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Kingsport’s Ambassadors: 100 Years Strong
In 2026, the Dobyns-Bennett Band marks its centennial, a full century of music, discipline, and public pride. That milestone is more than just a birthday for a school organization. It marks a tradition of excellence first shaped in the band’s early years by Director S. T. “Fess” Witt and carried forward through generations of students…
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Centennial of the Dobyns-Bennett High School Band
Kingsport is celebrating a milestone this year: the Centennial of the Dobyns-Bennett High School Band—100 years of music, discipline, school spirit, and community pride. For generations, the band has helped define the Dobyns-Bennett experience: representing Kingsport on a national stage, elevating parades and civic events, and setting the tone on Friday nights at J. Fred—but…
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Sullivan 250 | July 1776 at Island Flats: When Independence Reached the Holston
Third in a 12-part monthly series to commemorate Sullivan County’s role in the 250th birthday of the United States of America March 2026 | 3 of 12 In July 1776, independence was declared in Philadelphia. Along the Holston River near Island Flats, it arrived as a crisis. The Battle of Island Flats, also called the Battle…
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Zinc Mines in Fall Branch?
A while back, I was asked if I’d ever heard of zinc mines in Fall Branch. I replied that I had seen some mining symbols on a map near Fall Branch, but that’s the extent of what I knew. When researching the Hicks Block Building in Downtown Kingsport, I came across a 1916 article in…
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Hicks Block, Reborn
CONDENSED VERSION Perhaps you, like me, have been following the renovation of the Hicks Block Building at Broad and Market in downtown Kingsport. If not, search “Hicks Block – Kingsport” on Facebook and look through the photos. Architect Kattie Stanton-Casebolt and her husband Eric bought the building just in time to save it from demolition…
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Hicks Block, Reborn
THE FULL STORY (THERE’S A CONDENSED VERSION, TOO) Perhaps you, like me, have been following the renovation of the Hicks Block Building at the corner of Broad and Market Streets in Downtown Kingsport. If you haven’t, I encourage you to go to Facebook and search “Hicks Block – Kingsport” and browse through the photographs. Architect…
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The Founding Father Hidden in Kingsport’s Land Records
I find tidbits of Kingsport history in the most unexpected places. This week, it came from a Retired Police Officers magazine out of Long Island, New York, where Kingsport has quietly placed a small ad for years. Inside was an article on the burning of Norfolk in 1776, and there, in the middle of that…
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Sullivan County: Established 1779
What’s wrong with this picture? How could Sullivan County be established in 1779 when Tennessee wasn’t created until 1796? That’s right, Sullivan and 6 other counties were originally formed by North Carolina! It’s the same basic reason why the University of Tennessee was established in 1794 as Blount College, before Tennessee was a state. The…
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Allandale and the Rise of Angus in America
Chances are that if you order a steak at one of America’s finest steakhouses—or a burger at almost any restaurant—the beef is Angus. But that wasn’t always the case. In the early 1900s, Angus cattle competed with Herefords and Shorthorns for commercial dominance. Angus had been imported from Scotland beginning in 1873, and the American…
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Steady Growth, Regional Strength, and a Commitment to Stay
MOVE TO KINGSPORT – FEBRUARY 2026 MONTHLY REPORT One year ago, our February 2025 report reflected strong post-pandemic momentum. That pace has moderated — and that’s a healthy development. As of February 2026, 531 out-of-region families from 46 states relocated to Kingsport over the past 12 months, averaging just over two households per workday. The…
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Kingsport Spirit 