Dec. 5, 1889: The Comet reported, “Gen. Wilder received a telegram Monday from Col. Johnson stating that all the rails to lay the track on the Three C’s in Washington County had been shipped.”
The Three C’s was a railroad line.
Dec. 5, 1896: One hundred and twenty-five years ago today, the Morristown Republican reported disturbing news. From a Johnson City dateline, readers learned that “The large barn of Robert Anderson, on Buffalo creek (sic), three miles from this place, was burned on Friday night. Eight head of fine horses, hacks, wagons, grain and hay were all consumed. The loss of $3,000; insurance, $1,600. The fire was of incendiary origin, and and (sic) suspicion rests on parties who are being looked after.”
Three thousand dollars in 1896 now has the approximately purchasing power of $98,781, so $1600 in 1896 would be worth about $52,683 in 2021, according to . This information is taken from www.in2013dollars.com.
The Morristown Republican was a newspaper published in Morristown, Tennessee, a city about 66 miles from Johnson City. The newspaper is no longer in publication. Johnson City did not have a daily newspaper in 1896; The Comet was a weekly publication.
Dec. 5, 1901: The Knoxville Sentinel reported that “Snow fell at Johnson City all day (yesterday),” and that the mountains southeast of Johnson City were covered with “fleecy elements.”
The Knoxville Sentinel is now published as the Knoxville News-Sentinel. Johnson City did not have a daily newspaper in 1901.The Comet was published weekend in 1901.
Dec. 5, 1912: Johnson City Court Records show that Pat Campbell and Rose McClure (sic) were fined for “Lewdness and adulating these parties having been named while in custody. This case is dismissed on payment of cost.” The Records do not state what the cost was to either woman, nor if the fines were paid.
Dec. 5, 1921: A century ago today, The Journal and Tribune reported news with a dateline from Johnson City and carrying the byline of LeRoy Park. Readers learned that “A meeting of utmost importance to the future of Eastern Tennessee and Western North Carolina was held yesterday in this city in the new quarters of the Chamber of Commerce.”
“Resulting in part from the recent visit to East Tennessee of the members of the Association of State Geologists, under the direction of Wilbur A. Nelson, State Geologist of Tennessee, and in part from the growing feeling of the necessity of co-operation to get results, twenty representative owners of iron properties, or their proxies, assembled to-day (sic) to discuss plans for marketing and using the vast iron ore deposits of Eastern Tennessee and Western North Carolina.”
“The conditions bringing about this action at this time were outlined by Mr. Robert Nelson Campbell, of New York, who is still interested in iron properties in East Tennessee.”
The Journal and Tribune was a newspaper published in Knoxville. It ceased publication in 1924. We do not have access to any newspapers that were published in Johnson City in 1921.
Dec. 5, 1926: The Knoxville Sunday Journal reported on the disappearance of a Johnson City librarian. With a dateline of Jonson City, readers learned, “Disappearance on Friday afternoon of Mrs. Sue. M. Painter, of XXX West Locust street (sic), assistant librarian at the Mayne Williams library (sic), was solved this afternoon after a 24-hours search, when she was found seriously ill in a hotel at Erwin. She was brought to the Appalachian hospital (sic) here in a highly nervous condition, and is reported to be gradually responding to treatment.”
The Mayne Williams Library was a forerunner of the Johnson City Public Library.
The Appalachian Hospital was a forerunner of Memorial Hospital, which was a forerunner of the Johnson City Medical Center.
The Sunday Journal and Tribune eventually became the Knoxville Journal and Tribune. It is now published as the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Dec. 5, 1927: The Greeneville Democrat-Sun reported, with a dateline of Army Recruiting Station, Johnson City, “Private John Doughboy is now in the millionaire class. Soldiers’ bank accounts on June 30th last showed the healthy balance of $1,985,870.55, according to the annual report of the Chief of Finance, made public recently by Sgt. Charley R. Price, in charge of the U.S. Army Recruiting Offices at Johnson City, Tenn.”
That amount of money would be worth approximately $31,567,238 in today’s dollars (Source: www.in2013dollars.com)
Dec. 5, 1942: The Johnson City Press alerted readers to movies that were currently playing at local theaters. “The Glass Key” was playing at the Majestic. Alan Laird and Veronica Lake were the stars of that movie. “Miss Polly” was showing at the Sevier Theater; Zazu Pitts and Slim Summerville were featured in that picture. John King was starring in “Gentleman from Arizona,” which was also playing at the Sevier. The Tennessee Theater was featuring “Fighting Renegades,” which was starring Tim McCoy.
Dec. 5, 1946: Seventy-five years ago today, the Johnson City Press-Chronicle carried an advertisement for the Glamor Shop, which was located in downtown Johnson City. However, the address was not provided in the ad. Nylon hose were $1.35 a pair, but rayon hose were only 95 cents a pair.
The advertisement reminded readers that “It’s Only 17 Shopping Days ‘til Christmas”.
In addition, the ad alerted readers with a notice to “Farm, Tobacco Men.” The Glamor Shops would “Gladly Cash Your Tobacco Checks.”
A dollar and thirty-five cents in 1946 is now worth about $19.15, and 95 cents in the same year currently has the approximate purchasing power of $13.47.
Dec. 5, 1964: The Johnson City Press-Chronicle reported on recent activity that was investigated by the Carter County Sheriff’s Department. “Carter County Sheriff’s officers investigated a family altercation last night at Davis Trailer Court. It was first reported that a woman had shot her husband but officers later learned that the woman, Mrs. Lena May Ryan, about 37, had ‘cracked a dinner plate’ over the head of her husband, Howard Ryan, 41, who allegedly started the altercation by injuring his wife’s left arm. No charges were placed by the investigating officers.”
Dec. 5, 1974: Several offices had recently been broken into at the Ashe Street Courthouse, according to the Johnson City Press-Chronicle. “County offices on two floors of Ashe Street Courthouse received considerable damage early this morning when burglars broke into the building and took at least $1,140 and more than three pounds of confiscated drugs.”
The article continued to say, “Hardest hit were offices on the basement floor which include the Washington County Sheriff’s Department and Sessions Judge Stewart Cannon’s office. According to a spokesman … about $1,000 was taken from a cash box … in the dispatcher’s office. Also taken from the same room were … four to five guns from a combination lock safe. The safe apparently had been opened by the combination as there was no evidence of forceable entry.”
Eleven hundred, forty dollars in 1974 would be worth about $6,395 today, with $1,000 in 1974 being worth about $5610. (Source: www.in2013dollars.com)
Dec. 5, 1979: Tom Hodge wrote about the Brown Mountain lights in his column in the Johnson City Press-Chronicle. The Brown Mountain lights, located in Western North Carolina, have been the subject of much mystery and debate over the decades.
