Kingsport,_Tennessee

Kingsport, Tennessee

Kingsport is a city in Hawkins and Sullivan counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The majority of the city lies in Sullivan County. The population was 44,095 at the 2000 census.

The name is a simplification of "King's Port," originally referring to the area around Ross's Landing. The city, along with Bristol, Tennessee, and Johnson City, Tennessee, is part of the Tri-Cities, Tennessee/Virginia Metro Area. It is also commonly included in what is known as the "Mountain Empire," which includes a portion of southwest Virginia and the mountainous counties in Tennessee to the east.

History

The Long Island of the Holston River, today mostly within the corporate boundaries of Kingsport, was an important site for the Cherokee, colonial pioneers, and early settlers. Early settlements at the site were used as a staging ground for people taking 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 from the surrounding countryside were loaded onto barges for the journey downriver to the Tennessee River at Knoxville. The young town lost its charter after a downturn its in fortunes precipitated by the Civil War. The name "Tennessee" originated from the old Yuchi Indian word, "Tana-see," meaning "The Meeting Place," which refers to The Long Island of the Holston River.

Re-chartered in 1917, Kingsport was an early example of a "garden city," designed by city planner and landscape architect John Nolen of Cambridge, Massachusetts. 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 U.S. Kingsport was among the first municipalities with a city manager form of government and a school system built on a model developed at Columbia University. Most of the land on the river was devoted to industry. Indeed, most of Long Island is now occupied by Eastman Chemical Company.

Geography

Kingsport is located at (36.536851, -82.542123), at the intersection of U.S. highways 11 and 23. Kingsport is also the starting or ending point of Interstate 26.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 45.0 square miles (116.6 km²), of which, 44.1 square miles (114.1 km²) of it is land and 0.9 square miles (2.4 km²) of it (2.07%) is water.

Demographics

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 people per square mile (393.4/km²). There were 21,796 housing units at an average density of 494.6/sq mi (191.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.32% White, 4.22% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.79% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.34% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.05% of the population.

There were 19,662 households out 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.

Education

Residents of Kingsport are serviced by the Kingsport City Schools public school system, which operates seven elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. Kingsport is also home to eight private academies.

While no college or university houses its main campus within the city, Northeast State Technical Community College, East Tennessee State University, and University of Tennessee have branch campuses in Kingsport.

Kingsport Police Department

Kingsport Police Department is the municipal law enforcement agency for Kingsport, Tennessee.

The current chief is Gail Osborne.

Organization

Personnel

As of 2006, The KPD consists 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.

Patrol Division

SWAT

The KPD has twelve SWAT members that train regularly. KPD SWAT responded to thirteen emergency calls during 2005.

Odd History

On September 12, 1916, Kingsport residents demanded the death of circus elephant Mary (a five ton Asian elephant who performed in the Sparks World Famous Shows Circus) for her killing of a city hotel worker named Walter "Red" Eldridge, who was hired the day before as an assistant elephant trainer by the circus.

On the evening of September 12, Eldridge was killed by Mary in Kingsport, Tennessee while taking her to a nearby pond to splash and frolic and drink. There are several accounts of his death but the most widely accepted version is that he prodded her behind the ear with a hook after she reached down to nibble on a watermelon rind. She went into a rage, snatched Eldridge with her trunk, threw him against a drink stand and deliberately stepped on his head, crushing it. One of his ears was never found.

The details of the aftermath are confused in a haze of sensationalist newspaper stories and folklore. Most accounts indicate that she calmed down afterward and didn't charge the onlookers, who were chanting, "Kill the elephant!" Apparently, within minutes, a local blacksmith tried to oblige, firing more than two dozen rounds at the elephant with little effect. Newspapers published claims that Murderous Mary had killed several workers in the past and noted that she was larger than the world famous Jumbo the elephant. 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 potentially ruinous situation was to hold a public execution. On the following day, a foggy and rainy September 13, 1916, she was transported by rail to Erwin, Tennessee where a crowd of over 2,500 people (including most of the town's children) assembled in the Clinchfield railroad yard to watch the hanging.

Business

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

Eastman Chemical Company is headquartered in Kingsport.

Military

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

Notable natives and residents

Lisa Alther, American author, born and grew up in Kingsport
Edward L. Ayers, Bancroft Prize-winning historian and ninth president of the University of Richmond, raised in Kingsport
Amy Dalley, country music artist
Bobby Dodd, College Football Hall of Fame inductee as both a football player (University of Tennessee) and coach (Georgia Institute of Technology)
Bobby Eaton, professional wrestler
Cripple Clarence Lofton, noted boogie-woogie pianist and singer, was born in Kingsport.
Brownie McGhee and Stick McGhee, brothers and blues musicians, grew up in Kingsport and other East Tennessee towns.
Ken Mellons, country music artist
John Palmer, former NBC News correspondent, born in Kingsport and a graduate of Dobyns-Bennett High School
John Shelton Reed, William Rand Kenan, Jr. Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the University of North Carolina and noted expert on Southern culture, raised in Kingsport
Gerald Sensabaugh, defensive back for the NFL team Jacksonville Jaguars
LeRoy Sprankle, high school multi-sport coach, author, and general manager of the Canton Independents

Local media

Newspaper:

Kingsport Times-News

Television:

WKPT-TV

Radio:

Government

The state representative for Kingsport is Nathan Vaughn, and the state senator is Micheal R. Williams.

Sports

The Kingsport Mets of the Appalachian League, a rookie-level 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.