September 4, 1609: Four hundred and twenty-seven years ago today, ”’This day the people of the country cam aboard, seeming very glad of our coming, and brought green tobacco and gave us of it for knives and beads. They go in deer skins loose, well dressed….They have great stores of maize or Indian wheat.’
“So reads the log of the Half Moon, Henry Hudson’s ship, as it probed waters near the mouth of the broad river that now bears the explorer’s name. ud
Hudson himself called the stream the Great River of the Mountains. The Dutch East India Company had hired him to find a new route to the Indies, and for several days the 80-ton Half Moon sailed upstream hoping to locate the fabled Northwest Passage.
“Along the way the crew both traded and fought with Indians, and marveled at the scenery. ‘The land is the finest for cultivation that I ever in my life set foot upon,’ Hudson wrote. The explorer saw ‘very goodly oaks’ and ‘a great many salmon in the river.’ They noted mountains that looked ‘as if some metal or mineral were in them,’ and cliffs that seemed to promise copper or silver mines.
“The Half Moon pushed up the Hudson River to the vicinity of present-day Albany, New York. By then it was clear that was not the way to China, so the ship made its way back downstream and sailed past Manhattan Island into the Atlantic. Its captain perished less than two years later on another voyage in search of the Northwest Passage. Far to the north, in the vast inland sea of Canada now known as the Hudson Bay, a mutinous crew set Henry Hudson, his son John, and seven other adrift in a small boat. Its occupants disappeared forever into the ice and fog.”
(Source: The American Patriot’s Almanac by William J. Bennett and John T. E. Cribb.)
Wednesday, September 4, 1901: One hundred and twenty-five years ago today, the Herald and Tribune published several short news items of local interest; some brief advertisements were also scattered among the pages of the newspaper. Some of the news items may have appeared in previous columns, but in a slightly differing form. Some news articles, as well as advertisements follow:
“Buy salt of (sic for at) Fink & Hickey.”
“See disc harrows at Thomas Bros.”
“Harry Haws was in Bristol last Saturday.”
Bristol is about 24 miles from Johnson City. It is north, and very slightly east, of Johnson City.
“J. A. T. Bacon, of Bristol, was here Monday.”
“Thomas Bros. will sell you choice of four drills.”
“Mrs. E. A. Shipley is at Unaka Springs for a few weeks.”
Unaka Springs is located in Unicoi County.
“See Thomas Bros. for Richford and Huffman grain drills.”
“Miss Kate Dosser has gone to Johnson City to teach this winter.”
“Chas. E. Britton spent last Sunday with homefolks near Telford.”
Telford is a community in rural Washington County.
“Squire Shepherd, of Fall Branch, was one of the many in town Monday.”
Like Telford, Fall Branch is a community in rural Washington County.
“Miss Baasham, of Springfield, Ill., is visiting Mrs. S. P. Martin, of this place.”
“Jas. M. Gresham, Jr., left last Friday for Lebanon, Tenn., to enter law school.”
“Dr. and Mrs. P. W. Kirkpatrick returned from Buffalo and the Pan-American exposition last Sunday.”
“If you want to please yourself and be a blessing to your family, buy the Empire wheat drill.”
“Mrs. Mary Dosser, of Raleigh, N. C., is here on a visit. She left this place a few years ago and has made Raleigh her home ever since.”
“Jacob Clouse, of New Haven, Conn., after visiting relatives here and in Unicoi County, returned last Wednesday. Mrs. Clouse will remain with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Smith, for a while.”
Unicoi is a county, and also a community within the county.
“During the last month this section was visiting by an unusual rainfall, in fact it was the wettest August within the memory of any of our people. Rain fell on twenty-two days, amounting to 10.45 inches, being in excess of the normal monthly rainfall to the extent of several inches.”
“Britton Bros. have decided to close out their entire stock of groceries within the next few days. They desire all who are indebted to them to come in and settle at once.”
“Mrs. Inex Deaderick, of Knoxville, was here last week. She had been down on the river at her summer home for a few weeks. She has sold her property and will not return next summer.”
“Mrs. Margaret Brown went up to Unaka Springs Tuesday to spend a few weeks. Mrs. Brown celebrated her eighty-first birthday last Monday. She is a very active lady for one of her age.”
“Henry Huffman’s little son, aged five years, died last Tuesday after a long illness of flux. A brother of the child died about a week previously with the same disease.”
“Flux” was the term used for what we know as dysentery today.
“Rev. J. H. Humphreys went to Johnson City Friday.”
“Jack Humphreys and Miss Nora McIntyre were married Tuesday night. Squire Sliger tied the knot at his home, and the happy couple drove back to Telford in heavenly joy. We wish them all kinds of good luck and may their troubles all be little ones.”
“T. P. Britton is suffering with flux.”
The Herald and Tribune ceased publication in 2025.
The Herald and Tribune was published in Jonesboro, which was spelled that way in 1901. Jonesborough, as it is spelled now, is about 7.5 miles from Johnson City and lies west, and very slightly south, of Johnson City. It is the county seat of Washington County.
Thank you for sharing part of your day with me!
To subscribe, click on this link:
https://www.todayinjohnsoncityhistory.com/subscribe
Truly, it takes several people to put together something like you’ve just read. I express profound appreciation to Heidi Dulebohn and Stephanie McClellan Houk for their thoughts and encouragement.
Grateful appreciation is expressed to Collin Brooks for his social media expertise. If you need assistance with your social media needs, call him at 423-735-8755.
Will Riddle, owner of Riddle Technology Services, can help you with all your computer and computer-related needs. He’s the best! Call him at 423-480-4024.