Johnson City, TN City Guide and Yellow Pages

More About Johnson City, Tennessee

the “Crossroads of the Eastern United States,” the strategically placed Johnson’s Depot was built by Henry Johnson in 1856. Now known as Johnson City, the town grew into an important railroad junction for the Southeast. The railroad and zinc and iron mining industries thrived there from 1870 until the 1893 depression occurred.

Johnson City, Tenn., is a place with a colorful past that includes legendary bootlegging, gambling and widespread indifference to Prohibition. During the 1920s, the town received the title of “Little Chicago.” Now listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the Tudor-style Montrose Court of Johnson City was rumored to be a part-time hide-out for the notorious Chicago gangster Al Capone. Today, Johnson City ranks 29th of 261 Metropolitan Statistical Areas surveyed in lowest crime rate. An annual party, the Little Chicago Blues Festival, celebrates the notorious speakeasies and railroad heydays of the northeast Tennessee town.

Johnson City shares the spotlight in country singer Travis Tritt’s song and music video, “Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde.”

Partially surrounded by the Appalachian Ridge and Valley Province, Johnson City lays west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Once ranked No. 35 of the "Best Small Places for Business and Careers in the USA” by Forbes magazine, Johnson City also chosen as No. 8 for “Best Place for African-Americans to Retire in the USA” by Black Enterprise magazine. Kiplinger magazine hailed Johnson City as No. 5 in the “Ten Least-Expensive Cities for Living in the USA”. Johnson City is considered to be “within one day’s drive of half the U.S. population.” The town is 39.6 square-miles and has a population of about 61,990. It is the eighth-largest city in Tennessee.

Located in Washington, Carter and Sullivan counties, Johnson City’s farms grow cotton and raise cattle, while its factories produce textiles. In addition, Johnson City is an economic core fed by East Tennessee State University (ETSU) and the “Med-Tech corridor.”

As the town’s only enclosed mall, The Mall at Johnson City houses more than 70 retail outlets and a food court. JC Penney and Sears are its anchor stores. Near The Mall is a Target Center that includes a T.J. Maxx, Books-a-Million and a Pier One. Johnson City Crossing shopping mall includes Old Navy, Home Depot and a Pet Smart. Nearby, shoppers will find Kohl’s, Lowe’s, Sam’s Club, and Barnes & Noble Booksellers. Johnson City’s downtown district offers antiques, boutiques and art galleries. It also holds a “First Friday” of each month featuring gallery openings, dining specials, and shoppers’ specials.

A unique celebration of Johnson City is the Umoja Unity Festival held annually downtown since 1978. "Umoja" is Swahili for "unity." Attendees enjoy live music, food and crafts. The Blue Plum Festival also features outdoor art and a music festival. Regional and nationally celebrated musicians perform Americana genres, bluegrass and folk.

Built in 1770, Rocky Mount Historic Shrine is a quaint log cabin that served as the first capital of the territory south of the Ohio River. It is a “living museum that re-creates the year 1791” when Gov. William Blount resided there. Downtown’s Hands on! Museum offers an “interactive gallery of exhibits”. The Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site is a museum and educational center. In 1970, it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The museum is dedicated to "preserving and sharing traditional Appalachian farming and craft methods.” The grounds include a home built by Col. John Tipton in 1784. The structure was later enlarged by new owner Landon Carter Haynes. Visitors can see Tennessee history come to life while touring the smokehouse, pig sty, loom house, still house, spring house, log barn, corn crib, and the living quarters of George Haynes, the family slave.

For outdoor fun, Boone Lake is a reservoir in both Sullivan and Washington counties. It offers many recreational activities, such as fishing, boating, swimming and waterskiing.

East Tennessee State University has about 14,000 students in addition to a K-12 university school and a laboratory school of about 540 pupils. It was the first university in the country to create a year-round class schedule. ETSU is home to an arboretum since 2002. It contains nearly 200 labeled tree species.

Written by Kathleen Cooney

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