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Found in the northeastern corner of Tennessee, the city of Kingsport is home to about 45,000 people. Located in Hawkins and Sullivan counties, Kingsport is part of the “Tri-Cities” Metropolitan area, along with Bristol,Tennssee/Virginia and Johnson City, Tennessee . This area is also referred to as the “Mountain Empire,” encompassing southwestern Virginia and northeastern Tennessee.

People come to Kingsport for its outstanding quality of life. Recently, Kingsport and the rest of the Tri-Cities area have been ranked by Golf Digest Magazine as one of the "Best Places to Live" in the U.S. for golfers. Kingsport has also been named as one of the Top Ten Cities in which to Walk by Walking Magazine.

Kingsport History

Even before the United States won its independence from Britain, the eastern areas of the soon-to-be new country seemed crowded to many. Kingsport or “King’s Port” as it was known in the 18th century, was born of the desire to explore the great frontier which lay to the west. Daniel Boone and his axmen departed from Long Island on the Holston River, and created a trail through the Cumberland Gap to Kentucky. This trail would later become the Wilderness Road, an important thoroughfare to Kentucky, with many modern highways in the state following some of the route. The settlement that sprouted up on this Long Island, Boone’s launching point and the beginning of the Wilderness Road, was called “King’s Port,” and proved to be an important gathering and staging point for pioneers heading west.

First chartered in 1822, Kingsport became an important shipping port on the Holston River. Goods originating for many miles from the surrounding countryside were loaded onto barges for the journey downriver to the Tennessee River at Knoxville. The name "Tennessee" originated from the old Yuchi Indian word, "Tana-see," meaning "The Meeting Place," which refers to The Long Island of the Holston River.

The Kingsport area suffered as railroad construction bypassed the town in the mid 1800’s. The aftermath of the Civil War kept the area depressed through the end of the century. Fortunes changed for Kingsport in the early 20th century. Businessmen seeking to market the bounty of the rich Appalachian coal deposits to the burgeoning factories in a newly industrialized America revisited the idea of a railroad through Kingsport. The completion of the Clinchfield Railroad through the Kingsport area marked a new era of growth and prosperity. To herald this new age of growth, city leaders commissioned noted planner and architect Dr. John Nolen to create America’s first “Model City” for the new Kingsport chartered in 1917. An early example of a “garden city,” the town was organized into areas for commerce, churches, housing, and industry. The result also included some of the earlier uses of traffic circles in the country. Kingsport was not only a model city by design: the city was one of the first to employ a city manager form of government and a school system created on a model developed at Columbia University.

Kingsport Parks & Recreation

Kingsport residents can enjoy a variety of parks and recreation facilities year-round. From after school programs and skate parks to hiking and walking trails, Kingsport has a facility or program for everyone. Below is just a sampling of the parks and recreation facilities found in Kingsport.

Borden Park
Borden Park features a Frisbee golf course and a walking trail. In addition to these outdoor features, the Borden Park Community Center is also located on-site. The Community Center offers ongoing structured and low organized programs in arts and crafts, sports, after-school study hours, and other activities and events.

Greenbelt
The Kingsport Greenbelt is a linear park that connects residential neighborhoods, traditional parks, downtown commercial districts, schools, and activity centers. A walking/cycling trail meanders along through the greenbelt, giving users tranquil views of marshlands, meadows and sites of historic or aesthetic value.

Scott Adams Skate Park
Kingsport’s new skate park features two bowls, one with a 12-foot drop in. Also at the park is a streetscape course featuring steps and a grinding rail. Open from dawn to dusk.

Bays Mountain Park
Open year-round, this 3,000-acre nature preserve offers an array of activities for all seasons. The park is framed on all sides by mountain ridges with much of the park lying in a natural basin. About 22-miles of hiking trails traverse the park, and a 44-acre lake. The nature center is home to a variety of native animals including gray wolves, bobcats, deer and otters. A waterfowl and wading bird enclosure is located along the lake trail. The park’s raptor habitat is home to screech owls, vultures, redtail hawks and kestrel. Inside the nature center is 40-foot, domed planetarium that offers shows on different astronomy subjects daily through the summer and on weekends September through May. A freshwater aquarium allows a close-up look at native fish and their surroundings. The nature center also features natural history, early pioneering and space sciences.

For a complete list of parks in the area, please click here

Kingsport Events

Kingsport hosts a variety of local events that bring people from across the Tri-Cities area together. From regional festivals to national track events, Kingsport is the place to be for fun in East Tennessee!

Fun Fest
Held every July, Fun Fest is the region's largest festival, with more than 100 events involving more than 100,000 participants. All events at Fun Fest are designed to foster community spirit, and are free or low-cost. Enjoy tennis, soccer and other sports tournaments, hot-air balloon rides, concerts, golf, road and boat races, auto and motorcycle shows, a parade, exhibitions, community picnic, fireworks, and much more.

USATF 5K Race Walk Championship and the USA Junior Championship
The first Race Walking State Championship was held in Kingsport in 1992 as a State Championship event. Since then, the event has grown into a sanctioned USA Track and Field Event. A special celebration is always planned for the many walkers that attend.

For a complete list of events in the area visit the events calendar by clicking here

Kingsport Attractions

Kingsport have a number of attractions in the area. Check out some below.

Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail
The Wilderness Trail was the gateway to the western frontier in the early history of our nation. Daniel Boone blazed this trail in 1775, and it would later become a vital road linking new settlements beyond the Cumberland Gap in Kentucky and beyond with the east. Much of the route of the original trail/road is still followed by the highways in the area. Today motorists can travel along Boone’s route, starting at the Long Island of the Holston. Look for “Wilderness Trail” Signs along the highway. Some parts of the Wilderness Trail are also only accessible to hikers. Visit the Wilderness Trail website for more information.

Netherland Inn
Kingsport, known in the 18th century as “King’s Port,” was an important gateway to the frontier by both land and sea. The Netherland Inn is the Nation's only registered historical site which was both a stage stop and a boatyard. Now a museum, the inn profiles life in this important frontier settlement. On display are a few of the inn’s surviving original furnishings. Behind the Inn is the Netherland Inn Log Cabin Children’s Museum and Schoolhouse, featuring children’s toys of the 18th and 19th centuries. Though not original to the site, the cabin is a good example of frontier cabins of the era. It was cabin was moved from Daniel Boone’s Wilderness Trail in Virginia. Boone is believed to have lived in the cabin between 1773 and 1775.

Allendale Mansion
The Allendale Mansion often is referred to as the "White House" of Kingsport, Tennessee, for its resemblance to our nation’s presidential residence. Originally established by Ruth and Harvey Brooks as a farm, Allendale was willed to the City of Kingsport in 1969, and opened to the general public for touring in 1983. Much of the Brooks’ original furniture, antiques and art are displayed. The barn, recently restored, once housed prize-winning cattle; the fertile fields were pasture to blue-ribbon Tennessee Walkers. Today the Allendale Mansion is a popular site for weddings and special events.

For a complete list of attractions in the Kingsport, click here.

For more information on Kingsport TN, visit the official website by clicking here

For the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce website, click here

For the Kingsport Convention & Visitors Bureau website, click here

For the Kingsport Official Relocation Guide website, click here

Rogersville TN Information

One of the oldest towns in the state, Rogersville, Tennessee was settled in 1775 by the grandparents of Davy Crockett. In the 1780’s the town was officially founded by an Irishman named Joseph Rogers, the town’s namesake. Home to Tennessee’s oldest courthouse, first post office are each located in Rogersville. Much of Rogersville is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This town of about 5,000 is the county seat of Hawkins County, and is nestled in the mountains of Northeast Tennessee, between Knoxville and Bristol. Rogersville is only a short drive to popular family vacation sites like Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains. Its rich heritage, superb convenience to all of East Tennessee and small-town charm make Rogersville a great place to live and visit.

Rogersville Events

Rogersville celebrates its rich heritage and traditions with these community events. These events are great opportunities to get to know your neighbors, all while enjoying the outdoors in this beautiful mountain setting.

Heritage Days
Rogersville’s most popular festival, Heritage Days, takes place each second, full weekend in October in downtown Rogersville (centered on the Courthouse Square, Main St. at Depot St.). See Civil War and World War II re-enactors along with Appalachian dancers, arts and crafts, classic cars and more. The event is sponsored by the Rogersville Heritage Association.

Rogersville Fourth of July Celebration
Celebrate our nation’s independence at Rogersville’s annual celebration in Rogersville City Park! Fireworks, live entertainment and kid’s activities promise a fun time for all!

Shakespeare and Friends Renaissance Faire
Travel back to a time when Kings and Queens ruled the land. See performances of Celtic Music, Fire Breathing, Belly Dancing, Puppetry and Comedy. Watch jousters challenge each other on the tournament field. Children will be amused by puppet shows and stories of Knights and Damsels. Held in June in the Crockett Springs Park.

For more information on Rogersville TN visit the official website by clicking here

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