Kingsport is a city in Sullivan and Hawkins counties in the U.S. state of

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 36th-largest by ...

. As of the 2020 census, its population was 55,442. Lying along the Holston River, Kingsport is commonly included in what is known as the Mountain Empire, which spans a portion of southwest Virginia and the mountainous counties in northeastern Tennessee. It is the largest city in the Kingsport–Bristol metropolitan area, which had a population of 307,614 in 2020. The metro area is a component of the larger

Tri-Cities Tri-Cities most often refers to: *Tri-Cities, Tennessee, United States *Tri-Cities, Washington, United States Tri-City, Tricity or Tri-Cities may also refer to: Populated places Americas Canada *Tri-Cities (British Columbia), consisting of Co ...

region of Tennessee and Virginia, with a population of 508,260 in 2020. The name "Kingsport" is a simplification of "King's Port", originally referring to the area on the Holston River known as King's Boat Yard, the head of navigation for the Tennessee Valley.

History

Kingsport was developed after the Revolutionary War, at the confluence of the North and South Forks of the Holston River. In 1787 it was known as "Salt Lick" for an ancient

mineral lick A mineral lick (also known as a salt lick) is a place where animals can go to lick essential mineral nutrients from a deposit of salts and other minerals. Mineral licks can be naturally occurring or artificial (such as blocks of salt that fa ...

. It was first settled along the banks of the South Fork, about a mile from the

confluence In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...

. The

Long Island of the Holston River Long Island ( chr, ᎠᎼᏰᎵ ᎫᎾᎯᏔ, translit=Amoyeli Gunahita), also known as Long Island of the Holston, is an island in the Holston River at Kingsport in East Tennessee. Important in regional history since pre-colonial times, the is ...

is near the confluence, which is mostly within the present-day corporate boundaries of Kingsport. The island was an important site for the

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, th ...

, colonial pioneers and early settlers, and specifically mentioned in the 1770 Treaty of Lochaber. Early settlements at the site were used as a staging ground for other pioneers who were traveling overland on the

Wilderness Road The Wilderness Road was one of two principal routes used by colonial and early national era settlers to reach Kentucky from the East. Although this road goes through the Cumberland Gap into southern Kentucky and northern Tennessee, the other (m ...

leading to

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

through the Cumberland Gap. First chartered in 1822, Kingsport became an important shipping port on the Holston River. Goods originating for many miles around from the surrounding countryside were loaded onto barges for the journey downriver to the

Tennessee River The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other name ...

at Knoxville. In the Battle of Kingsport (December 13, 1864) during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...

, a force of 300 Confederates under Colonel Richard Morgan stopped a larger Union force for nearly two days. An army of over 5,500 troops under command of Major General George Stoneman had left Knoxville to raid Confederate targets in Virginia: the salt works at

Saltville Saltville is a town in Smyth and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Virginia. The population was 2,077 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Kingsport– Bristol (TN)– Bristol (VA) Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a compon ...

, the lead works at Wytheville, and the iron works in Marion. While Col. Morgan's small band held off a main Union force under Major General Cullem Gillem on the opposite side the Holston River, Union Col. Samuel Patton took a force of cavalry to a ford in the river north and came down behind the Confederates. Out-numbered, out-flanked, and demoralised by the bitter winter weather, Col. Morgan surrendered. The Confederates suffered 18 dead, and 84

prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of w ...

were sent to a Union prison in Knoxville. The city lost its charter after a downturn in its fortunes precipitated by the Civil War. On September 12, 1916, Kingsport residents demanded the death of circus elephant Mary (an

Asian elephant The Asian elephant (''Elephas maximus''), also known as the Asiatic elephant, is the only living species of the genus '' Elephas'' and is distributed throughout the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, from India in the west, Nepal in t ...

that performed in the Sparks World-famous Shows Circus). She had killed city hotel worker Walter Eldridge, who was hired by the circus the day before as an assistant elephant trainer. Eldridge was attacked and killed by the elephant while he was leading her to a pond. The elephant was impounded by the local sheriff. Leaders of several nearby towns threatened to prevent the circus from performing if it included the elephant. The circus owner, Charlie Sparks, reluctantly decided that the only way to quickly resolve the situation was to hold a public execution. On the following day, she was transported by rail to

Erwin, Tennessee Erwin is a town in and the county seat of Unicoi County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 6,097 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Johnson City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City– Kingspo ...

, where a crowd of over 2,500 people assembled in the Clinchfield Railroad yard to watch her hang from a railroad crane.Schroeder, Joan V
"The Day They Hanged an Elephant in East Tennessee"
''Blue Ridge Country'' Re-chartered in 1917, Kingsport was an early example of a "garden city". Part of it was designed by city planner and landscape architect John Nolen of

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, ...

. It was nicknamed as the "Model City" from this plan, which organized the town into areas for commerce, churches, housing and industry. Most of the land on the river was devoted to industry. Most of the Long Island is now occupied by Eastman Chemical Company, which is headquartered in Kingsport. As part of this plan, Kingsport built some of the earliest

traffic circle A roundabout is a type of circular intersection (road), intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junction.''The N ...

s (roundabouts) in the United States. Into the 1950s, two important public works projects were constructed: the

Boone Dam Boone Dam is a hydroelectric and flood control dam on the South Fork Holston River on the border between Sullivan County and Washington County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is one of three dams on the South Fork Holston owned and operated b ...

and the Fort Patrick Henry Dam, hydroelectric dams built along the South Fork Holston River. Kingsport was among the first municipalities to adopt a

city manager A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a "Mayor–council government" council–manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief exec ...

form of government, to professionalize operations of city departments. It developed its school system based on a model promoted by

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

. Pal's Sudden Service, a regional fast-food restaurant chain, opened its first location in 1956 and is headquartered in Kingsport. In 2001, Pal's Sudden Service, won the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, becoming the first restaurant company to receive the award.

Geography

Long Island, Kingsport, TN (11523602094)

Kingsport is located in western Sullivan County at (36.5369, −82.5421), at the intersection of U.S. Routes 11W and 23. Kingsport is the northwest terminus of Interstate 26. US 11W leads east to

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, city, Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Glouces ...

and southwest to Rogersville, while US 23 leads north to Big Stone Gap, Virginia. I-26 and US 23 lead south to Interstate 81 and to

Asheville, North Carolina Asheville ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Buncombe County, North Carolina. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the state's 11th-most populous cit ...

. The city is bordered to the west by the town of

Mount Carmel Mount Carmel ( he, הַר הַכַּרְמֶל, Har haKarmel; ar, جبل الكرمل, Jabal al-Karmil), also known in Arabic as Mount Mar Elias ( ar, link=no, جبل مار إلياس, Jabal Mār Ilyās, lit=Mount Saint Elias/ Elijah), is a ...

, to the southeast by unincorporated Colonial Heights, and to the northeast by unincorporated Bloomingdale. The Kingsport city limits extend west into

Hawkins County Hawkins County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 56,721. Its county seat is Rogersville, Hawkins County is part of the Kingsport–Bristol–Bristol, TN- VA Metropolitan S ...

and north to the

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

border. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which are land and , or 1.86%, are water. Most of the water area is in the South Fork Holston River.

Climate

Neighborhoods

There are several neighborhoods located within or just outside of Kingsport, offering different lifestyles: * Allandale * Amersham * Bloomingdale * Borden Village * Carter's Valley * Cliffside * Colonial Heights * Cooks Valley * Downtown * Edinburgh * Fairacres * Fort Robinson * Gibson Town * Green Acres * Highland Park * Hillcrest * Huntington Hills * Indian Springs (Fall Creek &

Airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surfa ...

) * Litz Manor * Lynn Garden * Malabar Heights * Meadowview * Midtown * Morrison City * Orebank * Preston Forest * Preston Hills * Ridgefields * Riverfront * Riverview * Rock Springs * Sevier Terrace * Sullivan Gardens * Tellico Hills * White City

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

, there were 55,442 people, 23,640 households, and 14,273 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, there were 44,905 people, 19,662 households and 12,642 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,018.9 per square mile (393.4/km²). There were 21,796 housing units at an average density of 494.6 per square mile (191.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.32%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 4.07%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.79% Asian, 0.24% American Indian/Alaska Native, 0.02% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, 0.34% some other race, and 1.06%

two or more races 2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many cultur ...

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 1.05% of the population. There were 19,662 households, of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22, and the average family size was 2.80. In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.7% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 20.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $30,524, and the median income for a family was $40,183. Males had a median income of $33,075 versus $23,217 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,549. About 14.2% of families and 17.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.9% of those under age 18 and 13.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Municipal

Kingsport uses the council-manager system, which was established in 1917 when the city was re-chartered. Kingsport is governed locally by a seven-member Board of Mayor and Aldermen. The citizens elect the mayor to a two-year term and the six aldermen to four-year terms. The elections take place in odd-numbered years, with the mayor and three aldermen elected every two years. New terms begin on July 1. The board elects a vice mayor from among the six aldermen. The council or board then hires a professional city manager. In late 2021, or early 2022, the board decided to move the election to coincide with the primary elections in Tennessee in August of every even-numbered year. This changes the Mayoral and Alderman election from May 2023 to August of 2024.

Current composition of BMA

Past municipal election results

In May of 2021, incumbent Mayor Patrick Shull fought off three challengers, but won with 63.8% of the vote. Aldermen Collette George (who also serves as a county commissioner for Sullivan County) and Betsy M Cooper ran for re-election to another 4 year term and won. Alderman Jennifer Adler decided not to run for re-election. Political new-comer Paul Montgomery won the most votes in race beating out Bob Harshbarger (son of Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger), Joe Carr (who ran for Mayor in 2019, and was later elected to the Sullivan County Commission), Sara Buchanan, Wesley Combs,

Gerald Sensabaugh Gerald Lind Sensabaugh Jr. (born June 13, 1983) is a former American football safety. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He also played for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at North ...

(the former Safety for the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divis ...

), and J.S. Moore.

State

The Sullivan County portion of Kingsport is represented in the

Tennessee House of Representatives The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee. Constitutional requirements According to the state constitution of 1870, this body is to consi ...

by the 1st and 2nd State Representative districts and the Hawkins County portion by the 6th district. Currently serving in these positions are Representatives John Crawford,

Bud Hulsey Charles Nolan "Bud" Hulsey (born May 30, 1949) is the State Representative for the Tennessee House of Representatives 2nd District in Sullivan County. Early life Bud Hulsey was born on May 30, 1949, and he attended Durango High School as a Duran ...

, and Scotty Campbell respectively. In the

Tennessee State Senate The Tennessee Senate is the upper house of the U.S. state of Tennessee's state legislature, which is known formally as the Tennessee General Assembly. The Tennessee Senate has the power to pass resolutions concerning essentially any issue reg ...

, the Sullivan County portion of Kingsport is represented by the 4th Senatorial District and the Hawkins County portion by the 8th district. State Senator Jon Lundberg and State Senator Frank Niceley currently serve in these positions. All of these elected officials are members of the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa * Republican Party (Liberia) *Republican Party ...

Federal

Kingsport is represented in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

by Republican Diana Harshbarger of the 1st congressional district.

Economy

Eastman Chemical Company has its world headquarters in Kingsport. Domtar operates a paper mill in Kingsport. Domtar has temporarily shut this plant down from uncoated freesheet paper manufacturing and plans to convert the plant by 2023 to be able to create containerboard.

Holston Army Ammunition Plant Holston Army Ammunition Plant (HSAAP) manufactures Research Department Explosive (RDX) and High Melting Explosive ( HMX) for ammunition production and development. It is government-owned and contractor-operated (GOCO) facility that is part of th ...

operated by

BAE Systems BAE Systems plc (BAE) is a British multinational arms, security, and aerospace company based in London, England. It is the largest defence contractor in Europe, and ranked the seventh-largest in the world based on applicable 2021 revenue ...

' Ordnance Systems, Inc. manufactures a wide range of secondary detonating explosives for the

Department of Defense Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to: Current departments of defence * Department of Defence (Australia) * Department of National Defence (Canada) * Department of Defence (Ireland) * Department of National Defense (Philipp ...

. In 2019, Kingsport's

gross metropolitan product Gross metropolitan product (GMP) is a monetary measure of the value of all final goods and services produced within a metropolitan statistical area during a specified period (''e.g.'', a quarter, a year). GMP estimates are commonly used to compar ...

was reported to be .

Education

Colleges and universities

While no college or university has its main campus within the city, these institutions have branch campuses in Kingsport: * East Tennessee State University * King University * Lincoln Memorial University * Milligan University *

Northeast State Community College Northeast State Community College is a public community college based in Blountville, Tennessee. It offers technical education and college transfer programs in Blountville and at teaching sites in Elizabethton, Gray, Johnson City, and Kingspor ...

King, Lincoln Memorial, Milligan and Northeast State are all located in the Kingsport Academic Village complex in downtown Kingsport. East Tennessee State offers general education courses in the Hawkins County (westernmost) portion of the city, with more advanced courses at the Academic Village.

Primary and secondary

Residents of Kingsport are served by the Kingsport City Schools public school system. It operates eight elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. In addition, Kingsport has eight private academies, most with religious affiliation. ;List of Kingsport city schools * John Adams Elementary School * Andrew Jackson Elementary School * Andrew Johnson Elementary School * John F. Kennedy Elementary School * Abraham Lincoln Elementary School * Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School * Thomas Jefferson Elementary School * George Washington Elementary School * Ross N. Robinson Middle School * John Sevier Middle School * Dobyns-Bennett High School * Cora Cox Academy (formerly New Horizons Alternative School) * Dobyns-Bennett Excel

Former school for African Americans

Douglass High School in Kingsport was one of the largest

high schools in the region when it closed for desegregation in 1966. The school's former building on East Walnut Avenue (now East Sevier Avenue) was a historic Rosenwald School, built in 1929–30 with a combination of funds from the city, private citizens and the

Rosenwald Fund The Rosenwald Fund (also known as the Rosenwald Foundation, the Julius Rosenwald Fund, and the Julius Rosenwald Foundation) was established in 1917 by Julius Rosenwald and his family for "the well-being of mankind." Rosenwald became part-owner of S ...

. Although during the years of segregation the Douglass Tigers football team was not allowed to play white teams, the Tigers won a Tennessee state football championship a state basketball championship in 1946, and a state basketball championship in 1948. The present building, built in 1951 at 301 Louis Street, is now the V.O. Dobbins Sr. Complex, named for Douglass' former principal.

Human resources

Medical

Kingsport is the location of two hospitals, both operated by Ballad Health: *Holston Valley Medical Center *Indian Path Community Hospital

Military

* The vessel SS ''Kingsport Victory'', which later became USNS ''Kingsport'', was named in honor of the city.

Police

Kingsport Police Department is the municipal law enforcement agency for the City of Kingsport. As of 2021, the KPD consisted of 120 sworn officer positions, plus about 40 full-time support staff, including records, jail, maintenance and dispatch. KPD has numerous specialized divisions to address the needs of the city, including Criminal Investigations, VICE and Narcotics, Traffic, Search and Rescue, Bomb Squad, and SWAT.

Media

Newspapers

* ''

Kingsport Times-News The ''Kingsport Times News'' is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Kingsport, Tennessee, and distributed in six counties in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. The Times News is published by Six Rivers Media, LLC., which publish ...

'' * ''Daily News''

Television

* WKPT-TV (

COZI TV Cozi TV (stylized on-air as COZI TV) is an American free-to-air television network owned by the NBC Owned Television Stations division of NBCUniversal. The network airs classic television series from the 1960s to the 2000s. The network ori ...

19) *

WAPK-CD WAPK-CD, virtual channel 36 (UHF digital channel 16), is a low-power, Class A MeTV- affiliated television station licensed to Kingsport, Tennessee, United States, serving the Tri-Cities area of northeastern Tennessee and southwestern Virginia. ...

( MeTV 36) Kingsport shares a television market with Johnson City and Bristol, VA. WCYB-TV ( NBC;

THE CW ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

on DT2) in Bristol, WEMT-TV ( FOX) in Greeneville,

WETP-TV WETP-TV (channel 2) is a Non-commercial educational station, non-commercial educational television station licensed to Sneedville, Tennessee, United States. It is simulcast full-time over Broadcast relay station#Satellite stations, satellite sta ...

( PBS) in

Sneedville Sneedville is the only city in and the county seat of Hancock County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,282 per the 2020 census. History Settlement began in the 1790s, following the American Revolutionary War,Will Thomas Hale and Dix ...

and WJHL-TV ( CBS; ABC on DT2 aka ABC Tri-Cities) in Johnson City.

AM radio

* WKPT * WHGG

FM radio

* WTFM * WRZK * WCQR *

WKOS WKOS (104.9 FM), branded as "104.9 Nash Icon", is a radio station serving the Tri-Cities, Tennessee, area with country music. This station is under ownership of Cumulus Media. History This station was WGAT-FM Mar. 13, 1979, WZXY on Oct. 14, 1 ...

* WCSK

Culture

Sports

The city is home to the

Kingsport Axmen The Kingsport Axmen are a summer collegiate baseball team of the Appalachian League. They are located in Kingsport, Tennessee, and play their home games at Hunter Wright Stadium. The team was known as the Kingsport Road Warriors for a brief perio ...

, a

collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...

team of the

Appalachian League The Appalachian League is a collegiate summer baseball league that operates in the Appalachian regions of Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. Designed for rising freshmen and sophomores using wood bats, its season runs from J ...

. The nickname is in reference to frontiersman

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the we ...

, who began the

in Kingsport. The Axmen play their home games at Hunter Wright Stadium, which is named after former mayor Hunter Wright.

Professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professiona ...

was first played in Kingsport, by the Kingsport Indians in the Appalachian League from 1921 to 1925. The team went dormant for 12 years before it returned to the circuit as the

Kingsport Cherokees Kingsport is a city in Sullivan and Hawkins counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, its population was 55,442. Lying along the Holston River, Kingsport is commonly included in what is known as the Mountain Empire, ...

from 1938 to 1955—with the exception of the 1942 season as the Kingsport Dodgers and as members of the Mountain States League in 1953 and 1954. The club was later known as the Kingsport Orioles (1957), Kingsport Pirates (1960–1963), Kingsport Royals (1969–1973), and Kingsport Braves (1974–1979). The Kingsport Mets were members of the Appy League from 1980 to 2020, except for the 1983 season when the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major lea ...

temporarily relocated the team to

Sarasota, Florida Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County, Florida, Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The c ...

, as the Gulf Coast League Mets, while their home ballpark was being renovated. In conjunction with a contraction of Minor League Baseball beginning with the 2021 season, the Appalachian League was reorganized as a collegiate summer baseball league, and the Mets were replaced by the Axmen, a new franchise in the revamped league designed for rising college freshman and sophomores.

Recreation

The Kingsport Parks and Recreation manages several parks within the city. *

Bays Mountain Park Bays Mountain Park is a nature park and planetarium located on Bays Mountain in Kingsport, Tennessee. Founded in 1971, it features a 44 acre lake and 40 miles of hiking trails, a nature center with a planetarium theater, fire tower, and animal ha ...

* Borden Park * Dogwood Park * Edinburgh Park * Kingsport Greenbelt Walking/Cycling Trail * Riverview Splash Pad * Scott Adams Skate Park * Warrior's Path State Park

Notable people

Lisa Alther Lisa Alther (born July 23, 1944) is an American author and novelist. Personal life Alther was born in Kingsport, Tennessee in 1944. Her father was a surgeon, while her mother was a homemaker. She has 3 brothers and a sister. She graduated from W ...

, author, born and grew up in Kingsport * Edward L. Ayers, Bancroft Prize-winning historian and ninth president of the University of Richmond, raised in Kingsport * Barry Bales, Grammy Award-winning musician with

Alison Krauss Alison Maria Krauss (born July 23, 1971) is an American bluegrass- country singer and musician. She entered the music industry at an early age, competing in local contests by the age of 8 and recording for the first time at 14. She signed wit ...

and Union Station * James F. Barker, president of

Clemson University Clemson University () is a public land-grant research university in Clemson, South Carolina. Founded in 1889, Clemson is the second-largest university in the student population in South Carolina. For the fall 2019 semester, the university enr ...

(1999–2013) * Nick Castle, actor who played Michael Myers in the original

Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observan ...

, was born in Kingsport and makes appearances at the local haunted houses. *

Jeff Chapman-Crane Jeff Chapman-Crane (born 1953) is an Appalachian region, Appalachian artist and American Realist painter, realist. Biographical background Chapman was born in 1953 in Kingsport, Tennessee. His only formal training was four years of high school ...

, Appalachian artist *

Harry Coover Harry Wesley Coover Jr. (March 6, 1917 – March 26, 2011) was the inventor of Eastman 910, commonly known as Super Glue. Life and career Coover was born in Newark, Delaware. He lived in Delaware until his teen years. During this time he was hi ...

, inventor of Super Glue * Denny Crawford, professional football player *

Amy Dalley Amy Dalley is an American country music artist. Signed to Curb Records in 2003, she left the label in 2008. Dalley has released seven singles, of which five have entered the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs charts despite never releasing a ...

, country music artist * Bobby Dodd,

College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were vo ...

inductee as both a football player (

University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee (officially The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; or UT Knoxville; UTK; or UT) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th sta ...

) and coach (

Georgia Institute of Technology The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part ...

) * Bobby Eaton, professional wrestler *

Elle and Blair Fowler Elle Fowler (born May 25, 1988) and Blair Fowler (born April 1, 1993) are sisters who posted beauty and style-related tutorials on YouTube as ''AllThatGlitters21'' (Elle) and ''juicystar07'' (Blair). Elle came into the beauty and fashion world ...

, online beauty retailers who spent part of their childhoods in Kingsport * Daniel Kilgore, professional football player, Kansas City Chiefs *

Cliff Kresge Clifford Terry Kresge (born October 3, 1968) is an American professional golfer. He has played on the PGA Tour and Web.com Tour since 1997. Kresge was born in Lakewood Township, New Jersey. His parents moved to central Florida in 1972 and lived o ...

Nationwide Tour The Korn Ferry Tour is the developmental tour for the U.S.-based PGA Tour, and features professional golfers who have either not yet reached the PGA Tour, or who have done so but then failed to win enough FedEx Cup points to stay at that level. ...

golfer who splits his time between homes in Kingsport and Florida * Hal Lawton, President & CEO of Tractor Supply, graduate of Sullivan South High School *

Blake Leeper Blake Leeper (born August 31, 1989) is a United States Paralympic athlete, eight-time Paralympic Track and Field international medalist, world record holder and three-time American record holder. Leeper started his medal run in 2011 at the Para ...

Paralympic The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the ''Games of the Paralympiad'', is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaire ...

silver medallist *

Cripple Clarence Lofton Clarence Lofton (March 28, 1887, 1896 or 1897 – January 9, 1957), credited as Cripple Clarence Lofton, was an American boogie-woogie pianist and singer born in Tennessee. Life and career There is uncertainty over when and where he was born. Ma ...

, noted boogie-woogie pianist and singer, born in Kingsport * Matt Mahaffey, musician, frontman of pop/rock band

Self The self is an individual as the object of that individual’s own reflective consciousness. Since the ''self'' is a reference by a subject to the same subject, this reference is necessarily subjective. The sense of having a self—or ''selfhoo ...

* Brownie and Stick McGhee, brothers and blues musicians, grew up in Kingsport and other East Tennessee towns *

Ken Mellons Kenneth Edward Mellons (born July 10, 1965) is an American country music artist who released his Ken Mellons (album), self-titled debut album in 1994. This album produced the single "Jukebox Junkie", a Top Ten hit on the Hot Country Songs charts. ...

, country music artist *

John Palmer John Palmer may refer to: People Politicians * John Palmer (fl. 1377–1394), English politician *Sir John Palmer, 5th Baronet (1735–1817), British politician * John Palmer (1785–1840), U.S. congressman from New York * John Palmer (1842–190 ...

, former

NBC News NBC News is the news division of the American broadcast television network NBC. The division operates under NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, a division of NBCUniversal, which is, in turn, a subsidiary of Comcast. The news division's v ...

correspondent, born in Kingsport and a graduate of Dobyns-Bennett High School * Jimmy Quillen, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee's 1st congressional district (1963–1997) * John Shelton Reed, sociologist and essayist, author or editor of eighteen books, most of them dealing with the contemporary American South * Selwa Showker "Lucky" Roosevelt, Chief of Protocol of the United States from 1982-1989 and former journalist for the ''

Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large na ...

'', married Archibald B. Roosevelt, grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt *

Coty Sensabaugh Coty Sensabaugh (born November 15, 1988) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at Clemson and was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. College career He played college foot ...

, cornerback for the

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...

, retired NFL cornerback, played for the Jacksonville Jaguars and the

LeRoy Sprankle LeRoy Sprankle (June 11, 1894 – September 25, 1972) was an American high school sports coach and athletics advocate in Eastern Tennessee and South Florida. Often referred to as the ''"Father of East Tennessee Sports"'', he had several notable ac ...

, high school multi-sport coach, author, and general manager of the Canton Independents *

Adam Steffey Adam Steffey (born November 24, 1965) is an American mandolin player, best known for playing in the bluegrass and old-time styles. He spent time as a member of bands such as Alison Krauss & Union Station, Mountain Heart, Lonesome River Band ...

, bluegrass artist * Bill Streever, biologist and author * Cyrus Thomas,

entomologist Entomology () is the scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such as ara ...

and

ethnologist Ethnology (from the grc-gre, ἔθνος, meaning 'nation') is an academic field that compares and analyzes the characteristics of different peoples and the relationships between them (compare cultural, social, or sociocultural anthropolog ...

Steven Williams Steven Williams (born January 7, 1949) is an American actor in films and television. He is known for his roles as Captain Adam Fuller on ''21 Jump Street'', Lt. Jefferson Burnett on '' The Equalizer'', Det. August Brooks on '' L.A. Heat'', X on ...

, actor who starred in '' 21 Jump Street'' and ''

The Blues Brothers The Blues Brothers are an American blues and soul revivalist band founded in 1978 by comedians Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as part of a musical sketch on ''Saturday Night Live''. Belushi and Aykroyd fronted the band, in character, respecti ...

References

External links

City of Kingsport official website

Kingsport History
{{authority control Cities in Tennessee Cities in Sullivan County, Tennessee Cities in Hawkins County, Tennessee Cities in Washington County, Tennessee East Tennessee Kingsport–Bristol metropolitan area Populated places established in 1822 1822 establishments in Tennessee State of Franklin Planned cities in the United States Company towns in Tennessee