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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E46-E47]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE SESQUICENTENNIAL OF JOHNSON CITY, TENNESSEE
______
HON. DAVID P. ROE
of tennessee
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, today I join in paying
tribute to the sesquicentennial of my hometown of Johnson city,
Tennessee.
The City of Johnson City was founded in Northeast Tennessee, where
three railroads--East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad,
Clinchfield Railroad, and Southern Railway--converged, holding its
first election on Jan. 3, 1870, with 60 registered voters.
Voters elected entrepreneur Henry Johnson, owner of Johnson's Depot,
to serve as the City's first mayor. The City charter defined the city
limits as being the area within a half-mile radius of Johnson's Depot,
the city's first commercial business. Johnson's Depot operated as a
railway depot, freight station, and post office, and also served as a
hotel, restaurant, and store.
The Watauga Tannery, the city's first major industry, was established
in November 1883 covering 130 acres and employing as many as 300 men.
Today, Johnson City boasts a diverse economy led by healthcare and
education.
The Mountain Branch of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer
Soldiers opened in 1903. Now known as the James H. Quillen VA
[[Page E47]]
Medical Center, it serves more than 170,000 veterans living in a 41-
county area of Tennessee, Virginia, and Kentucky.
The City's first professional hospital, Appalachian Hospital and
School of Nursing, opened in 1921 with the support of citizens who
funded half the cost of the facility. Johnson City has become home to
three major hospitals--Johnson City Medical Center, Franklin Woods
Community Hospital, and Niswonger Children's Hospital.
In 1911, the teacher-training institute known as East Tennessee State
Normal School, predecessor of East Tennessee State University, was
founded. Today, as the fourth largest university in the State of
Tennessee, ETSU also includes the highly regarded Quillen College of
Medicine and Gatton College of Pharmacy.
In 1939 the Johnson City Board of Commissioners adopted the charter
that established the council-manager form of government, under which it
operates today. Through a collaborative process of elected officials
working closely with citizens, Johnson City has created a city
recognized by a variety of publications as a great place to live.
Johnson City has operated its own Transit System since 1979 and
established Tennessee's first citywide curbside recycling program in
1989. Additionally, the city has 18 parks, 40 athletic fields and a
host of multi-use trails. Johnson City is also home to Freedom Hall
Civic Center, Memorial Park Community Center, a large public library
and a robust senior services program.
Although Johnson City's local economy includes national and regional
companies, it also embodies the entrepreneurial spirit of Henry
Johnson, supporting countless small business owners who operate in city
limits, particularly the downtown area.
The City of Johnson City, which kicked off its Sesquicentennial on
Jan. 3, 2019, has become a thriving community of more than 66,000
residents with city limits expanded to 43.3 square miles. I look
forward to what the next 150 years holds for Johnson City.
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