Today in Johnson City History, Saturday, December 14, 2024
Lots about Washington County history and more
Thursday, December 14, 1899: One hundred and twenty-five years ago today, The Comet informed readers that “The following paper was read before the Teachers’ Institute recently held at Chucky City, Tennessee, by Prof. J. L. Hilbert, of Limestone High School.
“Washington county (sic for County), the first and oldest county in Tennessee, was organized in 1777, and was the second county in the United States named in honor of George Washington. Washington county (sic), Virginia, is said to have been the first so named.
“At that time it embraced all the territory now within the present limits of the state of Tennessee. It was within the county that William Bean built the first cabin erected in this state, and his son, Russell Bean, was the first white child born within this State.
“Jonesboro was the first town established in Tennessee. It was within this county that the state of Franklin was organized in August, 1784. Jonesboro was made the first capital of Franklin.
“John Sevier, a citizen of this county, was the first and only governor of Franklin, and also the first governor of Tennessee, serving as its governor six terms.
“The little state of Franklin went down in defeat in a battle fought three miles from Johnson City in February, 1788.
“John Sevier also represented Tennessee in the United States congress (sic for Congress) in 1790, while we were a part of North Carolina.
“When Andrew Jackson came to Tennessee he made his home at Jonesboro.
“Washington College, in this county, was the first literary institution established in the Mississippi valley (sic for Valley).
“In 1796 James Witherspoon and J. W. Doak graduated at Washington College – the first two young men to graduate in Tennessee.
“James Stuart, Brookins Campbell, and Landon C. Haynes, all citizens of this county, served as Speaker of the House of Representatives in the Tennessee Legislature. P. C. Nelson, of this county, served as Speaker of the State Senate.
“John Tipton, Dr. Kinney, Dr. Martin, judge Deaderick, Ed. Harris, P. P. C. Nelson, W. H. Maxwell, Dr. Sevier, Felix W. Earnest, Col. Patton, Col. Brown, and A. J. West, all of this county, have been state senators.
“L. C. Haynes, of this county, was a Confederate state senator.
“A. S. Colyar, a native of this county, and now a prominent Nashville lawyer, is the only living confederate state Congressman.
“Judge Deaderick was Chief Justice of Tennessee for eight years.
“John Blair, T. A. R. Nelson, R. L. Taylor, A. A. Taylor, and Walter P. Brownlow, citizens of this county, have been members of Congress. Brownlow is now serving his second term.
“Elihu Embree, born in the old stone house just below Telford depot, published the first Abolition paper in the United States, at Jonesboro, in 1820.
“Dr. S. B. Cunningham, first president of the railway from Bristol to Knoxville, was born at the Deshler place in this county, one mile below Telford.
“The principal offices of that railroad from 1850 to the close of the civil war, were kept in Jonesboro.
“’Parson’ Brownlow, governor of Tennessee, and also United States senator, was citizen of this county from 1839 to 1849.
“The historic ‘Boone-tree’ is in this county.
“Matthew Stephenson, the first man that Andrew Johnson ever defeated for office, lived near Leesburg, this county.
“Brookins Campbell, the only man that ever defeated Andrew Johnson for office, prior to the war, lived in this county.
“The first speech that Johnson ever made after he became a candidate for office, was made on Boone’s creek (sic for Creek) in 1885, and the last speech he ever made as a candidate for United States senator was a Jonesboro, in November, 1874.
“James A. Harris, commonly known in Tennessee as ‘Barnie’ Harris, was born and raised three miles southeast of Jonesboro, and has succeeded himself as Comptroller of Tennessee a number of times.
“Robert L. Taylor, of this county, has been three times governor of Tennessee.”
Chucky City is now known as Chucky, and is located in rural Greene County.
Limestone is a community in rural Washington County.
Jonesboro was spelled that way in 1899.
Washington College was not only a college in Tennessee, but was located in a community of the same name.
Telford is a community in rural Washington County, as is Leesburg.
Boone’s creek is now known as Boone’s Creek.
Sunday, December 14, 1924: A century ago today, according to the Johnson City Chronicle, “Stories are being circulated of a ‘Peeping Tom,’ plying his profitless profession in the residential district. One resident is reported to have stepped quietly to his back porch and while there, saw some one (sic for someone) rise up near a window over which the shade was only partially drawn. The householder stepped quietly to the window and plied the only weapon he had handy – a wet towel, with which he lashed the intruder’s face and by the time he returned to his room for a more effective weapon, the marauder had disappeared.
“Another report is made of a young woman returning home late in the evening, was required to ring the doorbell on account of having forgotten her pass key. Evidently hearing the bell or the young woman approaching, two young men are said to have emerged from an adjoining basement, with an effective supply of burglar’s tools. The report is that the basement which they occupied, and in which they aid they had permission to stay, had stored in it some boxes of silverware and that there were later discovered to have been broken and some of the articles taken.”
Friday, December 14, 1934: Ninety years ago today, the Johnson City Chronicle reported that "Few Johnson City residents, if any, know the exact distance from the box office of the Majestic Theatre to the box office of the Liberty Theatre via the sidewalk. But several newly initiated members of the ‘T’ Club of the State Teachers College do – they measured it with a six-inch rule Thursday afternoon.
“The whole thing was just part of the initiation of the club and the participants apparently derived much enjoyment from their task. Four or five of the members dressed in bathrobes and hats of every (several indecipherable words) shortly after four o’clock in the afternoon. Various pedestrians suggested they use a tap measure, but the boys explained they must use the six-inch rule.
“Sometime during the afternoon the group, tired but happy, completed their tast at the Liberty.”
The State Teachers College is now known as East Tennessee State University.
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Jonesboro is about 7.5 miles from Johnson City and lies west, and very slightly south, of Johnson City.