Elizabethton Star
SATURDAY-SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30-31, 2021
YOUR STORIES · YOUR COMMUNITY · YOUR STAR
The Braemar Castle which housed Brown’s Grocery and Hardware before the store moved to it’s current location.
Take a glimpse into the rich heritage of Carter County through contributed photographs, timeline and other historical memorabilia.
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Burgie Drugs’ longevity has family values as a business core BY IVAN SANDERS STAR STAFF ivan.sanders@elizabethton.com
B
urgie Drug Store understands the value of family and that has been the reason that the local drug store has survived and thrived
since 1892. Harry Burgie was the founding father of the pharmacy and later became partners with Max Jett, who began working as a staff pharmacist in 1927. Jett took over sole ownership of the business at Burgie’s, passing in 1952. Larry M. Proffitt, the current owner, began working as a pharmacist for Jett in 1969 and purchased the business in 1971. Proffitt moved the store from downtown Elizabethton to its current location on West G Street in 1975. “It’s humbling to realize how long Burgie’s has been in business and that we could be a part of the community,” said Proffitt. “I have owned it now for 50 years and I am thankful that it can be a part of Elizabethton’s heritage.” Burgie Drugs is a business that has done an amazing job of preserving a lot of its heritage in Elizabethton as it is almost like a museum when walking in the front door of the business and seeing shelve after shelve of items that are a reminder of times past at the pharmacy. From empty bottles that once housed medicine that would take care of anything from a sore tooth to a horrible stomach ache, the relics serve as a reminder of how medicine has advanced. “It’s very interesting to see those things,” said Proffitt. “It was in 1993 when Burgie James Robertson and Daniel Boone were the first European explorers to come to Elizabethton, a rriving in 1759
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
This image taken from a photo shows Harry Burgie, who worked as a druggist for 52 years during the 1930s.
got its first computer — we were one of the hold outs. I got out of school in 1969 and it’s amazing to know just how much medicine has changed. The medicine we have today is so far advanced in comparison that people wouldn’t even realize. “High blood pressure back in those days would make you feel so bad that people wouldn’t take it and today we take a pill that you seldom even realize that you have taken it and your blood pressure comes down almost instantly.” In a time when big-market pharmacies have moved on every corner such as the CVSs and Walgreens, there still remains a need
Settlers of northeast Tennessee needed to establish some kind of law and order and organize defense against attacks. They met at Sycamore Shoals to fonn the Watauga Association in 1772. Today this is
considered to be the first majority-rule American democracy/
1759
1772
File Photo
Larry Proffitt is a man of many things, but his love of history will always stand out amongst Elizabethton consumers and residents as evidenced by a trip to Burgie Drugs.
The Watauga Association at Sycamore Shoals near Elizabethton drafted the first constitution ever written by white men in America in 1772. It was patterned after the constitution of the Iroquois League of Nations, a federal system of government devel• oped 200 years earlier for five eastern Native American
It was organized 1772 in Washington County (now Carter County) and is the oldest church in Tennessee still in existence at its original location.
1772
1772
Sinking Creek Baptist Church is the oldest church in Tennessee.
Hore. Nard,.19. 1775. et tho Syca• ..:!ff Si-II. tho •W•taucJ• As-S· .- Cllorlu �- Tnattec. "°"9ht• from the Clluokec. with Occi,oototo as C'lllef, lands olana the --· Holston and Great Cana- fnow Newl Riven. TIIC caadderetlon for the parcllue ZOOO Paands Stwll119-
1775
Early during the American Revolutionary War, Fort Watauga at Sycamore Shoals was attacked in 1776 by Dragging Canoe and a warring group of Cherokees opposed to the Transylvania Purchase
1776
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WWW.ELIZABETHTON.COM for a drug store such as Burgie’s to remain a key part of a community. According to Proffitt, “It’s good service and
continuing to do the same thing. There is still a niche market for personal service that you can’t get at other places.”
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
An image taken from a photo of Burgie Drugs in downtown Elizabethton in the late A certificate from 1900 that shows that Harry Burgie had been registered as a Pharmacist in the State of Tennessee. 1800s. Notice the large potbelly stove in the middle of the store.
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Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Bottles that once held medicines from years ago are just many of the reminders of the heritage that has been carried on by Burgie Drugs.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Burgie Drugs is one of the oldest businesses that still remains in Carter County. It has A photo of Larry Proffitt from 1969 when the young Proffitt came to work at Burgie Drugs as a pharmacist before purchasing the store just two years later. been at its current location on West G Street since 1976.
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East Tennessee Undergarment Workers
Pictured is a group of workers at the East Tennessee Undergarment Plant around 1956-57. The Undergarment Plant was located where the Boys and Girls Club is now. Pictured (front row) Peggy Stokes, Mary Nell Tester, Ruth Blevins, Mary Forbes and Margaret Taylor. (Second row) Virginia Vines, Ann Truman, Edna Grindstaff, Beulah Wilson and Lucille Collins. (Third row) Eliza Moore, Charlotte Stout, Mary Jo Earp and H. Guinn. (Fourth row) Jewel Crumley, Ruth Cordell, Lola Butler and Helen Bunton.
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Clifton Kyte Family
Photos Contributed
Pictured is the Clifton Kyte Family with Dr. J.A. Hardin, who delivered 12 of the 13 children. All were born at home except the youngest. Pictured are front row (l-r) Sharon, Mrs. Laura Kyte holding Steve, Clifton holding Judy and Linda, and Dr. Hardin holding Teresa. Second row (l-r) Jay, Russell and Dennis. Back row (l-r) Richard, Norma Lee, Cleo and Donald. The 13th child, Jay, had not been born. Dr. Hardin was a Hampton resident and prior to his medical career was a teacher in the Carter County School System, a mail clerk, and a rural carrier. The Kyte Family lived on Gap Creek.
Elizabethton General Hospital The first hospital in Carter County from 1920-1928.
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Old post office building, designed by WPA architects, is on National Historic Register BY ROZELLA HARDIN Editorial Director rozella.hardin@elizabethton.com
C
The old Elizabethton Post Office building, which now houses the Elizabethton-Carter County Public Library, is one of 13 Carter County sites listed on the National Historic Register. This photo shows the building when it was under construction.
arter County boasts a number of sites on the National Register of Historic Places, among them the Elizabethton/Carter County Public Library Building, formerly the Elizabethton Post Office. The old post office building was approved for the National Register of Historic Places. The history of the Elizabethton Post Office dates back to 1809 when Alfred M. Carter served as postmaster. At that time the postmaster usually worked out of a public building, such as a general merchandise store or boarding house. At that time the post office was located at the Snyder House, located on Main and First Streets. In 1908 the post office was moved to E. Elk Avenue into a building owned by Crawford Alexander next door to the Barnes-Boring Hardware. Elizabethton in 1931 received a $125,00 allocation for a new post office. The post office site, elected in March 1931, was then known as the “Trollinger Site” on the northwest corner of Sycamore and E Streets, which more or less was a residential area at that time. A total of $25,000 was paid for the site, largely owned by Mrs. Hester A. Emmert. Mrs. Emmert and her son, Clyde, lived in New York City during the winter and in Elizabethton in the summer. A 50-foot portion of the site was owned by Nat Perry and Sexton
PAGE 10 SATURDAY-SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30-31, 2021 Dungan, however, the larger part of the site was owned by Mrs. Emmert. A house occupied by Miss Emma Kingsbury was located on the site and had to be razed. According to a news article in the Elizabethton STAR on March 1931, the combined site had a 100-foot frontage on both streets. Bids for the site were submited by the firm of Trollinger and Trollinger. However, work on the post office site was not begun until March 1932 when excavation began, using 10 teams of horses and mules and 20 men. By mid-April, 75 persons were
working at the site, taking up some of the slack in local unemployment. The building, Classical Revival in design, was designed by James A. Wetmore, who was working for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) at the time. Wetmore apparently designed a number of post offices and federal office buildings during the period, many of which are on the National Register of Historic Places. Most followed the same design — limestone columns, Classic Revival, etc. The building was completed in early 1933 with the building occupied March 6. R.T.
Johnson was serving as postmaster at the time. When the post office was moved to new facilities on W. Elk Avenue in the late 1980s, the building was purchased by the City of Elizabethton and turned into a public library. An addition was added to the west end of the building, however, the post office part of the building was left intact, including windows, doors, and the lobby. The woodwork in that section of the building sports a rich dark color. In the early days of the post office after the coming of the railroad to Elizabethton,
WWW.ELIZABETHTON.COM incoming mail arrived by train and then was transferred by a mule-drawn wagon to the post office. Postmasters at that time changed with presidential party changes. Among other Carter County sites on the National Historic Register are the Reuben Brooks Farmstead, the John and Landon Carter House, Elizabethton Historic District, Henson Hunt House, Miller Farmstead at Roan Mountain, Renfro-Allen Farm, Sabine Hill, Shelving Rock Encampment, SimerlyButler House, Sycamore Shoals, Watauga Hydroelectric, and John T. Wilder House.
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This photo of the Hampton-Valley Forge Road built in the early 1940s shows one of the deepest cuts on a road at that time.
When the bridge was built between Valley Forge and Hampton in the early 1940s, it was East Tennessee’s only bridge with a curve.
BY ROZELLA HARDIN Editorial Director rozella.hardin@elizabethton.com
covered bridge.” The highway department cut away the mountain to build the bridge instead of going through it with a tunnel like the railroad did. All the tunnels in the Doe River Gorge, which the railroad passed through, were carved out of solid rock. Before the railroad was built in the late 1800s, the only way to get to Hampton from Elizabethton was by horseback along the Doe River. If the river was up, the rider had to go by way of Gap Creek. In the early days it was a regular occurrence to see covered wagons loaded with chestnuts, chinquapins and apples coming down from the North Carolina mountains headed to Elizabethton. Some of the wagons had brandy or moonshine hidden under the other goods. The railroad made communication and social gatherings possible for the mountain people. Much of the railroad and its bridges were washed out by the 1901 flood. Train
First double bridges between Hampton and Valley Forge were built in 1940
T
he Stateline Road between Valley Forge and Hampton as well as the two bridges, which were built in 1940-1941, have a bit of history behind them. According to a March 11, 1941 copy of the Elizabethton STAR, the road was opened to traffic at that time even through construction continued. The article noted that the road would not be paved for some time to allow the rock to settle into a hard pack. The contract for the 2.3 miles of highway and the two massive concrete bridges was set at an approximate cost of $224,914. However, due to some extra work on the bridges, the final cost was considerably more. The contract was let by the state to Foster and Creighton Construction Co., which sublet the contract to B.G. Young Construction Co. A freak accident occurred during the construction of the highway in February 1940, when 75-year-old Henry M. Jenkins
was killed while watching the road work. Jenkins, who lived nearby, died when struck in the back of the head by the bed of a truck backing away from excavation work at the highway construction site. According to a newspaper account, employees of B.G. Young Construction Co. rushed Jenkins to a local hospital, where he was dead on arrival. Jenkins was the grandfather of former STAR Sports Editor and Editor Bill Jenkins and Henry Jenkins, former JC Press Sports Editor. The driver of the truck, Frank Kirk, was arrested that night on a charge of murder, even though it was an accident. However, we could not find anywhere where Kirk was prosecuted for the accident. A few hours after the accident involving Jenkins, a 20-year-old truck driver for the same construction company working at the road site suffered a serious head injury and had to be taken to the old St. Elizabeth Hospital. The bridge built in 1940 was constructed over the Doe River next to the ET&WNC covered deck, often known as the “upside-down
service was halted until the tracks and bridges were replaced later that year. Even after a highway was built between Valley Forge and Hampton, traffic was at a minimum as few people had automobiles, and during World War II, gasoline was rationed. Attempts to find when the first road between Hampton and Valley Forge was built were unfruitful, however, the first road was there as early as 1926 when ET&WNC Transportation Co. bought out the rights of the Tennessee Transit Co. to operate buses between Johnson City, Elizabethton, Hampton, Roan Mountain, Elk Park, Cranberry, and other points. It is believed the dirt road was there much earlier. The last road and bridges were built in the early 1990s. The contract was let in December 1989 to build the 2.2 mile route between Hampton and Valley Forge and to replace the Doe River bridges at a cost of $17.6 million. Remember, the road work in the 1940s cost less than $500,000.
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First Christian Church Basketball in the 1980s
Photo by/Pat Bellamy
A typical Junior High School basketball team in the 1980s sponsored by First Christian Church.
Photo by/Pat Bellamy
A Little League basketball team in the 1980s sponsored by Dino’s Restaurant.
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Photo by/Pat Bellamy
Brumit Yankees
Front, l-r, Julie Little, Jerri Beth Nave, Michelle Berry, April Ward, Vickie Lewis, Joy Cannon and Karen Stover. Back row, l-r, Dena Street, Benita Bellamy, Angie Odom, Christy Hopkins, Wendy Warren, Beth Warren, Rhoda Hodge, manager Nancy Berry and Gwen Hendrix. Not pictured, Lori Taylor.
Photo by/Pat Bellamy
Taking reign
Benita Bellamy, a 21-year-old business major and music minor at ETSU in 1990, was crowned Miss Buccaneer that year. Ms. Bellamy, a junior at the time, succeeded Karen Denise Gray of Kingsport. She was presented the crown from Miss Buccaneer 1987 Damaris Ruetz. At the time, she was the 24th titleholder and the first black woman to wear the crown.
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Photo by/Pat Bellamy
Women’s Church League Team
Pictured are members of the Phillippi Baptist Church Women’s Church League Baseball Team in 1984. They include (first row, l-r) Tracie Walsh, Robin Bradley, Karen Smith, Benita Bellamy, Wilhelmina (Teat) Mutts and Remell Watson. Second row (l-r) Charlene Sams, Tiny McKesson, Gladys Watson, Derby Smith, Pat Bellamy and Margaret Bradley.
Photo by/Pat Bellamy
Kindergarten students in 1982 at Harold McCormick Elementary School. Photo by/Pat Bellamy
A snowy scene on Johnson Avenue in 2010.
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Carter County Bank - Betsy Group
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Carter County Bank
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Carter County Bank Williamsburg Group
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Carter County Bank - Broad Street Group
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Carter County Bank - Pinecrest Group
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Carter County Bank - Plaza Group
Carter County Bank - Roan Mountain Group
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Brown’s Grocery and Hardware a hidden treasure in Hampton BY IVAN SANDERS STAR STAFF ivan.sanders@elizabethton.com
Brown’s Grocery and Hardware in Hampton is truly one of the last breeds of its kind in that a patron can come in and buy their week’s groceries, pick up a heating element for a stove, and possibly a decorative milk churn. In other words, if something can’t be found when shopping just let the staff know and they will get it and if it can’t be found then the item is not made anymore. George Sutton Brown Jr. is the fourth generation of Browns to own Brown’s Grocery and Hardware. He shared some of the rich heritage of the store when it first began. “The store originated with the Pittsburgh Lumber Company in 1909,” said Brown. “When the lumber company moved out in 1924, they maintained the commissary and was also the post office for Braemar. “My grandparents moved with the lumber company but they loved the area so much
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
George Brown Jr. stands in front of the store that has been in his family for four generations.
that when the depression hit, my grandfather was hired by Tennessee Eastman Company as a timber specialist and was able to accumulate a little bit of property in Kingsport and decided to sell all of that and move back here to the community that he had kind of grown
up in and raised his kids in.” “In 1909, the store was in the rock building that I live in — the Braemar Castle — where the post office was and once housed the general offices for the Pittsburgh Lumber Company. A lot of business they did on a
script as there was no money.” With large chain stores such as Ingles, Food City, and Wal-Mart hitting the scene, it made it difficult for many stores like Brown’s to survive. However, with the ability to offer more
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ready to step into his than just food and shoes to continue stocking hard to find the heritage of the hardware to repair Hampton store, Brown older appliances said with a chuckle, along with a variety of “My kids are smarter other items, Brown’s than that. has been able to keep “It would be nice the door open and reto continue but with main a destination for the competition that those who live in the has moved in it has area and others that made it increasingly are passing through. difficult.” “At one time we And while many were one of three or look at success meafour independent sured by the amount supermarkets,” Brown of cash in the till, stated. “As the chain Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Brown has a differstores moved in, the The sign on the side of Brown’s Grocery ent prospective when slice of the pie got it comes to how to smaller and smaller. and Hardware pretty much says it all. measure success. We have had to try “Wealth is not necessarily where you and adapt with the larger grocery stores. “From a supermarket we went to a grocery make money in, it’s where you live and the people that you are around,” he said. store. That means that we carry a little bit of That philosophy has allowed Brown’s everything. I think that we have one of the best hardware stores in the region — because Grocery and Hardware to keep its doors open for over 112 years of business in Carter if we don’t have it, we will get it for you.” County. When asked whether he has someone
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Brown’s Grocery and Hardware has been a staple in Hampton since 1909.
George Brown Jr. stands in his store — one that has been a part of his heritage for four generations.
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Photo Contributed
The Braemar Castle housed Brown’s Grocery and Hardware before the store moved to its current location.
Star Photo/Nic Miller
Joe Alexander, owner of and agent with Alexander Insurance Agency stands outside of the agency’s building, one of many locations the business has been home to.
Alexander Insurance, a business serving generations of good people BY NIC MILLER STAR STAFF nic.miller@elizabethton.com
Since 1950, Alexander Insurance Agency in the downtown district of Elizabethton has provided the citizens of the area with help when it comes to personal insurance. Along with being one of the oldest businesses in Elizabethton’s downtown area, Alexander Insurance Agency is also locally owned and has stayed within the Alexander Photo Contributed family. Brown’s Grocery and Hardware got its start as part of the PIttsburgh Lumber Joe Alexander, owner of the insurance Company in Braemar.
agency remembers his first memories of the business which was founded by his father, Edwin C. Alexander. “My father started the insurance agency on October 1st, 1950, and just like any new business it was tough starting up. I remember him telling me that when he first opened up business, he owed everyone in town.” “For a while he was just trying to make ends meet and raise a family which consisted of my oldest brother Crawford, my brother Ed, and myself. We were very fortunate that our mother stayed at home
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Star Photo/Nic Miller
Alexander Insurance Agency owner Joe Alexander poses next to a portrait of his father, Edwin C. Alexander Jr, who founded the business.
and raised us boys while our father worked at the agency,” Alexander continued. Alexander also made it known that the insurance agency has not always been at its current location, saying, “We have actually been on the 600 block of East Elk Avenue since my father started the business, but have been in several different buildings. He started across the street above Lingerfelt Drug, and later on he moved his office to what was the Lynnwood Hotel annex.” “After that, the business moved down below Brumit Sports Shop which was the time period where I took over the business. And shortly after that, we had the opportunity to purchase the building we are in today, which was the Elizabethton Teacher’s Credit Union also known as Northeast Community Credit Union,” Alexander stated. “We have intentionally stayed a smaller type business,” Alexander explained. “I thoroughly enjoy the personal feel and being able to interact with customers one on one tp develop a relationship with them.” And with technology making leaps and bounds in today’s world, life has become more digital for Alexander and the Alexander Insurance Agency. However, things were not always this way. “Through the years, we have seen many different changes in the insurance agency, as in previously using a manual to calculate ratings and now doing everything online and on a computer. Doing everything online is a fine
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Contributed Photo
Former United States Senator and Governor of Tennessee Lamar Alexander (left) pays a visit to the Alexander Insurance Agency during his campaign for Governor. Beside him is founder Edwin C. Alexander Jr. and behind the desk is long time office assistant Retha Williams.
way of handling things, that is until the power goes out,” Alexander joked. With the Alexander Insurance Agency being a family business, Alexander stated that his way of doing business is just a continuation of how his father ran things, saying, “We try to be honest and upfront with all of our customers, and we also let those people know that we care about them and want to take care of their needs, just as my father did.” Alexander concluded by explaining what it means to him to have a business that is locally owned and one that cares about its customers, saying, “It has been a very special experience for me to be able to have a local business in Elizabethton. I have been in Elizabethton all my life, and more specifically I have been in downtown Elizabethton all my life as long as I can remember.” “Some of the most special memories I have had was walking with my mother through town and stopping by both my father’s and grandfather’s offices while they would be working. It is about experiences such as these, and it is very special to get to wake up every morning and come work in a place that I love.” With a focus on community importance and placing the customer first, it is no wonder that the Alexander Insurance Agency has been serving the people of Elizabethton and Carter County for over 70 years.
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__ Proud to be a part of __
Carter County Heritage
1969
Since 1934, Citizens Bank has continued to grow with the community. This year, the bank was able to secure approval for over $173 million in SBA PPP Loans for more than 2,000 small businesses. And, we are looking forward to the future! Member FDIC
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