Kingsport, Tennessee facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kingsport
City
Broad Street in Downtown Kingsport
Flag Seal Logo
Nickname(s):  The Model City
Location of Kingsport in Sullivan and Hawkins counties, Tennessee
Kingsport Location in Tennessee Show map of Tennessee Kingsport Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
Counties	Sullivan, Hawkins
Settled	1771
Chartered/Rechartered	1822, 1917
Government
• Type	Council-manager
Area
• City	53.52 sq mi (138.63 km2)
• Land	52.60 sq mi (136.24 km2)
• Water	0.92 sq mi (2.38 km2)
Elevation	1,211 ft (369 m)
Population  (2020)
• City	55,442
• Rank	12th in Tennessee
• Density	1,053.95/sq mi (406.93/km2)
• Urban	98,411 (US: 316th)
• Metro	309,283 (US: 161st)
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP codes	37660, 37662, 37663, 37664, 37665 & 37669
Area code(s)	423
FIPS code	47-39560
GNIS feature ID	1303478

Kingsport is a city located in the state of Tennessee, in the United States. It sits mostly in Sullivan County, but also reaches into Hawkins County. In 2020, about 55,442 people lived here.

Kingsport is found along the Holston River. It's part of a larger area called the Mountain Empire, which includes parts of southwest Virginia and northeastern Tennessee. Kingsport is the biggest city in the Kingsport–Bristol metropolitan area. This area is also part of the even larger Tri-Cities region.

The city's name, "Kingsport," comes from "King's Port." This name originally referred to a place on the Holston River called King's Boat Yard. This was where boats could travel no further up the Tennessee Valley river system.

History of Kingsport

Kingsport began to grow after the Revolutionary War. It was built where the North and South Forks of the Holston River meet. In 1787, the area was known as "Salt Lick" because of an old mineral lick that animals used.

Early Settlements and River Trade

The first settlements were along the South Fork of the river. This was about a mile from where the two forks join. The Long Island of the Holston River is very close to this meeting point. This island was very important to the Cherokee people and early settlers. It was even mentioned in the 1770 Treaty of Lochaber.

Early Kingsport was a starting point for pioneers. These travelers used the Wilderness Road to go to Kentucky through the Cumberland Gap. Kingsport officially became a town in 1822. It grew into a major shipping port on the Holston River. Goods from many miles around were loaded onto barges here. They would then travel downriver to the Tennessee River at Knoxville.

Kingsport During the Civil War

During the Civil War, a battle took place in Kingsport on December 13, 1864. About 300 Confederate soldiers, led by Colonel Richard Morgan, held off a larger Union force for almost two days. The Union army, with over 5,500 troops, was on a mission to attack Confederate targets in Virginia.

Colonel Morgan's small group bravely fought the main Union force across the Holston River. However, Union Colonel Samuel Patton led cavalry to a river crossing about 2.5 miles north. They then attacked the Confederates from behind. Outnumbered and surrounded, Colonel Morgan's troops surrendered. The Confederates lost 18 soldiers, and 84 were taken as prisoners of war to a Union prison. After the Civil War, Kingsport faced hard times and lost its town charter.

The Story of Mary the Elephant

On September 12, 1916, a sad event happened in Kingsport involving a circus elephant named Mary. Mary was an Asian elephant performing with the Sparks World-famous Shows Circus. She had killed a city hotel worker named Walter Eldridge. He had just been hired by the circus as an assistant elephant trainer. Mary attacked him while he was leading her to a pond.

The local sheriff took the elephant away. Leaders from nearby towns said they would not let the circus perform if Mary was with them. The circus owner, Charlie Sparks, sadly decided that the only way to solve the problem quickly was to have a public execution. The next day, Mary was taken by train to Erwin, Tennessee. Over 2,500 people gathered to watch the event.

Kingsport: The "Model City"

Kingsport got its charter back in 1917. It became an early example of a "garden city." A famous city planner named John Nolen helped design part of it. This plan organized the city into different areas for shops, churches, homes, and factories. Most of the land along the river was used for industry.

Because of this careful plan, Kingsport was nicknamed the "Model City." As part of this plan, Kingsport built some of the first traffic circles (also known as roundabouts) in the United States. Today, a large part of Long Island is used by Eastman Chemical Company, which has its main office in Kingsport.

In the 1950s, two important projects were built: the Boone Dam and the Fort Patrick Henry Dam. These are hydroelectric dams on the South Fork Holston River that produce electricity. Kingsport was also one of the first cities to use a city manager form of government. This helps city departments run more professionally. The city also developed its school system based on a model from Columbia University.

Pal's Sudden Service, a popular fast-food restaurant chain in the region, opened its first location in Kingsport in 1956. Its main office is still in Kingsport. In 2001, Pal's Sudden Service won the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. This made it the first restaurant company to receive this important award.

Geography of Kingsport

Long Island of the Holston and downtown Kingsport.

Kingsport is located in the western part of Sullivan County. It's where U.S. Routes 11W and 23 meet. Interstate 26 also ends in Kingsport.

The city is next to Mount Carmel to the west. To the southeast is Colonial Heights, and to the northeast is Bloomingdale. Kingsport's city limits stretch west into Hawkins County and north to the border with Virginia.

The city covers about 53.52 square miles (138.63 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, but about 0.92 square miles (2.38 square kilometers) is water. The largest water area is the South Fork Holston River.

Kingsport's Climate

Kingsport has a climate with warm summers and mild winters. The hottest month is usually July, and the coldest is January. The city gets a good amount of rain throughout the year. Snowfall is generally light.

Neighborhoods in Kingsport

Kingsport has many different neighborhoods. Some of these include:

• Allandale
• Bloomingdale
• Borden Village
• Carter's Valley
• Cliffside
• Colonial Heights
• Cooks Valley
• Downtown
• Fairacres
• Fort Robinson
• Green Acres
• Highland Park
• Hillcrest
• Indian Springs (Fall Creek & Airport)
• Litz Manor
• Lynn Garden
• Malabar Heights
• Meadowview
• Midtown
• Orebank
• Preston Forest
• Preston Woods
• Ridgefields
• Riverfront
• Riverview
• Rock Springs
• Sevier Terrace

People of Kingsport

As of the 2020 census, Kingsport had 55,442 people living there. There were 23,640 households and 14,273 families. Most people in Kingsport are White. There are also smaller groups of African American, Asian, Native American, and other races. About 3.1% of the population is Hispanic or Latino.

Economy of Kingsport

Aerial view of the Eastman Chemical Company plant in Kingsport

Kingsport is home to several important companies. Eastman Chemical Company has its first chemical plant and its world headquarters here. Eastman also has a special plant that recycles plastics. Accsys Technologies, working with Eastman, also has a plant in the city that makes a special kind of wood.

Domtar runs a large factory in Kingsport that makes recycled containerboard. This factory used to be a paper mill that started in 1916. In 2023, Domtar changed it to make containerboard. It is now one of the biggest recycled containerboard machines in North America. It produces about 600,000 tons of recycled paper products each year.

The Holston Army Ammunition Plant is also in Kingsport. It is run by BAE Systems. This plant makes many different types of explosives for the Department of Defense. In 2019, the total value of goods and services produced in the Kingsport area was about $14.1 billion.

Top Employers in Kingsport

Many people in Kingsport work for these top employers:

• Eastman Chemical Company (6,500 employees)
• Partner Industrial (2,000 employees)
• Ballad Health Holston Valley Hospital (1,355 employees)
• Kingsport City Schools (1,147 employees)
• BAE Systems (948 employees)
• City of Kingsport (778 employees)
• Eastman Credit Union (648 employees)
• Holston Medical Group (595 employees)
• TEC Industrial Maintenance & Construction (394 employees)
• Ballad Health Indian Path Hospital (331 employees)

Culture and Fun in Kingsport

Kingsport offers many cultural attractions and fun activities.

Museums and History

The Netherland Inn was built in 1802 by William King. The city of Kingsport is named after him. It was first used as a boatyard to ship salt. In 1818, the Netherland family bought the property and turned it into an inn and tavern. Today, the inn and its grounds are fully restored. You can take tours and attend special events there. Other buildings on the property include a reconstructed kitchen, a Log Cabin where Daniel Boone and his family lived, and a schoolhouse.

Leisure Activities

The Kingsport Carousel was finished in 2015. It was built by 300 local volunteers using an old carousel frame from 1956. Pal and Sharon Barger, who own Pal's Sudden Service, helped pay for the Pal's Roundhouse. This is a special building that keeps the carousel safe from the weather.

The Kingsport Aquatic Center is a popular place to swim. It has several indoor and outdoor pools and diving boards. This includes an Olympic-size swimming pool. There are also water attractions for kids and seating for 400 people.

Kingsport's Famous Drink

The Long Island iced tea drink is said to have been invented in Kingsport. This happened in the 1920s during Prohibition, when alcohol was illegal. An "Old Man Bishop," who made illegal liquor, supposedly created it on Long Island in Kingsport. The city is proud of this claim. Downtown Kingsport even has a mural that celebrates the city as the birthplace of the Long Island iced tea. There's also a "Long Island iced tea trail" with local restaurants and businesses.

Sports in Kingsport

The 1921 Kingsport Indians were the first professional baseball team from Kingsport.

Kingsport is home to the Kingsport Axmen. This is a collegiate summer baseball team that plays in the Appalachian League. The team's name, "Axmen," refers to the frontiersman Daniel Boone. He started the Wilderness Road in Kingsport. The Axmen play their home games at Hunter Wright Stadium. This stadium is named after a former mayor, Hunter Wright.

Professional baseball first came to Kingsport in 1921 with the Kingsport Indians. Over the years, the city has had several other baseball teams. These include the Kingsport Cherokees, Kingsport Orioles, Kingsport Pirates, Kingsport Royals, and Kingsport Braves. From 1980 to 2020, the Kingsport Mets played in the Appy League. In 2021, the Appalachian League changed to a summer league for college players. The Mets were replaced by the new Axmen team.

Parks and Recreation in Kingsport

Kingsport has many parks managed by the city's Parks and Recreation department.

• Bays Mountain Park
• Borden Park
• Dogwood Park
• Edinburgh Park
• Kingsport Greenbelt Walking/Cycling Trail
• Riverview Splash Pad
• Scott Adams Skate Park

Warrior's Path State Park is a large state park covering 950 acres. It is located in the Colonial Heights area of Kingsport.

Education in Kingsport

Kingsport has many schools and colleges.

Colleges and Universities

While no main college campus is in Kingsport, several universities have branch campuses here:

• East Tennessee State University
• Lincoln Memorial University
• Northeast State Community College

Lincoln Memorial and Northeast State are located in the Kingsport Academic Village complex downtown. East Tennessee State offers basic college courses in the western part of the city. More advanced classes are available at the Academic Village.

Primary and Secondary Schools

Most children in Kingsport attend schools in the Kingsport City Schools public school system. This system has eight elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. Kingsport also has eight private schools, most of which are connected to religious groups.

Most areas in Sullivan County are part of this school district. Some isolated parts are in the Sullivan County School District. All parts of Kingsport in Hawkins County are in Kingsport City Schools.

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

Douglass High School

Douglass High School in Kingsport was a large high school for African American students. It closed in 1966 when schools began to integrate. The original school building was a historic Rosenwald School, built in 1929–30. Even though the Douglass Tigers football team could not play white teams during segregation, they won a Tennessee state football championship in 1946 and a state basketball championship in 1948. The current building, built in 1951, is now the V.O. Dobbins Sr. Complex. It is named after Douglass's former principal.

Media in Kingsport

Kingsport has its own newspapers, television stations, and radio stations.

Newspapers

• Kingsport Times-News
• Daily News (no longer published)

Television

• WKPT-TV (COZI TV 19)
• WAPK-CD (MeTV 36)

Kingsport shares its television market with Johnson City and Bristol, VA. Other stations include WCYB-TV (NBC; THE CW on DT2) in Bristol, WEMT-TV (FOX) in Greeneville, WETP-TV (PBS) in Sneedville, and WJHL-TV (CBS; ABC on DT2 aka ABC Tri-Cities) in Johnson City.

AM Radio

• WKPT
• WHGG

FM Radio

• WTFM
• WRZK
• WCQR
• WKOS
• WCSK

Infrastructure in Kingsport

Kingsport has important services like transportation, medical care, and police.

Transportation

Public Transit

Kingsport Area Transit Service, or KATS, has provided bus services since 1995. KATS operates four bus routes throughout Kingsport.

Air Travel

Kingsport is served by the Tri-Cities Regional Airport (TRI).

Medical Care

Two hospitals run by Ballad Health are located in Kingsport: Holston Valley Medical Center and Indian Path Community Hospital.

Police Department

The Kingsport Police Department (KPD) is the main law enforcement agency for the city. As of 2022, the KPD had 119 sworn officers, 9 corrections officers, 22 dispatchers, and 11 civilian staff members.

Notable People from Kingsport

Many interesting people have connections to Kingsport, including:

• Lisa Alther, author
• Edward L. Ayers, award-winning historian
• Barry Bales, Grammy Award-winning musician
• James F. Barker, former president of Clemson University
• Nick Castle, actor (played Michael Myers in Halloween)
• Jeff Chapman-Crane, Appalachian artist
• Harry Coover, inventor of Super Glue
• Denny Crawford, professional football player
• Amy Dalley, country music artist
• Bobby Dodd, College Football Hall of Fame player and coach
• Bobby Eaton, professional wrestler
• Elle and Blair Fowler, online beauty retailers
• Daniel Kilgore, professional football player
• Cliff Kresge, professional golfer
• Mark H. Landes, U.S. Army major general
• Hal Lawton, President & CEO of Tractor Supply
• Blake Leeper, Paralympic silver medallist
• Cripple Clarence Lofton, boogie-woogie pianist and singer
• Matt Mahaffey, musician
• Brownie and Stick McGhee, blues musicians
• Ken Mellons, country music artist
• John Palmer, former NBC News correspondent
• Jimmy Quillen, former U.S. Representative
• John Shelton Reed, sociologist and essayist
• Selwa Showker "Lucky" Roosevelt, former Chief of Protocol of the United States
• Coty Sensabaugh, professional football player
• Gerald Sensabaugh, retired NFL cornerback
• LeRoy Sprankle, high school coach and author
• Adam Steffey, bluegrass artist
• Bill Streever, biologist and author
• Cyrus Thomas, entomologist and ethnologist
• Steven Williams, actor

See also

In Spanish: Kingsport (Tennessee) para niños