Ken Riddle has glowing comments about Mary Hardin McCown in “The Cy Crumley Scrapbook, ET&WNC Railroad Historical Photo Collection,” Archives of Appalachia, ETSU). McCown, whose father, George W. Harden, was superintendent of the famed railroad, was the “grande dame of Johnson City and an expert of the narrow gauge railroad’s history.”

“Mary was a real dear old girl,” said Ken, “and was honestly the standard bearer of a lot of the history of the area for many years, when history was not so cool. She adored her dad, had a quick smile and possessed a charming persona, especially when she was talking about Cranberry, the railroad, or her daddy.”

(1908 photo of George Hardin (left, father of Mary Hardin McCown and superintendent of the ET&WNC Railroad) and Rev. J.E. Crouch (Johnson City Christian Church minister) standing in front of Tweetsie Engine 8.  (Photo courtesy of the Cy Crumley Collection, Archives of Appalachia.)

(Mary Hardin McCown from 1980.She is standing in her apartment at the Appalachian Christian Village holding what she identified as a miner's torch from the Cranberry mines. (Photo Courtesy of the Cy Crumley Scrapbook Collection, Archives of Appalachia).  

The noted historian once issued a 3-page condensed documentation of her tremendous knowledge of the area’s history, titling it “Johnson City’s ‘Firsts.’” It offers a succinct description of important happenings in the city. I captured some excerpts from her work:

1772-1792: What is now Johnson City was located originally on grants of 50 shillings for 100 acres from the State of North Carolina, “along the waters of Brush Creek.” The earliest settlers were Robert Young (to the west), David Jobe (midtown who purchased the Joseph Young land) and Jacob Hoss (to the east who acquired the Joseph Young land).

Sep. 2, 1811: Most likely, the first name on record was that of “Brush Creek Settlement.” James Nelson whose father, William Nelson, owned land to the west of Robert Young, gave “4 acres 8 poles” on Brush Creek to the Methodist Society for educational and church purposes. Here was built the Brush Creek Campground, which functioned for more than half a century.

Mar. 3, 1813: A group petitioned the court to build a road that would connect to one located at Dugan’s Ford on the Watauga River that ran between Elizabethton and Blountville. It was considered to be the best route to the Salt Works in Virginia for the Brush Creek settlers.

Feb. 24, 1832: The first area post office listed was at Green Meadows with Joseph L. Burtz as postmaster. It was located about two miles west of town close to the Robert Young log cabin. It was discontinued in 1853.

Jun. 7, 1849: The Blue Plum post office opened to the east about two miles toward Carter County. Johnson was selected as the first postmaster until John H. Bowman eventually replaced him. The office closed in 1859.

1857-58: With the advent of the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad through town, Henry Johnson moved westward after buying half an acre from Abraham Jobe.

Jul. 10, 1857: Johnson’s Depot appeared with Henry Johnson as postmaster. Tipton Jobe, both nephew and son-in-law of Abraham Jobe, sold land to the railroad for a depot, which included other necessary sites for one dollar.

Oct. 8, 1859: The name of the post office was changed to Haynesville in honor of Landon Carter Haynes, the Confederate senator who lived just south of town.

Apr. 8, 1861: The name, Haynesville, was changed back to Johnson’s Depot.

About 1864: A school was held in a house on Rome Hill (later known as Roan Hill), but was later moved to a site near the Brush Creek Campground and the big spring there.

Mar. 9, 1865: Johnson’s Depot was permanently renamed Johnson City.

1866: The Science Hill Literary Society was organized, composed of a group of young men who met for debates.

Feb. 14, 1867: After a decision was made to build a school, the hill above Nobb Spring was selected. Tipton Jobe donated two acres and 56 perches of land. At this spot, the Science Hill Male and Female Institute was built from brick that was burned on the site and laid by local labor.

Oct. 27, 1867: The Institute was dedicated with Embree Hoss and Bishop Hoss as speakers. It opened on Aug. 24, 1868 with Reverend John B. Pence serving as principal.

Dec. 1, 1869: Johnson City was first incorporated with Daniel W. Crumley as mayor. The city limits were within a radius of a half-mile from the downtown depot.

1871: A group headed by Colonel Robert Love, Elijah Simerly, W.M. Taylor and others built the first hotel in the city. It was a 3-story frame building with 40 rooms standing on the side of the railroad between the Public Square and Wilson Avenue. The contractor was Henry Hoss Crouch.

Mar. 7, 1879: The State Legislature revoked Johnson City’s charter, but reincorporated it on March 25 with Colonel S.H. Yokum chosen as mayor.

Jun. 15, 1881: The Tennessee Legislature first chartered the ET&WNC as a broad gauge road, but difficulties were encountered causing the broad gauge idea to be abandoned. Instead, the railroad was built as a narrow gauge road, with the first train going through to Cranberry, NC on that date. After a long and colorful run, the line was discontinued for through service in June 1960.

1886: The downtown high school was leased to Johnson City for five years. About 1902, the school was again leased to the city, but this time for 99 years for use as Science Hill High School. It remained a high school until 1961 when it became South Junior High.

Sep. 5, 1911: East Tennessee State Normal School was built on land donated by George L. Carver, president of the Carolina and Clinchfield Railroad. It opened in 1911 with Dr. Philander P. Claxton as speaker. The school later became East Tennessee State College and finally East Tennessee State University.

1901: Congressman Walter P. Brownlow was instrumental in establishing the Mountain Branch of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. About 475 acres aimed at providing domiciliary and hospital facilities were purchased from the Lyle and other families.

1903: The first hospital facility in Johnson City was a small private one established by Dr. William J. Matthews. It was housed in the Carlistle Hotel (a brick building that became known as the Franklin Apartments at the corner of E. Main and Division streets). 

Mrs. McCown’s time capsule summary certainly offers a convenient resource of important dates in Johnson City’s colorful history.

Today’s column contains excerpts from six notes I received from Press readers. If you would like for me to include your comments in a future “Yesteryear Mailbox” article, please forward them to me.

York Trivette: “I’m enclosing a picture of the Spot Steak House (421 E. Main Street, owned by Don and Bill Bradford). It was located about where McDonalds is now situated. I am sure that only a very few of your readers will remember what it was called before it became The Spot. It was known as The Roxy (“The Students Rendezvous Spot”), owned by Carl Woods. This was just prior to World War II. Also, his brother, J.H. Woods, owned the Bypath that was located at 212 N. Roan Street at Millard Street, adjacent to Central Baptist Church. The Bypath later became the property of Dick Cox, who renamed it The Gables.” 

Charlie Mears: “My family stayed at the Rio Motel in 1963 for a few weeks when my father took a new job in Johnson City. Is the building that still exists with various shops in it on N. Roan Street across from the Johnson City Mall where the Rio was located or was that the Greystone Motel?” Yes, Charlie, the motel with the shops was indeed the Rio Motel. The Greystone sat farther south toward town along the same side of the road. Beverly Court was at Sunset Drive and fairly close to the Rio. The Mears family had the distinction on April 20, 1964 of being recognized as newcomers to the area by the Johnson City Press-Chronicle. The publication honored their move from Atlanta, Georgia to the city with a write-up in the paper. 

Rob Bowman: “I was at the Blue Moon Dinner Theater the other night. Do you know anything about the building where they are located? It's at 215 E. Main Street. I think that it used to be the Liberty Theater. There appears to be the projection room visible in the back. From what I could find, the Liberty was at 221 Main Street, then it became the Vogue Dress Shop. The addresses don’t add up. ” Rob, the Liberty Theatre was at 221 E. Main and Wallace Shoes was situated at 215 E. Main. When the Liberty Theatre closed about 1957, it became the New Vogue, owned by Louis Millin, who previously owned the Vogue Dress Shop at 129-31 W. Market Street. He closed one business and opened another with a slightly different name.

David Templeton: I have been searching for a restaurant we once visited somewhere within two or three hours of, or maybe much closer, to Kingsport. My mother had a yen to run a restaurant and heard about one that might be affordable as her starter. We traveled one weekend to see the restaurant and I remember that it had a large coffeepot atop the restaurant, oh, maybe eight feet tall, and a remarkable effigy of a percolator. It would have been probably early 1956. Mom eventually opened a restaurant closer to home on Highway 11-W near Church Hill, Tennessee. The picture of the coffeepot restaurant has stuck in my mind and I have often tried to recollect where it was located. The one I'm trying to find was close to the Tri-Cities area.” Maybe a reader can answer that one.

Carol Wilson: “In your recent article, the Walter Wilson, who was honored by the Kiwanis Club, was my great-grandfather. We believe there is a copy in ETSU’s library or historic archives of the ancestry and descendants of Walter Clement Wilson (1862-1942) and Amanda Melvina Snethen Wilson (1861-1925) written by his granddaughter, Esther Wade Bare. Your article referenced Sophronia as his wife. She was his second wife. Amanda was his first wife and the mother of his children.”

Ben Hall: “The picture of the 1942 “J” Club members in your recent column is a great one. The person third from right, front row (identified as ?3) is me. I lettered in tennis for two years and often played doubles with Roy Holloway. Mr. Johnson, not shown in the picture, was our coach and he would drive us to and from matches in his old green car, which we named ‘the green hornet.’”

In early December last year, I wrote a column paraphrasing a hodgepodge of news bits taken from a variety of newspapers spanning 1890 to 1928. Today’s column follows that same vein with news from the years 1924 through 1947.

I keep a running log of smaller news items that I plan to run from time to time. I find them interesting and hope you do too.

Sep. 1924: Forest rangers battled to save the town of Erwin from destruction by forest fires, which had been raging on Unaka Mountain for several days. At the same time, residents and numerous vacationers fought a series of new fires that were threatening the popular Unaka Springs Hotel and the village of Marbleton.

Feb. 1938: A bus-automobile trailer collision took the lives of two members, Roy Roberts and James Grissom, of the undefeated Carson-Newman College basketball team. More than 20 other students were in the bus en route to Johnson City, but fortunately escaped injury.

Jul. 1940: For the first time in East Tennessee, a presentation billed as “Opera Under the Stars” presented “Carmen” at Roosevelt Stadium in Johnson City. The production was conducted by A.F. Thaviu and featured such famous stars as Mario Selveira, who played the part of Escamillo; Harriet Bruer as Carmen; and Henry Thompson as Don Jose. It was described as “enjoyable entertainment and excellent music to the people of this region.” Tickets were secured in Johnson City from members of the Wednesday Morning Music Club and at Snyder-Jones Pharmacy. They were also available in Elizabethton, Erwin, Greeneville, Bristol and Kingsport. The opera came to Johnson City under the auspices of the Wednesday Morning Music Club and the Johnson City Press-Chronicle.

Jul. 1940: The Civitan Club placed automobile tags on sale bearing the appropriate slogan, “Johnson City – Where History and Scenery Meet.” The plates served several purposes by promoting tourism, trade and industry for the city; generating revenue for playgrounds in needed areas; and accumulating funds for a Boy Scout troop for underprivileged youths. The tags displayed black lettering on orange background. 

Jul. 1940: The Johnson City-Press Chronicle once had a Sunday feature called, “The Public Library” that provided a review of three current books on its shelves. On this day, the offerings were Charles’ Gift by Hubert Footner (story of a 1650 dwelling on Chesapeake Bay), “The Last Tragedian by Otis Skinner (early days of the American theatre) and The Making of a Minister’s Wife” by Anna Johnson (living a challenging lifestyle).

Feb. 1947: New York Congressman Irving Ives came to Johnson City to address the East Tennessee Lincoln Day dinner. The republican’s views mirror the debate in Washington today: “Congress must bring our national budget actually and definitely into balance to save the nation from economic disaster. Non-essential governmental spending should be cut to the bone and only that which can be fully justified should be allowed. Then by all means, we should adopt a tax reduction. Tax reduction must of necessity come last to bring our economy into proper adjustment.”

Feb. 1947: While Johnson Citians were basking in the warmth of an unusually mild winter, two local boys were enduring the bitter cold as part of Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd’s noted Antarctic expedition. Frank Roupas (19-year-old former graduate of Science Hill High School) and Jack Shipley (17-year-old attendee of ETSC Training School) were serving in the Navy on the carrier ship “Philippine Sea” as part of “Operation Highjump.”

If you have any news tidbits from yesteryear to share, I would love to receive them for future articles.

Lewis Brown commented on my Nov. 21 reader response column in which Thomas Beckner mentioned the Krystal-type hamburger place in Johnson City that was across from the old Hamilton Bank building on E. Main. Tom believed the burgers were five or ten cents each. He said he could still recall the smell of the place.

“The restaurant Tom spoke of,” said Lewis, “was called the Jiffy Burger and the hamburgers cost seven cents each. What a deal. I believe it was open for about a year around 1955. About the time they closed, Dairy Queen started selling their famous little burgers for 10 cents. They ran weekly specials that sometimes included pricing them at a dollar a dozen.”

Louis remembered the business being a simple layout in a building that was long and narrow. When a customer entered the front door, he or she approached a small counter with a small grill beside it for placing an order. A man, whom Brown believed was the owner, poured oil on the grill, added chopped onions, placed burgers on top of the onions and cooked them. Within a couple of minutes, the mouth-watering products were done. While they were grilling, he heated the buns on the corner of the grill. The burgers were square and wrapped in paper. Each one was garnished with mustard and two thin-sliced pickles.

Brown surmised that the location was probably the same one that once operated as Harrison’s Jewelers (201 E. Main, adjacent to Anderson Drug Store). He first heard about the restaurant from some of the older kids in his neighborhood and checked it out on his next trip downtown, which included a trip to the movies. He was not disappointed. He believed he was with Mark McCown or Mackey Therrell.

He speculated that the enterprise failed because it was located on Main Street that presented significant competition from other eateries in the immediate area. He wondered how a 7-cent burger could have generated very much profit.

On another subject, I received a package in the mail from York Trivette, who was my contributor for the Hart’s Jewelers column in May 2009. “I’m sending you,” he said, “a picture of the ‘J’ Club of Science Hill High School from The Wataugan yearbook of 1942 for your consideration of using it in a future heritage column.

“The ‘J’ Club was composed of boys who earned the letter for meeting certain goals in one or more of the various athletic events such as basketball, football, baseball, tennis or track. Today, the boys receive an ‘SH’ instead of just a ‘J’. They probably also get a jacket.” York noted that the photo was taken a few months before most all of the boys entered the armed forces. The country was at war.

Trivette related that the school was referred to then as Johnson City High School, rather than Science Hill High School as it is today. He recalled a favorite cheer used by the cheerleaders: “Are we in it? Yes, I guess. JCHS. Yes, yes, yes.”

Trivette identified several of the boys in the photo and hoped that some of my readers, who are children or grandchildren of a student pictured, might identify one of those noted with a question mark and a number.

First row (l to r): Ralph Carmichael, (?1), Terry Epperson, (?2), York Trivette, Fred Frazier, Red Caughron, (?3), Carlyle Dowdy, (?4).

Second row: (?5), Charlie Johnson, (?6), Buddy Price, (?7), Buford Goldstein, (?8), Roy Holloway, Donnie Miller, Charles Ray Alexander.

Third row: Jay Tipton, (?9), Randall Walters, Coach Denver Dyer, Coach Howard Dyer and Buddy Poole.

Forward any names you can identify and I will share them with York and also incorporate in a future column. 

“Go west, young man (and grow up with the country)” became a rallying cry in the United States in 1865, popularized by American author, Horace Greeley. It concerned Manifest Destiny, massive expansion across the continent.

The newspaper editor advocated westward growth because he believed the fertile farmland that extended throughout the west was an ideal place for hard-working people to succeed. Young men from Virginia, Tennessee and the Carolinas readily heeded the call.

Promotions by western railroad agents that beguiled young men with exaggerated tales of high wages and plentiful opportunities in the west. With imaginations inflamed by these fanciful “artful dodgers,” they saved their hard-earned cash for the extensive and expensive journey ahead. They arrived to find that the west was saturated with hopefuls like themselves who were looking for easy money that did not exist. They likely could have done as well or perhaps better had they stayed home. 

Some found higher wages, but with them came increased living expenses. Instead of land being cheaper, it was often higher and fraught with added costs, including irrigation equipment needed to make the ground more fertile. Even when productive crops were grown, the railroads took the bulk of the profits in transporting them to populated areas where there were enough residents to consume them.

Many young men drifted from place to place, which further added to the railroad’s revenue. Countless drifters, realizing their circumstances were not what they desired, longed to return home but were too embarrassed to do so.  They learned that there was no pot of shiny gold waiting for them at the end of the rainbow because the land was too desiccated to produce the colorful arc. Indeed, the “fine medicine” that was advertised in local papers was not for the drifter from the east but for the greedy agents who solicited them.  

CC&O Railroad Trussle in Boones Creek

My September 5, 2011 Yesteryear column dealt with the festive celebrations that occurred in Johnson City and Spartanburg with the completion of the Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio (CC&O) Railroad between Dante, Virginia and Spartanburg, South Carolina on October 29, 1909. The new railroad, built at an enormous cost brought by significant engineering challenges from laying track over abnormally rough terrain, was now ready to transport coal from a rich coalfield in the mountains. The risky venture greatly enhanced the economic outlook of the area.

By 1910, mountainous folks initiated their own rallying cry to “Come back east, young man (and help move coal). Many of the native-born people had been gone for a considerable number of years. They were needed to lend a hand with the development of the country that had been opened up by the presence of the new railroad.

The economy in the four states was so greatly improved that it was advertised as “the most popular movement of recent times.” Local newspapers became the primary medium for convincing home folks to return to their native land.

The CC&O Railway printed 5,000 circulars for school children to use in gathering the names and addresses of persons who had moved west. In turn, they were delivered to the board of trade and then to the railroads participating in the “Back Home” movement. Also, the railroad placed identical ads in newspapers. It was estimated that a million former southerners were asked to visit their old homes.

Organizers underestimated how successful the “come back home” crusade would be to area residents. The campaign achieved its noble goal.  

October 6, 1895 was a historic day for Johnson City and numerous other towns in the South. The Liberty Bell, perhaps the most precious relic of the birth of our nation traveled by rail from Philadelphia through our city to Atlanta to reside as a major exhibit in the Cotton States and International Exposition being held there.

The Liberty Bell was cast in 1753 at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in the East End of London and sent to Pennsylvania. It consisted of 70% copper, 25% tin and traces of lead, zinc, arsenic, gold and silver. The bell weighed 2,080 pounds; the yoke added another 100 pounds. It was 12 feet in circumference around the lip and had a 44-pound clapper.

Although this was not the first or last journey for the famed Bell, some people expressed their concern that a railway accident could destroy it or perhaps cause it to further crack. Others reasoned that the Bell belonged to the nation and should be shared with its people. Another faction saw it as a means to further improve still strained relations between the North and South by promoting national patriotism. A lawsuit settled the argument when a court ruled that Philadelphia could proceed with the trip.

The train consisted of five Pullman coaches, a combination buffet car and a flat car containing the Bell. Around the platform of the latter vehicle was a railing, constructed so as not to obstruct the view of its prized occupant. On each side were panels bearing the words, “Philadelphia” on one side and “Atlanta” on the other. In the center of the platform was a special protective frame to keep the Bell from moving. On the top lengthwise timber was inscribed in golden letters, “1776, Proclaim Liberty.” This was in reference to Leviticus 25:10 (“Proclaim Liberty throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants thereof.”).

  On October 4 at 8:00 a.m., the train departed the “City of Brotherly Love” while a sizable crowd gave the train an enthusiastic send off and wishes for a safe return. As the train traveled from city to city, cheering crowds, speeches, ceremonies, blaring factory whistles and great fanfare greeted it. Spectators touched it, kissed it and saluted it.

After making numerous stops of varying durations at towns in Delaware and Maryland, it sped through the Roanoke Valley, over the Blue Ridge Mountains and through the valley of East Tennessee. Although there were no firing of guns, blaring of brass bands or wild hurrahs like what was seen in the northern cities, the part of the country that furnished so many Union soldiers during the Civil War demonstrated beyond question its loyalty and patriotism to the country.

At many stops, schools were dismissed while bullet-scarred former Confederates walked side-by-side with G.A.R. (Grand Order of the Republic) Union veterans uncovering their heads in salutation to their northern guest. The train stopped in Bristol, Tennessee at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 6 and proceeded to make brief stops in Johnson City (see photo), Greenville and Morristown before halting in Knoxville at 7:00 p.m. for the night.

The next morning found the train continuing its journey through Loudon, Athens, Cleveland and Chattanooga where it again parked overnight. The next morning it chugged through Dalton and Rome, Georgia before reaching its final destination in Atlanta at 2:00 p.m. on October 8. A parade two miles long escorted the prized Bell to Exposition Park. It was enthusiastically received along the route, being the most notable day of the Exposition with 40,000 persons in attendance on the grounds.

The Liberty Bell arrived back in Philadelphia at noon on February 4, 1896 after a successful 4-month absence. A 45-gun salute announced its return.  

Today’s column is a paraphrased hodgepodge of small articles taken from a variety of newspapers spanning 1890 to 1928. I hope you will find them interesting. 

Dec. 1890: Heavy snow was reported in the mountains of East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia and North Carolina. Accumulations ranged from six inches to three feet. In Bristol, trains of the Norfolk and Western Railroad attempted to maintain their normal run but soon schedules had to be totally abandoned due to deep snow on the tracks. Ground conditions were very wet and not yet turned to ice. Johnson City measured eight inches of snow while Bristol had 12.

Dec. 1892: Two freight trains, numbers 21 and 22, collided on the East Tennessee Railroad near Johnson City. Both engines were destroyed along with 20 cars loaded with cattle. In addition to the death of many animals, several hobos that had jumped on the trains plus a former employee of the road were killed. After an investigation was conducted, the engineers of both vehicles were cited for negligence in the tragedy.

Jul. 1898: Mr. H.H. McPherson, a resident of Jonesboro, (old spelling) Tennessee, sent the editor of Jewelers’ Circular, a popular trade publication, a letter describing a clock that he had fabricated from a gourd. In his words, “I grew the gourd expressly for the clock and before (it) was half grown, I put it in a press to (prepare it for) the dial and the back or door flat. The gourd is 46 inches in length. The back is cut out and hinged on. It is supplied with movement from a small nickel alarm clock.”   

Apr. 1902: The newspaper noted that Governor Robert “Our Bob” Taylor had entered an old-time fiddlers’ contest that was to be held at Decatur Alabama. Nearly 100 fiddlers who were said to be as old as the governor also participated in the event. Bob, a highly respected native of Happy Valley, Tennessee was noted for his love of the fiddle.

Dec. 1902: A shooting occurred in the lobby of the Carnegie Hotel (which burned in 1910) when two out-of-town registered guests, who had been involved in a card game, became engaged in a heated quarrel. After the feud spilled over into the hotel lobby, one man pulled a .38 caliber revolver and fatally shot the other one three times. Local police investigated the incident.

Sep. 1915: The big news in downtown Johnson City was the opening of a new progressive restaurant, the Idol Inn Café, that was located on Market Street on the northeast corner of the railroad tracks. Those desiring fast food had the option of patronizing their quick lunch stand while others desiring a more leisurely meal could eat in the nice dining room. Those of us who spent a good deal of time in downtown Johnson City in the 1950s and 60s will remember the building as the home of Byrd’s Restaurant, whose slogan was “A good place to meet but a better place to eat”). I did a lot of meeting and eating in that eatery. 

Dec. 1922: Governor Alfred E. Taylor, brother of Bob, took a break from his political campaign long enough to perform the marriage ceremony for his son David H. Taylor and Miss Nellie Hope. The younger Taylor became a star catcher in the Appalachian League.    

Dec. 1928: A Christmas tree about 30 feet high was placed in Fountain Square and decorated by the Kings Mountain Post of the American Legion. The decorative scheme was a part of an ambitious plan by Legionnaires to emphasize the Christmas spirit in every city and town in the Volunteer State. Johnson City’s tree was advantageously located, observable from distances in all directions.  It was beautifully strung with colored lights and “decorated artfully.” Its purpose was emblematic with no ceremonies planned in connection with the yuletide decoration. Downtown was always a special place at Christmas.    

Today’s column contains seven responses from Press readers. Several contain requests for information.

I received a photo of a dance band from about 1946 from an anonymous person who identified some of the musicians: Front row, l to r: Phil West (clarinet and tenor sax), Buddy Beasley (tenor sax), (unknown 1) and Patty Smithdeal (alto sax). Middle row: (unknown 2), Ruth Barr (trumpet), (unknown 3) and (unknown 4). Back row- Gene “Fergie” Young and (unknown 5. The photo was likely taken at the Franklin Club in Elizabethton. Who was JB?

Frank Campbell sent me a postcard of the Beverly Court and Coffee Shop that was once located at N. Roan and Sunset Drive. He found three cards in the building that once housed the motel. The card says, “25 units, tub and shower. Tile baths, radios, fans, steam and electric heat. Phone 2166 and 9175.”  

West’s July 4, 2004 obituary notice stated that he was oboist, arranger and Professor Emeritus of the Eastman School of Music and served as artist/faculty member of the Aspen Music Festival. His wife, violinist Carole Cowan, survived him. His first wife was the late mezzo-soprano Jan DeGaetani. To say the least, he had an impressive career.

Thomas Beckner, a Science Hill classmate of mine and whose family operated the successful Beckner’s Jewelers at 232 E. Main for many years, commented that growing up in Johnson City when we did was really great. “I used to walk to Junior High School from our house at 914 Holston Avenue,” he said. “It took about 30 minutes and along the way I would join up with Bill Wood and some other guys. Then we would walk home in the afternoon.

“I recall how vibrant the downtown area was in our day. Do you recall the first Kristal-type hamburger place in Johnson City? It was across from the old Hamilton Bank building on E. Main Street. I think they were five or ten cent each. I can still recall the smell of the place.” 

Bill Cooper noted that his son came home from a used bookstore with an original oil painting that was stamped, “A Prof. Kingfish Creation.” The backer board for the painting had a date of 1967. He commented on my article that said the Professor (Bill Marrs) adopted a hobby of painting and photographing areas of East Tennessee following a heart attack. Cooper was wondering if the painting is a “collectible.” It is nice to know that Bill’s paintings can still be found.

Richard Howie wrote that he had two great uncles, Louis M. Lecka and Charles M. Lecka who were brothers who lived in Johnson City. They were both from Albania. Their parents were Michael and Katkerin Michell Lecka. Louis owned a restaurant at 104 Fountain Square during the 1920's to the 1950s.  Not residing in Johnson City, Richard was clueless about where Fountain Square was located until finding out that it was the center of town on the railroad. Another location that interested him was 111 Spring Street, which housed the Sanitary Barber Shop. 

Frank Santore, Jr. asked me if I would do a story on Ed Carter, the popular former WJHL television newsman. He later moved to Columbia, SC where he became equally well liked over WIS-TV, the NBC affiliate, as their primary anchorman between 1972 and 1998. I chatted with Ed several years ago after a chance meeting with him in Columbia’s main downtown library. 

Bill Perham asked for information about the Publix grocery stores in the area. Soon after moving here about 10 years ago, he noticed a warehouse downtown with a faded “PUBLIX” painted on it.  He asked several people about it, but was unable to get much information. Bill said he was a big fan of the Publix Grocery chain, which originally started in Florida.

If you have information to share about any of these subjects, please pass it along for future columns. My e-mail address is on the home page.