Kingsport, Tennessee

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"Kingsport" redirects here. For other uses, see Kingsport (disambiguation).

Not to be confused with Kingston, Tennessee.
Kingsport, Tennessee
City
A Fun Fest balloon floats over Kingsport.
A Fun Fest balloon floats over Kingsport.
Nickname(s): 
The Model City
Location of Kingsport in Sullivan County, Tennessee
Location of Kingsport in Sullivan County, Tennessee
Coordinates: 36°32′N 82°33′W / 36.533°N 82.550°W / 36.533; -82.550Coordinates: 36°32′N 82°33′W / 36.533°N 82.550°W / 36.533; -82.550
CountryUnited States
StateTennessee
CountiesSullivan, Hawkins
Settled1771
Chartered/Rechartered1822, 1917
Government
 • TypeCouncil-Manager
 • MayorPat Shull
 • Vice MayorColette George
 • City ManagerChris McCartt
Area
 • City50.8 sq mi (131.5 km2)
 • Land49.8 sq mi (129.0 km2)
 • Water0.9 sq mi (2.4 km2)
Elevation
1,211 ft (369 m)
Population
 • City48,205
 • Estimate 
(2018)[2]
54,076
 • RankUS: 694th
 • Density1,060/sq mi (409.3/km2)
 • Urban
106,571 (US: 291st)
 • Metro
309,283 (US: 161st)
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
37660, 37662, 37663, 37664, 37665 & 37669
Area code(s)423
FIPS code47-39560
GNIS feature ID1303478[3]
Websitewww.kingsporttn.gov

Kingsport is a city in Sullivan and Hawkins counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee; most of the city is in Sullivan County and the city is the largest in both counties, but is the county seat of neither. As of the 2010 census the population was 48,205;[1] as of 2016 the estimated population was 52,806.[4]

Kingsport is the largest city in the Kingsport–Bristol–Bristol, TN-VA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which had a population of 309,544 as of 2010;[5] the Metropolitan Statistical Area is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area – commonly known as the "Tri-Cities" 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 Virginia and the mountainous counties in northeastern Tennessee; the name "Kingsport" is a simplification of "King's Port", originally referring to the area on the Holston River known as King's Boat Yard, the head of navigation for the Tennessee Valley.

History[edit]

Kingsport was developed after the Revolutionary War, at the confluence of the North and South Forks of the Holston River. In 1787 it was known as "Salt Lick", for an ancient mineral lick, it was first settled along the banks of the South Fork, about a mile from the confluence. The Long Island of the Holston River is near the confluence, which is mostly within the present-day corporate boundaries of Kingsport; the island was an important site for the Cherokee, colonial pioneers and early settlers, and specifically mentioned in the 1770 Treaty of Lochaber.

Early settlements at the site were used as a staging ground for other pioneers who were traveling overland on the Wilderness Road leading to Kentucky through the Cumberland Gap. First chartered in 1822, Kingsport became an important shipping port on the Holston River. Goods originating for many miles around from the surrounding countryside were loaded onto barges for the journey downriver to the Tennessee River at Knoxville.

Kingsport in 1937

In the Battle of Kingsport (December 13, 1864) during the Civil War, a force of 300 Confederates under Colonel Richard Morgan stopped a larger Union force for nearly two days. An army of over 5,500 troops under command of Major General George Stoneman had left Knoxville to raid Confederate targets in Virginia: the salt works at Saltville, the lead works at Wytheville, and the iron works in Marion. While Col. Morgan's small band held off a main Union force under Major General Cullem Gillem on the opposite side the Holston River, Union Col. Samuel Patton took a force of cavalry to a ford in the river 2.5 miles (4.0 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.[6]

The city 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 elephant that performed in the Sparks World-famous Shows Circus), she had killed city hotel worker Walter Eldridge, who was hired by the circus the day before as an assistant elephant trainer. Eldridge was attacked and killed by the elephant while he was leading her to a pond; the elephant was impounded by the local sheriff. Leaders of several nearby towns threatened to prevent the circus from performing if it included the elephant; 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, Tennessee, where a crowd of over 2,500 people assembled in the Clinchfield Railroad yard to watch her hang from a railroad crane.[7]

Re-chartered in 1917, Kingsport was an early example of a "garden city". Part of it was designed by city planner and landscape architect John Nolen of Cambridge, Massachusetts, it was nicknamed as the "Model City" from this plan, which organized the town into areas for commerce, churches, housing and industry. Most of the land on the river was devoted to industry. Most of the Long Island is now occupied by Eastman Chemical Company, which is headquartered in Kingsport; as part of this plan, Kingsport built some of the earliest traffic circles (roundabouts) in the United States.

Kingsport was among the first municipalities to adopt a city manager form of government, to professionalize operations of city departments, it developed its school system based on a model promoted by Columbia University.

Pal's Sudden Service, a regional fast-food restaurant chain, opened its first location in Kingsport in 1956.

Geography[edit]

Kingsport is located in western Sullivan County at 36°32′N 82°33′W / 36.533°N 82.550°W / 36.533; -82.550 (36.5369, −82.5421),[8] at the intersection of U.S. Routes 11W and 23. Kingsport is the northwest terminus of Interstate 26. US 11W leads east 22 miles (35 km) to Bristol and southwest 28 miles (45 km) to Rogersville, while US 23 leads north 38 miles (61 km) to Big Stone Gap, Virginia. I-26 and US 23 lead south 8 miles (13 km) to Interstate 81 and 83 miles (134 km) to Asheville, North Carolina.

The city is bordered to the west by the town of Mount Carmel, to the southeast by unincorporated Colonial Heights, and to the northeast by unincorporated Bloomingdale; the Kingsport city limits extend west into Hawkins County and north to the Virginia border.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 50.8 square miles (131.5 km2), of which 49.8 square miles (129.0 km2) are land and 0.93 square miles (2.4 km2), or 1.86%, are water.[1] Most of the water area is in the South Fork Holston River.

Neighborhoods[edit]

  • Allandale
  • Amersham
  • Borden Mill Village
  • Gibson Town
  • Fair Acres
  • The Fifties District
  • Highland Park
  • Huntington Hills
  • Indian Springs
  • Lynn Garden
  • Morrison City
  • Preston Forest
  • Preston Hills
  • Sevier Terrace
  • Ridgefields
  • Riverview
  • Rotherwood Heights
  • Tellico Hills

Demographics[edit]

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
19205,692—
193011,914109.3%
194014,40420.9%
195019,57135.9%
196026,31434.5%
197031,93821.4%
198032,0270.3%
199036,36513.5%
200044,90523.5%
201048,2057.3%
Est. 201854,076[2]12.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
2013 Estimate[10]

As of the census of 2000, 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, 4.07% African American, 0.79% Asian, 0.24% American Indian/Alaska Native, 0.02% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, 0.34% some other race, and 1.06% two or more races. 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.

In the city, the population was spread out with 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 income for a household in the city was $30,524, and the median income for a family 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.

Government[edit]

Board of Mayor and Aldermen[edit]

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; 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 elects a vice mayor from among the six aldermen. The council or board hire a professional city manager.

State government[edit]

The Sullivan County portion of Kingsport is represented in the Tennessee House of Representatives by the 1st and 2nd State Representative districts and the Hawkins County portion by the 6th district. Currently serving in these positions are Representatives John Crawford, Bud Hulsey, and Dale Ford respectively.[11] In the Tennessee State Senate, the Sullivan County portion of Kingsport is represented by the 4th Senatorial District and the Hawkins County portion by the 8th district. State Senator Jon Lundberg and State Senator Frank Niceley currently serve in these positions. All of these elected officials are members of the Republican Party.[12]

National government[edit]

Kingsport is represented in the United States House of Representatives by Republican Phil Roe of the 1st congressional district.[13]

Education[edit]

Colleges and universities[edit]

While no college or university has its main campus within the city, these institutions have branch campuses in Kingsport:

King, Lincoln Memorial, Milligan and Northeast State are all located in the Kingsport Academic Village complex in downtown Kingsport.[14][15] East Tennessee State offers general education courses in the Hawkins County (westernmost) portion of the city, with more advanced courses at the Academic Village.[16]

Kingsport City Schools[edit]

Residents of Kingsport are served by the Kingsport City Schools public school system, it operates eight elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. In addition, Kingsport has eight private academies, most with religious affiliation.

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
  • Cora Cox Academy (formerly New Horizons Alternative School)
  • Innovation Academy of Northeast Tennessee - focuses mainly on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
  • Dobyns-Bennett Excel[17][18]

Former school for African-Americans[edit]

Douglass High School in Kingsport was one of the largest African-American high schools in the region when it closed for desegregation in 1966;[19] the school's former building on East Walnut Avenue (now East Sevier Avenue) was a historic Rosenwald School, built in 1929–30 with a combination of funds from the city, private citizens and the Rosenwald Fund. 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 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.

Medical[edit]

Kingsport is the location of two hospitals:

Military[edit]

  • The vessel SS Kingsport Victory, which later became USNS Kingsport, was named in honor of the city.

Notable people[edit]

Local media[edit]

Newspapers[edit]

Television[edit]

Kingsport shares a television market with Johnson City and Bristol, VA. WCYB-TV (NBC; CW on DT2) in Bristol, WEMT (Fox) in Greeneville, WETP-TV (PBS) in Sneedville and WJHL-TV (CBS; ABC on DT2) in Johnson City all serve Kingsport.

AM radio[edit]

FM radio[edit]

Sports[edit]

The Kingsport Mets of the Appalachian League, a rookie-level baseball league, play in the city. An affiliate of the New York Mets, the team has competed in the city since 1969, with the exception of 1983; the Mets play in Hunter Wright Stadium named after former Mayor Hunter Wright.[21]

Economy[edit]

Eastman Chemical Company is headquartered in Kingsport.[22] Domtar operates the Kingsport Mill at which the company produces uncoated freesheet.[23] Holston Army Ammunition Plant operated by BAE Systems' Ordnance Systems, Inc. manufactures a wide range of secondary detonating explosives for the Department of Defense.[24]

Recreation[edit]

The Kingsport Parks and Recreation manages several parks within the city.

  • Bays Mountain Park
  • Borden Park
  • Dogwood Park
  • Kingsport Greenbelt Walking/Cycling Trail
  • Riverview Splash Pad
  • Scott Adams Skate Park

Kingsport Police Department[edit]

Kingsport Police Department
AbbreviationKPD
Agency overview
Formed1917
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionKingsport, Tennessee, United States
General nature

Sworn members99
Unsworn members57
Agency executive
  • David Quillin, Chief
Website
http://police.kingsporttn.gov

Kingsport Police Department is the municipal law enforcement agency for the city.[25]

In 2006, the KPD consisted of 104 sworn officers, 44 full-time non-sworn officers, and 17 part-time non sworn officers;[26] the budget for 2005 was $8,602,800.[27] The KPD has twelve SWAT members that train regularly. KPD SWAT responded to thirteen emergency calls during 2005.[28]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Kingsport city, Tennessee". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved July 19, 2019.
  3. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. ^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  5. ^ U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Demographic Profile Data, Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA Metropolitan Statistical Area Archived March 5, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ Thomas R. Ramsey, Jr., The Raid, (Kingsport Press, 1973)
  7. ^ Schroeder, Joan V. "The Day They Hanged an Elephant in East Tennessee", Blue Ridge Country
  8. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  9. ^ United States Census Bureau. "Census of Population and Housing". Archived from the original on April 26, 2015. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
  10. ^ "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on May 22, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
  11. ^ "Tennessee House of Representatives, Members". Archived from the original on October 27, 2008.
  12. ^ "Tennessee State Senate, Members". Archived from the original on September 19, 2008.
  13. ^ "Congressman Phil Roe Tennessee's 1st District – About the 1st District". Archived from the original on May 27, 2009.
  14. ^ Wagner, Rick (May 3, 2016). "Tusculum, UT leave Kingsport Higher Education Center". Kingsport Times-News. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  15. ^ "About KAV - The Kingsport Academic Village". The Kingsport Academic Village. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  16. ^ "ETSU at Kingsport". www.etsu.edu. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  17. ^ "D-B EXCEL". dbexcel.k12k.com. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  18. ^ Hinds, Allie (February 14, 2017). "Alternative high school experience "DB-Excel" gets new home in Kingsport". WJHL. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  19. ^ "Douglass High School (1926-1966) - 1A 143 - Kingsport, TN - Tennessee Historical Markers on Waymarking.com". www.waymarking.com.
  20. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on September 12, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  21. ^ "Hunter Wright Stadium information - Kingsport Mets Content". Kingsport Mets.
  22. ^ "About Eastman Chemical Company". www.eastman.com.
  23. ^ "Kingsport Paper Mill - Domtar". www.domtar.com.
  24. ^ "The United States Army - Joint Munitions Command". www.jmc.army.mil. Archived from the original on March 17, 2015. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
  25. ^ Kingsport Police Department Archived April 19, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  26. ^ Kingsport Police Department, Annual Report Archived December 4, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  27. ^ Kingsport Police Department, Budget Archived April 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  28. ^ Kingsport Police Department, Swat Team Archived April 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine

Further reading[edit]

  • Long, Howard. Kingsport: A Romance of Industry. Overmountain Press (October 1993) 304 pages. ISBN 0-932807-89-5
  • Spoden, Muriel Millar Clark. The Long Island of the Holston: Sacred Island of the Cherokee Nation. (1977) 32 pages. ASIN: B0006WOGAM
  • Wolfe, Margaret Ripley. Kingsport Tennessee: A Planned American City. University Press of Kentucky (November 1987) 259 pages. ISBN 0-8131-1624-4

External links[edit]

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