Kingsport, Tennessee
Kingsport | ||
---|---|---|
FIPS code 47-39560 | | |
GNIS feature ID | 1303478[5] | |
Website | www |
Kingsport is a city in
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.[8]
History
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.[citation needed] The Long Island of the Holston River is near the confluence, which is mostly within the present-day corporate boundaries of Kingsport.[citation needed] The island was an important site for the Cherokee, colonial pioneers and early settlers, and specifically mentioned in the 1770 Treaty of Lochaber.[citation needed]
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.[citation needed] 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.[citation needed]
In the Battle of Kingsport (December 13, 1864) during the
The city lost its charter after a downturn in its fortunes precipitated by the Civil War.[citation needed]
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.[10]
Re-chartered in 1917, Kingsport was an early example of a "garden city".[
Into the 1950s, two important
Geography
Kingsport is located in western Sullivan County at the intersection of U.S. Routes
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
Climate
Climate data for Kingsport, Tennessee (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1916–present) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 79 (26) |
82 (28) |
89 (32) |
92 (33) |
98 (37) |
104 (40) |
102 (39) |
103 (39) |
102 (39) |
95 (35) |
83 (28) |
80 (27) |
104 (40) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 46.4 (8.0) |
50.9 (10.5) |
60.1 (15.6) |
70.5 (21.4) |
78.0 (25.6) |
84.4 (29.1) |
87.0 (30.6) |
86.3 (30.2) |
81.2 (27.3) |
70.8 (21.6) |
59.2 (15.1) |
49.5 (9.7) |
68.7 (20.4) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 36.9 (2.7) |
40.3 (4.6) |
48.1 (8.9) |
57.6 (14.2) |
66.0 (18.9) |
73.2 (22.9) |
76.5 (24.7) |
75.5 (24.2) |
69.8 (21.0) |
58.4 (14.7) |
47.3 (8.5) |
39.9 (4.4) |
57.5 (14.2) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 27.3 (−2.6) |
29.6 (−1.3) |
36.2 (2.3) |
44.7 (7.1) |
54.0 (12.2) |
62.1 (16.7) |
66.0 (18.9) |
64.6 (18.1) |
58.3 (14.6) |
46.1 (7.8) |
35.5 (1.9) |
30.3 (−0.9) |
46.2 (7.9) |
Record low °F (°C) | −18 (−28) |
−11 (−24) |
−2 (−19) |
18 (−8) |
30 (−1) |
39 (4) |
46 (8) |
45 (7) |
32 (0) |
19 (−7) |
2 (−17) |
−7 (−22) |
−18 (−28) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.88 (99) |
4.05 (103) |
4.14 (105) |
4.05 (103) |
3.76 (96) |
3.71 (94) |
5.05 (128) |
3.81 (97) |
2.98 (76) |
2.43 (62) |
3.17 (81) |
4.00 (102) |
45.03 (1,144) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 1.7 (4.3) |
1.6 (4.1) |
0.7 (1.8) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
1.0 (2.5) |
5.1 (13) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 12.1 | 11.5 | 12.9 | 11.5 | 12.2 | 11.7 | 12.8 | 10.2 | 8.6 | 7.8 | 9.7 | 12.2 | 133.2 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 2.6 |
Source: |
Neighborhoods
There are several neighborhoods located within or just outside of Kingsport, offering different lifestyles:[1]
- Allandale
- Amersham
- Bloomingdale
- Borden Village
- Carter's Valley
- Cliffside
- Colonial Heights
- Cooks Valley
- Downtown
- Edinburgh
- Fairacres
- Fort Robinson
- Gibson Town
- Green Acres
- Highland Park
- Hillcrest
- Huntington Hills
- Indian Springs (Fall Creek & Airport)
- Litz Manor
- Lynn Garden
- Malabar Heights
- Meadowview
- Midtown
- Morrison City
- Orebank
- Preston Forest
- Preston Hills
- Ridgefields
- Riverfront
- Riverview
- Rock Springs
- Sevier Terrace
- Sullivan Gardens
- Tellico Hills
- White City
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1920 | 5,692 | — | |
1930 | 11,914 | 109.3% | |
1940 | 14,404 | 20.9% | |
1950 | 19,571 | 35.9% | |
1960 | 26,314 | 34.5% | |
1970 | 31,938 | 21.4% | |
1980 | 32,027 | 0.3% | |
1990 | 36,365 | 13.5% | |
2000 | 44,905 | 23.5% | |
2010 | 48,205 | 7.3% | |
2020 | 55,442 | 15.0% | |
U.S. Decennial Census[15] [4] |
2020 census
Race | Number | Percentage |
---|---|---|
White (non-Hispanic)
|
48,212 | 86.96% |
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)
|
2,024 | 3.65% |
Native American
|
144 | 0.26% |
Asian
|
754 | 1.36% |
Pacific Islander
|
15 | 0.03% |
Other/Mixed
|
2,574 | 4.64% |
Latino
|
1,719 | 3.1% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 55,442 people, 23,640 households, and 14,273 families residing in the city.
2000 census
As of the
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.
Economy
Eastman Chemical Company has its world headquarters in Kingsport.[17] Domtar operates a paper mill in Kingsport. Domtar has temporarily shut this plant down from uncoated freesheet paper manufacturing and plans to convert the plant by 2023 to be able to create containerboard.[18] Holston Army Ammunition Plant operated by BAE Systems' Ordnance Systems, Inc. manufactures a wide range of secondary detonating explosives for the Department of Defense.[19]
In 2019, Kingsport's gross metropolitan product was reported to be US$14.1 billion.[8]
Sports
The city is home to the Kingsport Axmen, a collegiate summer baseball team of the Appalachian League.[20] The nickname is in reference to frontiersman Daniel Boone, who began the Wilderness Road in Kingsport.[20] The Axmen play their home games at Hunter Wright Stadium,[21] which is named after former mayor Hunter Wright.[22]
Parks and recreation
The Kingsport Parks and Recreation manages several parks within the city.
- Bays Mountain Park
- Borden Park
- Dogwood Park
- Edinburgh Park
- Kingsport Greenbelt Walking/Cycling Trail
- Riverview Splash Pad
- Scott Adams Skate Park
Government
Municipal
Kingsport uses the
In late 2021, or early 2022, the board decided to move the election to coincide with the primary elections in Tennessee in August of every even-numbered year.[25] This changes the Mayoral and Alderman election from May 2023 to August 2024.
Current composition of BMA
Member | Position | First Elected | Term Ends |
---|---|---|---|
Patrick W. Shull | Mayor | July 1, 2019 | August 31, 2024 |
Colette George | Vice Mayor/Alderman | July 1, 2013 | August 31, 2026 |
Betsy Cooper | Alderman | July 1, 2017 | August 31, 2026 |
Paul Montgomery | Alderman | July 1, 2021 | August 31, 2026 |
Darrel R. Duncan | Alderman | July 1, 2019 | August 31, 2024 |
James Phillips | Alderman | July 1, 2019 | August 31, 2024 |
Tommy Olterman | Alderman | July 1, 2015 | August 31, 2024 |
State
The Sullivan County portion of Kingsport is represented in the
Federal
Kingsport is represented in the United States House of Representatives by Republican Diana Harshbarger of the 1st congressional district.
Education
Colleges and universities
While no college or university has its main campus within the city, these institutions have branch campuses in Kingsport:
Lincoln Memorial and Northeast State are located in the Kingsport Academic Village complex in downtown Kingsport.[28][29] East Tennessee State offers general education courses in the Hawkins County (westernmost) portion of the city, with more advanced courses at the Academic Village.[30]
Primary and secondary
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)
- Dobyns-Bennett Excel[31][32]
Former school for African Americans
Media
Newspapers
- Kingsport Times-News
- Daily News (defunct)
Television
Kingsport shares a television market with
AM radio
FM radio
Infrastructure
Medical
Two hospitals operated by Ballad Health are located in Kingsport: Holston Valley Medical Center, and Indian Path Community Hospital.
Police
Kingsport Police Department is the municipal law enforcement agency for the City of Kingsport. As of 2021, the KPD consisted of 120 sworn officer positions, plus about 40 full-time support staff, including records, jail, maintenance and dispatch.[citation needed]
Notable people
- Lisa Alther, 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
- Barry Bales, Grammy Award-winning musician with Alison Krauss and Union Station
- James F. Barker, president of Clemson University (1999–2013)
- Nick Castle, actor who played Michael Myers in the original Halloween, was born in Kingsport and makes appearances at the local haunted houses.
- Jeff Chapman-Crane, Appalachian artist
- Super Glue
- Denny Crawford, professional football player
- Amy Dalley, country music artist
- Georgia Institute of Technology)
- Bobby Eaton, professional wrestler
- Elle and Blair Fowler, online beauty retailers who spent part of their childhoods in Kingsport
- Daniel Kilgore, professional football player, Kansas City Chiefs
- Nationwide Tourgolfer who splits his time between homes in Kingsport and Florida
- Mark H. Landes, U.S. Army major general[34]
- Tractor Supply, graduate of Sullivan South High School
- Paralympic silver medallist[35]
- Cripple Clarence Lofton, noted boogie-woogie pianist and singer, born in Kingsport
- Matt Mahaffey, musician, frontman of pop/rock band Self
- Brownie 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
- U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee's 1st congressional district(1963–1997)
- John Shelton Reed, sociologist and essayist, author or editor of eighteen books, most of them dealing with the contemporary American South
- Washington Post, married Archibald B. Roosevelt, grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt
- Coty Sensabaugh, cornerback for the Pittsburgh Steelers
- Gerald Sensabaugh, retired NFL cornerback, played for the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Dallas Cowboys
- LeRoy Sprankle, high school multi-sport coach, author, and general manager of the Canton Independents
- Adam Steffey, bluegrass artist
- Bill Streever, biologist and author
- ethnologist
- Steven Williams, actor who starred in 21 Jump Street and The Blues Brothers
In popular culture
- The vessel SS Kingsport Victory, which later became USNS Kingsport, was named in honor of the city.
See also
References
- ^ a b "Welcome to Our Kingsport Neighborhoods". Kingsport Maps. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
- ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
- ^ "List of 2020 Census Urban Areas". census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
- ^ a b "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "Quickfacts: Kingsport city, Tennessee". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
- ^ "2020 Population and Housing State Data". United States Census Bureau, Population Division. August 12, 2021. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
- ^ a b "Kingsport, TN". Best Places for Business and Careers 2019. Forbes. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
- ^ Thomas R. Ramsey, Jr., The Raid, (Kingsport Press, 1973)
- ^ Schroeder, Joan V. "The Day They Hanged an Elephant in East Tennessee", Blue Ridge Country
- ^ Reuters: Pal's Sudden Service Shares Secret of its Success
- ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Kingsport city, Tennessee". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
- ^ "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
- ^ "Station: Kingsport, TN". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
- ^ United States Census Bureau. "Census of Population and Housing". Retrieved August 30, 2013.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
- ^ "About Eastman Chemical Company". www.eastman.com.
- ^ "Kingsport Paper Mill - Domtar". www.domtar.com.
- ^ "The United States Army - Joint Munitions Command". www.jmc.army.mil. Archived from the original on March 17, 2015. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
- ^ a b McClung, Andrew (February 5, 2021). "Kingsport Appy League Team Unveils 'Axmen' as New Name". WCYB. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
- ^ "Hunter Wright Stadium". Kingsport Axmen. Major League Baseball. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
- ^ "Hunter Wright Stadium information". Kingsport Mets. Minor League Baseball. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Kingsport, Tennessee Encyclopedia". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
- ^ "MLB, USA Baseball Announce New Format for Appalachian League". Major League Baseball. September 29, 2020. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
- ^ "Kingsport Considering Moving Election Date". Times News. December 7, 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
- ^ "Tennessee House of Representatives, Members". Archived from the original on October 27, 2008.
- ^ "Tennessee State Senate, Members". Archived from the original on September 19, 2008.
- ^ Wagner, Rick (May 3, 2016). "Tusculum, UT leave Kingsport Higher Education Center". Kingsport Times-News. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
- ^ "About KAV - The Kingsport Academic Village". The Kingsport Academic Village. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
- ^ "ETSU at Kingsport". www.etsu.edu. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
- ^ "D-B EXCEL". dbexcel.k12k.com. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
- ^ Hinds, Allie (February 14, 2017). "Alternative high school experience "DB-Excel" gets new home in Kingsport". WJHL. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
- ^ "Douglass High School (1926-1966) - 1A 143 - Kingsport, TN - Tennessee Historical Markers on Waymarking.com". www.waymarking.com.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Blake Leeper |". Archived from the original on September 12, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
Further reading
- 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
- Kingsport Tennessee: The Planned Industrial City, Kingsport Rotary Club, 1946.