Today in Johnson City History, Sunday, December 29, 2024
Railroads and other local news; a charity ball
Friday, December 29, 1899: One hundred and twenty-five years ago today, The Knoxville Sentinel reported several short news items, all with datelines from Johnson City. The first news account was as follows: “Our people are much interested in the completion of the new railway from Lenoir, N. C., as reported in Wednesday’s Sentinel.
“It is thought the road indicated will be connected with the one extending from here to Cranberry. In that event Johnson City will have another eastern outlet, as well as a connection with Charleston, S. C. The most direct line from points in East Tennessee is by way of the Watauga Valley.
“A survey made six or eight years ago, from Johnson City to Norfolk, over that route showed a savings of sixty-eight miles, as compared with present lines.”
Lenoir, N. C. is about 78 miles from Johnson City. It is southeast of Johnson City.
Cranberry, North Carolina is about 32 miles from Johnson City. It is southeast of Johnson City.
“Hon. A. A. Taylor is in the city, visiting relatives. He is very reserved as to the contest between Campbell and Brownlow. Mr. Taylor has the happy faculty of saing very much about a subject, but leaves his hearers in the end greatly mystified as to his attitude thereupon.”
Alfred A. Taylor was a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives from 1874 until 1876. He served as a member of the U. S. House of Representatives from the First Congressional District from 1889 until 1895. He was Governor of the State of Tennessee from 1921 until 1923.
“Walter Preston Brownlow (March 27, 1851 – July 8, 1910) was an American politician who represented Tennessee's 1st district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1897 until his death in 1910. He is remembered for obtaining large federal appropriations for his district, as well as for his intraparty political battles with Chattanoogans Henry Clay Evans and Newell Sanders over control of the state Republican Party. Along with his congressional tenure, Brownlow served as Doorkeeper of the United States House of Representatives from 1881 to 1883, and published the Jonesboro Herald and Tribune from 1876 to 1910.” (Source: Wikipedia.)
“Prof. John F. Templin and family, of Whitesburg, are here to spend the holidays visiting homefolks. Prof. and Mrs. Templin have charge of a flourishing school at Whitesburg.”
Whitesburg is about 56 miles from Johnson City. It is located in Hamblen County.
“Frank Evans, a former citizen of this town, is here from Goldsboro, N. C., Mr. Evans has a splendid home in this city and may locate here again.”
Goldsboro, North Carolina is about 297 miles from Johnson City. It is east of Johnson City.
“E. P. McQueen, Esp., and A. S. Henderson, Esq., of Loudon, are in the city, at the Piedmont hotel (sic for Hotel).”
Loudon, Tennessee is about 139 miles from Johnson City.
“R. L. Brunner and Thomas E. Hurst have, it is said, bought out the grocery store of George E. Clark and Belton & Co.”
The Knoxville Sentinel is now published as the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Saturday, December 29, 1934: Ninety years ago today, according to the Johnson City Chronicle, “Three hundred and fifty were guests at the annual Hurstleigh club (sic for Club) Charity ball (sic for Ball) Thursday evening at the Johnson City Country Club between 10 and 2:30 o’clock. Twenty-eight club members, of whom Mr. Folsom ‘Buddy’ Beckner is president, and their dates were dinner guests at 8 o’clock at the club. Long tables beautifully decorated with Christmas evergreens and red tapers were placed in the shape of an ‘H’ for the gay event. The club was gay with holiday decorations, evergreens and burning tapers.
“Dinner favors were corsages to the ladies and red carnation buttonnieres (sic for boutonnieres) to the gentlemen. An elaborate four course dinner was served to 52 guests.”
“The Clevelanders, playing to Johnson City for their initial engagement, played entrancing music for the dancers until a late hour. Among the guests were numbered many from Bristol, Jonesboro, Elizabethton, Knoxville, Erwin and a number of holiday visitors.
“Funds derived each year from the Charity ball (sic) are expended during the year for especially manufactured shoes for boys and girls who have received treatment at the Shrine hospital (sic for Hospital) for Crippled Children at Greenville, S. C., and ten per cent is contributed to the Community Chest. During the past year the club made possible a tonsillectomy for a dependent child at the Juvenile Court Home and responded to calls for various charity needs. In former years the club supported soup and milk funds in out-lying schools, but during the past year these became self-supporting.
“Members and their guests attending the dinner were: Charles Broyles, Mr. and Mrs. Perry Hunter, Mr. and Mrs. Bob Dosser, Leland Cardwell, Mr. and Mrs. Carl Langhammer, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Carr, Mr. and Mrs. Guy Carr, Mr. and Mrs. W. B. McCoy, Mr. and Mrs. McKee Kinaird, Mr. and Mrs. George Brandt, Mr. and Mrs. Jay L. Gump, Allen Gump, Mr. and Mrs. Arch Spencer, Bud Beckner, Mr. and Mrs. George Oldham, Jim Vince, Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Elliott, Porter Marshall, Graham Morrison, Betty Ffolliott, Paul Wofford, Dr. and Mrs. Willilam G. Preas, Bernie Spencer, Nona Ruth Draper of Richlands, Va., Fred Brewer, Edith Summers, Allen Wofford, Mr. and Mrs. Bob King, Mr. and Mrs. Bill Miller, Mr. and Mrs. Bill Robertson, Mr. Dub Smith, Florence Taylor, Mr. Bill Harris, of Knoxville, Miss Sarah Allen Briscoe, Knoxville, Mr. McCormick, Mr. Phelps, Galax, Va., Elizabeth Shipley, Jonesboro, Sam Mitchell, Bristol, Allen Harris, Jr., New York City, Lewis Prosser, Nancy McLaughlin, Estel Harman, Loulee Preas, Mr. and Mrs. William Searles, New York City; Marjorie Shipley, Jonesboro, Bill Swoyer, Vivian Gels, Knoxville.
“Parents of the club members were chaperones of the gala event, which was one of the best ever, sponsored by the popular group and proved as outstanding social success of the Yuletide.”
Jonesboro was spelled that way in 1934.
The Community Chest is now known as the United Way.
Richlands, Virginia is about 96 miles from Johnson City. It is north, and very slightly east, of Johnson City.
Galax, Virginia is about 141 miles from Johnson City. It is northeast of Johnson City
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