of Kingsport, Inc.
On the Heritage Trail...in downtown Kingsport
Houston Farm receives honor from state
Piney Flats farm designated as Tennessee Century Farm
PINEY FLATS - The Houston Farm in Sullivan County has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm. The announcement was made this week by Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms program at the Center for Historic Preservation, which is located on the MTSU campus at Murfreesboro.
Near the historic Piney Flats community, Charles D. Deakins purchased a farm of 206 acres in 1903. He and his wife, Mary Isabelle Cole, had seven children and the family raised sheep, dairy cattle, horses, pigs, chickens, corn, wheat and hay, along with peach, pea, and apple orchards. The Deakins’ operation also included a cider business, blacksmith, gunsmith and cobbler’s shop. Roads led from the farm to the Holston River and to the Piney Flats and Bluff City communities.
After the death of Charles D. Deakins in 1918, daughter Virginia Pet Houston and her husband, James William Houston, acquired most of her parents’ farm. Through buying out her siblings’ shares, the Houstons obtained 160 acres of the original 206. They and their three children, Charles Wayne, Mary Frances and Frank Helms, raised dairy cattle, horses, mules, bees, wheat, corn, hay, chickens, pigs, tobacco, fruit orchards and kitchen gardens.
According to the family’s reports, Mary Frances was quite active in her school athletics program and was on the state championship basketball team in 1938 at Mary Hughes High School. Charles was a magistrate of the county court and served on the state election committee for 20 years, including logging time as president of the committee.
Mary Frances and her husband, Audra Malone, became the third generation to continue family ownership of the farm. They acquired 143 acres of the farm in 1983 and raised dairy cows, Black Angus cattle, corn, wheat, hay, tobacco, orchards, pigs and kitchen gardens. The Malones, as well as the Houstons before them, were members of the Farm Bureau and were involved in the Home Demonstration Club and 4-H Club either as leaders or members.
In 2008, the current owners, John N. and Patsy Starnes, acquired the land that is now called Houston Farm. Patsy is the great-granddaughter of the founder through her mother’s side of the family. At age 93 her mother, Frieda Houston, is the widow of Charles Wayne Houston, the grandson of the founder. John and Patsy, along with Frieda, live on the land that has been in the family since early in the 20th century.
A brick home, built in 1903, and other buildings, including a tool shed, smokehouse, granary, corncrib and barn remain on the property. Patsy Starnes said she remembers many stories from her grandmother, Virginia Pet Houston, including the one about her father, Charles D. Deakins, saving his money in several boxes to pay for the two-story brick house.
The Century Farm Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who have continuously owned, and kept in production, family land for at least 100 years. Since 1984, the CHP at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farm Program, and continues to administer this program.
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture began the Tennessee Century Farm Program in 1976 as part of the nation’s bicentennial. Today, the TDA provides a metal outdoor sign, noting either 100, 150 or 200 years of “continuous agricultural production” to Century Farm families.
To be considered for eligibility, a farm must be owned by the same family for at least 100 years; must produce $1,000 revenue annually; must have at least 10 acres of the original farm; and one owner must be a resident of Tennessee.
“The Century Farmers represent all the farm families of Tennessee,” Hankins said, “and their contributions to the economy, and to the social, cultural and agrarian vitality of the state, both past and present, is immeasurable. Each farm is a Tennessee treasure.”
For more information about the Century Farms Program, visit its Web site at http://histpres.mtsu.edu/histpres .
The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted via mail at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132, or by telephone at 615-898-2947.
Cadets enroute and at Embry Riddle University
Sullivan North NJROTC cadets visit Embry Riddle University
Several students from the Sullivan North, Sullivan South and David Crockett High Schools’ Naval Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps recently visited Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and the NROTC unit at the university. It was the second such visit within the last month.
Students were given a campus tour and a detailed brief on the benefits and opportunities of attending ERAU along with the many course offerings at the university. The students all cadets from Sullivan North, Sullivan South and David Crockett received an informative briefing by the NROTC unit about the unit, NROTC scholarship opportunities and the admission/application process.
The NROTC program at ERAU has an enrollment of approximately 200 cadets all of which will enter some aspect of aviation after graduation.
NROTC scholarships offer full tuition, a stipend for books and a monthly living allowance but most importantly provide a guaranteed job after graduation. The students were transported to and from Daytona Beach and ERAU aboard Georgia National Guard C-26 Metroliner based in Atlanta, Georgia
Cadets at Siurvival School.
Cadets from North, Cocke Co.
visit Navy’s Survivial School
KINGSPORT - A small group of students from Sullivan North High School and Cocke County High School recently visited one of the U.S. Navy’s Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape schools in Maine.
During this trip students participated in techniques to survive in the wilderness, spent the night in the Rangley Mountains of Maine, learned to live from the land and a myriad of other survival skills necessary to live in remote conditions.
In addition, these cadets toured several facilities aboard U. S. Naval Air Station Brunswick Maine including the control tower, Mobile Construction Unit, Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department and other facilities aboard the installation.
The cadets learned considerable information about the Navy, Naval Aviation, aircraft traffic control as well as planning skills needed to execute extended visits of this nature.
The units were transported to and from Maine aboard U.S. Navy C-9 cargo planes based in Willow Grove Pennsylvania and Oceana, Virginia.
Last year's scenes - the parade and the tour of homes.
Christmas in Jonesborough
Town ready for big weekend Dec. 12, 13
JONESBOROUGH -The Historic town of Jonesborough is putting on its finest for the Holidays with the Holiday Tour of Homes and the 17th annual At Home With Santa event - both planned next weekend, December 12 and 13.’
Children from all over the area are invited to for lots of fun on Saturday, December 12, at the “At Home with Santa” event from 10am – 3pm; then St. Nick Nights Toy Drive with downtown activities at 4 pm; and ending with the “12 Days of Christmas” night time lighted parade at 6 pm.
And it’s all FREE!
Call 753.1010 or click historicjonesborough.com for more information.
“We are spreading the activities for ‘At Home with Santa’ throughout downtown while keeping favorite games and activities from years’ past,” says Director of Tourism and Marketing, Amber Crumley.
The “Santa Mart”, games, tree exhibit, and other activities will remain at the Visitors Center. Santa, a tea party (reservations only), and face painting will be downtown.
Children can write a letter to Santa in the late 1800’s schoolhouse behind the Visitors Center. Carriage rides will be available for transportation downtown. The “Santa Mart” is a shopping mart just for children. Volunteers help children select and wrap gifts for their family members and friends. Reservations must be made for the tea party for children ages 4 – 11 by calling Gracious Designs at 753.5247.
The St. Nick Nights Toy Drive will begin at 4 pm. Do not let the words “Toy Drive” fool you because teens need gifts too. Folks are encouraged to bring a new or gently used unwrapped gift to Santa so he can deliver them to Washington County families in need before Christmas. While there, families can expect to enjoy several free activities that including storytelling, music, caroling, and, of course, Santa will be there with his big red sleigh! St. Nick Nights Toy Drive is an annual event held every Saturday from Thanksgiving to Christmas in downtown Jonesborough’s historic district from 4 – 7pm.
The Lighted Night Time Christmas parade begins at 6 pm. Enjoy entrants celebrating the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas”. The parade will travel 11-E from Jonesborough Middle School to Boone Street, continue to Main Street and then to Washington Avenue. The route will be closed at 5:30 p.m. and will be held rain or shine. It is anticipated that at least 3000 citizens will attend. The streets will remain closed after the parade for you to visit with folks, shop, or enjoy refreshments in our dining establishments.
And on Sunday, December 13, the annual Holiday Tour of Homes takes place as luminaries will light up the historic locations for guests from 4pm – 8pm.
You may purchase tickets in advance for $15 and $20 the day of at the Visitors Center, 117 Boone Street, or by calling 423.753.1010 with Visa or MasterCard.
Trolley service and light refreshments are included with the ticket price. Proceeds go toward funding free community events throughout the year.
“A unique twist on the tour this year is the location of our refreshments. They will be served at the Proud Annie Mystery Theatre with the cast of their upcoming play ‘Old Will’s Last Testament’,” Crumley said, “I am also very pleased that most of the locations were not on the tour last year.”
The Proud Annie Mystery Theatre is located in the Rhea-McKinley House built in 1860 by Dr. Rhea of Jonesborough. For more information about the dinner theatre please visit www.proudannie.com.
Decorated in their finest holiday splendor, the tour will have 7 locations including 4 historic homes, 2 Historic Inns, and a Church. The Historic Eureka Inn was a home when first built in 1797. Most locations are over 100 years old.
Make your first stop the Jonesborough Visitors Center between the hours of 3:30 pm - 6:30 pm to purchase or exchange tickets for fabric swatches and receive a program with tour map. The tour is self-guided and self-paced to allow you to take in the holiday splendor and talk to the homeowners at your own leisure. Pease keep in mind there are steep stairs in some of the locations.