Recent Posts
Guests Stayed at Cloudland Hotel for $2.50 Per Day Between 1896 and 1906 October 26, 2015 Lodging - In 1953, Mrs. Nannie Snyder Murrell, 82, and her husband, N.L. Murrell, who managed the Cloudland Hotel atop Roan Mountain between 1896 and 1906, arrived in Elizabethton for a visit. While there, the couple made a special trip to attend the sixth annual Rhododendron Festival and once again revel in the beauty of the rhododendron… Continue Reading-150x150.jpg)
A Pleasant Evening at Johnson City’s Downtown City Hotel, 1886 August 31, 2015 Lodging - A select party of the beauty and chivalry of our city gathered in the parlors of the City Hotel on the evening of June 10, 1886. The occasion was to honor Miss Eunice Robinson, a sprightly young beauty of Greeneville, TN and niece of Mrs. W.A. Dickinson, the charming hostess of the City Hotel. City… Continue Reading
Soaring Above The Clouds: Roan Mountain’s Cloudland Hotel, 1889 June 8, 2015 Lodging - In August 1889, several newspaper employees from The Comet engaged in a journey that caused them to soar thousands of feet above the clouds... with their feet on the ground. The fortunate few were said to be one of the happiest parties to visit the Cloudland Hotel that summer. Their names were James A. Martin,… Continue Reading
A Nostalgic Glance at Austin Springs Hotel from 1897 to 1905 May 19, 2014 Lodging - Today's column shines the big yesteryear spotlight on the long deceased Austin Spring Hotel. It became one of Johnson City's premier resort and vacation hostelry. The East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad once tabbed it as one of the finest vacation spots that could be reached by their railroad. In 1897, a meeting was held… Continue Reading
Plans for 3-Phase John Sevier Hotel Came up Short in 1930s March 26, 2012 Lodging - In September 1928, the Johnson City Chronicle announced that there were plans to proceed with the second of three expansions of the John Sevier Hotel. The first one, having 130 beds, was completed in 1924 on property adjacent to the Southern Depot. The second unit was to be appended to the south side of the first.… Continue Reading
Beverly Court and Coffee Shop Passed Through Three Sets of Owners December 26, 2011 Lodging - The subject of the Beverly Court and Coffee Shop was brought to light several weeks ago when Frank Campbell found three identical vintage postcards of it and sent one to the Press asking for information about the business. Research shows that the motel had three sets of owners before it closed and was ultimately demolished.… Continue Reading
1898 New Yorker Beat Summer Heat with Sojourn at Roan Mountain’s Cloudland Hotel August 29, 2011 Lodging - Around the end of the 19thcentury, northerners beat summer heat and annoying flies by vacationing in the relaxing pristine southern mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina, known as the “Land of the Sky.” In early July 1898, H. T. Finck, a New York resident, traveled to Roan Mountain on a mountain railroad that traveled over… Continue Reading
Lee Hotel at Spring, Walnut Streets Owned by Civil War Captain June 7, 2010 Lodging - My August 14, 2006 column dealt with a vicious storm that smacked Johnson City around 1913, causing significant damage to the surrounding area including the Lee Hotel on Spring Street. Quoting from the article: “The front door transom was blown out striking manager, Mr. W.I. Ray, in the head causing ‘an ugly wound, which though… Continue Reading
Colonial Hotel Known as “The Best Class of the Traveling Public” December 8, 2008 Lodging - The three-story Colonial Hotel that once stood at 215 E. Market Street had six large distinctive white pillars in front, a red brick edifice, a red tiled roof and an open porch at each level on the south end. The large back (north) portion of the complex was built perpendicular to the front section, giving… Continue Reading
Readers Share Their Memories of the John Sevier Hotel September 22, 2008 Lodging - Several months ago, I featured a column from Bobby Harrell about his memories of the John Sevier Hotel. I received two reader responses. The first was from Skip Oldham whose father was president of George Oldham Associates: “Oh what memories that article brought back,” said Skip. “For many years, our family business was in the… Continue Reading