemporary American South. Reed regularly contributes articles to non-academic publications such as The Wall Street Journal, National Review, and the Oxford American...
, sociologist and essayist, author or editor of eighteen books, most of them dealing with the contemporary American South.
- Gerald Sensabaugh
Gerald Lind Sensabaugh, Jr. is an American football Safety who is currently a safety for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
, defensive back for the NFL team Dallas CowboysThe Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
, born and raised in Kingsport.
- LeRoy Sprankle
LeRoy Sprankle was a high school sports coach and athletics advocate in Eastern Tennessee and South Florida...
, high school multi-sport coach, author, and general manager of the Canton Independents.
- Steven Williams
Steven Williams is an American actor of films and television.Williams was born in Memphis, Tennessee and raised in Chicago. He is known for his role as Captain Adam Fuller on the Fox Network's hit TV series 21 Jump Street from 1987-91.He played Lt. Burnett on the CBS drama series The Equalizer in...
, actor who starred in 21 Jump Street21 Jump Street is an American police procedural crime drama television series that aired on the Fox Network from April 12, 1987, to April 27, 1991, with a total of 103 episodes. The series focused on a squad of youthful-looking undercover police officers investigating crimes in high schools,...
and The Blues BrothersThe Blues Brothers are an American blues and soul revivalist band founded in 1978 by comedy actors Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as part of a musical sketch on Saturday Night Live...
.
- Charles Wright
Charles Wright is an American poet whose awards include the National Book Award Charles Wright (born August 25, 1935) is an American poet whose awards include the National Book Award Charles Wright (born August 25, 1935) is an American poet whose awards include the National Book Award (19830 for...
, poet who spent part of his childhood and adult life in Kingsport.
Local media
Newspapers:
- Kingsport Times-News
The Kingsport Times-News is one of two daily newspapers based in Kingsport, Tennessee, covering general news, and is one of Northeast Tennessee's major newspapers. It has an average daily circulation of 44,096....
- Daily News
The Daily News of Kingsport, Tennessee is a daily newspaper, one of two published in Kingsport. It began as a weekly newspaper called The Post; it was later renamed the Kingsport Post, then the Post-News. It began publication as the Daily News as a daily supplement to the Post on July 12, 1971....
Television:
- WKPT-TV
WKPT-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for the Tri-Cities area of Northeastern Tennessee and Southwestern Virginia that is licensed to Kingsport, Tennessee. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 27 from a transmitter at Holston High Point on Holston Mountain in...
Radio:
AM:
- WKPT
- WHGG
WHGG is a Contemporary Christian and Religious Talk talk formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Kingsport, Tennessee, serving the Tri-Cities, VA/TN area. WHGG is owned and operated by Kenneth Clyde Hill.-Management:...
FM:
- WTFM
WTFM is a radio station broadcasting an Adult Contemporary music format. Licensed to Kingsport, Tennessee, USA, it serves the Tri-Cities TN / VA area...
- WRZK
WRZK is a radio station broadcasting an active rock format. Licensed to Colonial Heights, Tennessee, USA, it serves the Tri-Cities TN / VA area. The station is currently owned by Holston Valley Broadcasting Corporation....
- WCQR
- WKOS
WKOS , branded as "Channel 104.9", is a radio station serving the Tri-Cities, Tennessee, area with Top 40 music. This station is under ownership of Cumulus Media.-History:...
- WCSK
WCSK is a non-commercial, educational FM radio station in Kingsport, Tennessee licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to the Kingsport Board of Education....
Sports
The
Kingsport MetsThe Kingsport Mets are a minor league baseball team based in Kingsport, Tennessee, United States. The team, which plays in the Appalachian League, is a Rookie League affiliate of Major League Baseball's New York Mets....
of the
Appalachian LeagueThe Appalachian League is a Rookie-class minor league that began play in 1937 with one year of inactivity in 1956. From 1937 to 1962, it was a Class D League. Teams are located in the Appalachian regions of Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia and Tennessee...
, a rookie-level baseball league, play in the city. An affiliate of the
New York MetsThe New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
, the team has competed in the city since 1969, with the exception of 1983. The Mets play in
Hunter Wright StadiumHunter Wright Stadium is a minor league baseball facility in Kingsport, Tennessee, named for the popular muli-term former mayor. Built in 1995, it seats 2,500...
named after former Mayor Hunter Wright.
Major Industry
Kingsport is home to
Eastman Chemical CompanyEastman Chemical Company is a United States based chemical company, engaged in the manufacture and sale of chemicals, fibers, and plastics. Eastman has 11 manufacturing sites in seven countries, supplying its products throughout the world...
with its corporate headquarters,
DomtarDomtar Corporation is the largest integrated producer of uncoated freesheet paper in North America and the second largest in the world based on production capacity, and is also a manufacturer of papergrade pulp....
paper company, and
Holston Army Ammunition PlantThe mission of Holston Army Ammunition Plant is to manufacture Research Department Explosive and High Melting Explosive for ammunition production and development. Research and development plays a vital role in the production of new and better explosives and products. It is government-owned and...
operated by
BAE Systems'BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
Ordnance Systems, Inc.
Kingsport Police Department
Kingsport Police Department is the municipal law enforcement agency for Kingsport, Tennessee. The current chief is Gale Osborne.
In 2006, the KPD consisted of 104 sworn officers, 44 full-time non-sworn officers, and 17 part-time non sworn officers. The budget for 2005 was $8,602,800. The KPD has twelve SWAT members that train regularly. KPD SWAT responded to thirteen emergency calls during 2005.
Further reading
- Long, Howard. Kingsport: A Romance of Industry. Overmountain Press (October 1993) ISBN 0932807895
- Spoden, Muriel Millar Clark. The Long Island of the Holston: Sacred Island of the Cherokee Nation. ASIN: B0006WOGAM
- Wolfe, Margaret Ripley. Kingsport Tennessee: A Planned American City. University Press of Kentucky (November 1987) ISBN 0813116244
External links