Today in Johnson City History, Veteran's Day, Tuesday, November 11, 2025
Lodge anniversary, moonshine and Alvin York
Today in Johnson City History, Tuesday, November 11, 2025
Wednesday, November 11, 1925: A century ago today, the Johnson City Chronicle reported that “At a special communication of Johnson City Lodge No. 326, Free and Accepted Masons held here on Monday night, the fiftieth anniversary of the lodge was commemorated, over two hundred Masons were present. The Master Mason’s degree was conferred by a team of past masters of the lodge, Roy M. Clark, presiding as worshipful master, assisted by C. M. Martin, C. W. Walden, F. E. Hughes, Geo. T. Wofford, W. B. Miller, S. H. Cooper, T. E. Doss and J. Blaine Shell.
“Following the conferring of the degree the roll of the past masters was called and fifteen of the 28 who have served the lodge as worshipful master responded.
“A historical summary of the lodge and Masonic activities in Johnson City fro (sic for) the past fifty years was read by T. E. Doss. Talks were made by Judge Robert Barrow a past master of Johnson City Lodge but now a resident of Bristol. Judge Burrow being also a past master of Tennessee Grand Lodge F. & A. M.; by Chas. Byrd, of Murfreesboro, Tenn., past grand master of Tennessee Lodge, F. & A. m., by Harry D. Gump and several others.”
Tuesday, November 11, 1930: Ninety-five year ago today, the Johnson City Staff-News reported that “Two sixty-gallon moonshine stills, located close together on the river not far from (several indecipherable words), were captured and destroyed by force of Sheriff Swadley and prohibition officer John Parrott yesterday afternoon according to the officers. No one was found at either place, and no arrests were made. It is said the still were on or near the old John King farm.
“One of the stills, officers say, had recently been in use, and was apparently found to have been moved (indecipherable). About 100 gallons of beer were found at one place and 100 gallons at the other. Both were galvanized steamer outfits, with copper (indecipherable). The beer was pour out and the stills destroyed by the officers.
“In the party were John Parrott and deputies John Thomas, Sam Buchanan, John McKinney and Dave Isenberg.”
Monday, November 11, 1935: Ninety years ago today, the Johnson City Press reported news with a dateline from Pall Mall, Tennessee; the news came via the Associated Press. “Sometimes, said Sergt. Alvin C. York as he observed another Armistice Day, ‘Folks come in and want to see my medals.’
“Only on such occasions does the veteran himself look at the decorations generals were proud to pin on his breast 17 years ago. The rest of the time, he said, ‘I’ve got them locked up in the safe.’
“The sergeant, who on one day, shot 25 enemy Germans dead and captured 132 more, planned an Armistice Day address at Monticello, Ind. He said he would not take his decorations with him. A plain and simple man whose rise to fame was a warrior’s rise, the sergeant is not one for hanging shiny medals and pretty ribbons scores his broad chest.
“In fact, he could not even remember off-hand hand how many decorations he has. He figured, after he stopped to give the matter some thought, that there are ‘about 11’ tucked away in the safe. One of those is the Congressional Medal of Honor, the nation’s greatest tribute to valor.
“Yet those were big days for him when the medals were presented – days to be remembered and dreamed over on cool nights before the fire out here in his rural home.
“’The greatest civilian soldier of the war,’ was what General John J. Pershing said of him, and Marshal Foch, commander of the Allied forces, said York’s almost single-handed destruction of an enemy machine gun battalion was ‘the greatest thing accomplished by any private soldier of all the armies of Europe.’
“Seventeen years ago today Company G. Second Battalion, 328th infantry, rested behind the bloody lines of the Argonne Forest, glad to be out of the fighting, glad peace was at hand.
“’We’d been up there 26 days,’ York recalled. ‘I’ll say we were glad to be out. We pulled back to rest just before Armistice Day.’
“On the previous October 8 – they hadn’t been ‘up there’ long then – York had been sent out in a detail of 17 men to silence machine guns. Crippled by enemy fire the detail dwindled and finally there were only York and six others left to push forward.
“Unexpectedly they had stumbled upon the headquarters of the machine gun battalion and captured three officers. As the enemy charged back, York, his men having hidden themselves for safety, ‘just sat in the mud’ of the ruined woods and shot down the Germans one by one until their commander decided to surrender.
“When he finally returned to the American lines, official records show, the results of his daring and marksmanship was 25 dead and 132 captured.”
Pall Mall, Tennessee is about 202 miles from Johnson City. It is west, and north of Johnson City, and is very close to the Kentucky state line.
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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.
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.