Kingsport Fire Department Collection, c.1871-1989 and undated

Kingsport Fire Department Collection
c.1871-1989 and undated
KM Manuscript Collection 37

Archives of the City of Kingsport
400 Broad Street
Kingsport, Tennessee 37660

INTRODUCTION:
Title: Kingsport Fire Department Collection, c.1871-1989 and undated

Collection Number: Kingsport Municipal Manuscript Collection (KMMC) 37

Physical Description: 1 oversized folder and 4 boxes, 3 linear feet

Creator: Kingsport Fire Department

Repository: Archives of the City of Kingsport

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION:
Provenance: The Kingsport Fire Department Collection was donated by Fire Chief J. C. Moser in 1994. Additional donations were made in 1996.

Access/Restrictions: There are no restrictions on use of this collection for research purposes. The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

Processed by: Kate Lukach processed the collection and developed the finding aid in April 2008.

COLLECTION CITATION:
This collection should be cited as:

Kingsport Fire Department Collection, c.1871-1989 and undated. KM Manuscript Collection 37, Archives of the City of Kingsport, Tennessee.
HISTORICAL NOTE
The Kingsport Fire Department was organized June 23, 1916, as a self-supporting volunteer organization consisting of forty-eight men divided among four companies.  Financial responsibility of the department was assumed by the City when it was incorporated in 1917.  The first pumper, purchased in 1917, is still in showroom condition and is located at Station 2 on Fort Henry Drive.  The department operated under the leadership of Chief Tom Warrick.  They responded to calls with one paid driver until 1930, when four paid firefighters and a second pumper were added to the force.

J. Roy Pyle was chosen for the office of Chief in 1935 and served until 1945.  During Chief Pyle’s term, a second fire station was built and a ladder truck was added to the list of vehicles.

C. M. Kenner was named Chief in 1945 and served until his retirement in 1978.  During Chief Kenner’s term, operation was continued as a part paid and part volunteer department until 1950 when the last of the volunteers were phased out.  Fire Station No. 3 was constructed in 1965 and Fire Station No. 4 in 1969.  A replacement for Fire Station No. 1, which was located on Watauga Street, was built in 1971 on Island Street to protect the central business district.  This station also houses the administrative offices and the Fire Marshal’s Office.

In 1978, C. L. Caldwell was appointed to the office of Fire Chief and held this position until his retirement in 1994.  During Chief Caldwell’s term Kingsport’s growth continued.  Fire Station No. 5 was opened in the Lynn Garden area in 1990 and Fire Station No. 6 was opened in the south side area in 1992.

J. C. Moser was appointed Fire Chief in 1994 and held this position until his retirement in July 2001.  During Chief Moser’s term, a training facility was constructed on Industry Drive and the Kingsport Fire Department became an Internationally Accredited fire department.

Charles A. White was appointed Fire Chief in 2001 and commanded ninety-four personnel.  All members of the department are certified by the Tennessee Commission on Firefighting Standards to the highest level available and are certified by the regulatory board of the Department of Health with the minimum required certification being an EMT.  In August 1995 seventeen members of the department were certified as Paramedics.  By 2004 the department had a total of thirty-nine Paramedics. (Information found on old department web page at http://vhost1.zfx.com/org/kptfd/history.htm.  The new department web page is located at http://www.kingsportfire.com/)
SCOPE AND CONTENT
This collection contains photographs, news articles, books, documents, and memorabilia from Kingsport’s volunteer, and later, City Fire Department.  The collection is divided into three series consisting of subject files, photographs, and artifacts.

SUBJECTS

  • Fire Fighters
  • Kingsport Fire Department

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS
Series I, Subject Files, c.1871-1989 and undated, Folder 1 and Box 1-2.

Series I consists of subject files arranged alphabetically.  These files contain books, manuals, conference programs, and other documents related to the profession of firefighting.

Series II, Photographs, c.1916-1983 and undated, Box 3.

Series II consists of photographs and a few other documents in their original order.  The photographs depict firefighters, fire fighting equipment, buildings, and other similar subjects.

Series III, Artifacts, undated, Box 4.

Series III consists of physical artifacts from the Kingsport Fire Department.

BOX AND FOLDER LIST
Series I, Subject Files, c.1871-1989 and undated, Folder 1 and Box 1-2.
Folder 1
1. Photograph: Unidentified ladder fire engine (horse drawn), from the Knoxville Engraving Company, undated
2. Tennessee Division of Fire Prevention Certificate of Recognition to the City of Kingsport and Mayor Glen Bruce, January 12, 1931
3. Kingsport Times-News: “Kingsport Fire Captain Killed in Crash; 2 Hurt,” January 6, 1988
4. Kingsport Times-News Supplement, “A Special Report to the People of Kingsport, Tennessee, 1970-71” (Fire Department Library copy)
5. Kingsport Times-News: “Firebase Kingsport,” June 27, 1971

Box 1
1. Booklet: 8th Annual National Memorial Service for Fallen Firefighters, October 15, 1989
2. Booklet: 14th Annual Convention – Tennessee Firemen’s Association, May 26-28, 1947
3. Booklet: 16th Annual Tennessee State Fire Service School, August 17-21, 1959
4. Booklet: 21st Annual Convention – Tennessee Firemen’s Association, June 21-23, 1954
5. Booklet: 40th Annual Convention – Tennessee Firemen’s Association, June 21-23, 1973
6. Bristol Herald Courier: “Firefighters Say Farewell to a Friend,” January 9, 1988
7. Catalog: “Brass Goods Fire Protection Equipment” General Catalog E – Elkhart Brass Manufacturing Company, c.1932
8. Central Fire Station – Kingsport Fire Department Guest Register, June 1971 – October 1980
9. “Fire Defense” National Fire Protection Association, 1941
10. Fire Service Training Manuals: 1) Fire Inspection Practices and 2) Ventilation Practices, 1958-1959
11. Fire Service Training Manuals: 1) Fire Stream Practices and 2) Hose Practices, 1957 and 1961
12. Fire Service Training Manual: Forcible Entry, Rope, and Portable Extinguisher Practices, 1958
13. Fire Service Training Manuals: 1) Ladder Practices and 2) Fire Apparatus Practices, 1957-1959
14. “The Great Fire of Chicago,” 1871 (fragile condition)
15. “Inspections of Buildings Before Fires” by A. Irving Brewster, May 29, 1930
16. Invitation to Kingsport Fire Department Annual Banquet, October 27, 1930
17. Kingsport City Employee Handbook, 1951 and Notice of Kingsport Fire Department meeting, c.1910s
18. Kingsport City Government Report to the Citizens, 1952 and 1953
19. Kingsport Fire Department Constitution and By-Laws booklet, organized June 23, 1916
20. Kingsport Times-News: “[Charles] Berry Third Fatality for City,” January 6, 1988
21. Membership Certificate, Tennessee Firemen’s Association, January 12, 1931

Box 2
1. Memorial Notices, various dates
2. Miscellaneous documents and news clippings, various dates
3. Miscellaneous ephemera (4), various dates
4. Miscellaneous Kingsport Fire Department decals, 1945 and undated
5. Miscellaneous photographs (4), various dates
6. Miscellaneous photographs (9), various dates
7. Miscellaneous scrapbook photographs, c.1933 (14)
8. “Motor Fire Apparatus Instruction Book” – American – LaFrance Fire Engine Company, Inc., 1915
9. National Fire Protection Association Certificates: 1931-1932, 1935-1940 (8)
10. Photograph: Boy Scouts on fire engine in parade, undated
11. Photograph: Kingsport Central Fire Station, February 15, 1930
12. Photograph: Kingsport Central Fire Station with crews and engines, 1931
13. Photograph: Kingsport Fire Department on Parade, July 4, 1916
14. “Proceedings of the 52nd Annual Convention of the International Association of Fire Engineers, August 19-22, 1924
15. Program of dedication for Central Fire Station, Kingsport, Tennessee, June 27, 1971 (2 copies)
16. “Report of the 3rd Annual Session – Tennessee State Fire Service School,” August 19-23, 1946
17. Scrapbook: Booklet for the 15th Annual Tennessee State Fire Service School, August 18-22, 1958
18. Scrapbook: City of Kingsport, TN brochure (includes Fire Map), January 1, 1932
19. Scrapbook: Kingsport Fire Department: Meeting Minutes Book, 1916-1917
20. Scrapbook: List of Fire Plugs, 1918 and 1922
21. Scrapbook: Member Lists: Kingsport Fire Department, 1930-1932 and 1936
22. Scrapbook: Miscellaneous documents, 1917 and undated
23. Scrapbook: Miscellaneous documents, various dates
24. Scrapbook: Miscellaneous Memorial bulletins, 1973 and 1977
25. Scrapbook: Miscellaneous photographs, undated
26. Scrapbook: Municipal Planning Commission booklet, “Planning for Kingsport,” May 1943
27. Scrapbook: Speech Notes of Chief T. C. Warrick, December 27, 1927
28. Scrapbook: State of Tennessee Fire Prevention Division, Certificate of Recognition, March 5, 1962
29. The Tennessee Fireman, March – April 1978

Series II, Photographs, c.1916-1983 and undated, Box 3.
Box 3
1. Kingsport Fire Department on parade, July 4, 1916
2. Engine No. 1 at factory before delivery, 1917
3. Unidentified home after fire, 1927
4. Kingsport Central Fire Station, February 15, 1930 (seated in Engine No. 1, H. O. Pyle and Roy Pyle; seated in Engine No. 2, Worley Butler and Walter Brown)
5. School children dressed as various city officials, 1932
6. Kingsport Central Fire Station, 1936
7. Engine No. 2 in July 4th parade, 1938
8. Kingsport Central Fire Station, c.1941
9. Fire truck in training work, February 14, 1941
10. Fire truck in training work, February 14, 1941
11. View form top of fire engine ladder looking down, February 22, 1941
12. Fire Engine No. 4 being tested upon delivery, May 1941
13. Kingsport Fire Station No. 2, 1941
14. Kingsport Fire Department, training, 1946
15. Captain J. C. Taylor and Chief C. M. Kenner with Engine No. 3, 1946
16. Kingsport Fire Station No. 2, 1946
17. Kingsport Fire Station No. 2, 1946
18. 19th Annual Fire Department Instructors Conference, January 7-10, 1947
19. Tennessee Firemen’s Association, Kingsport, TN, May 26-28, 1947
20. Unidentified meeting (lunch or dinner), 1947
21. Funeral – “Rhen Hicks,” 1949
22. Fire School group picture, 1959
23. Kingsport Fire Station No. 2, 1952
24. Kingsport Central Fire Station, 1971
25. Fire Engine in July 4th parade, 1977
26. Kingsport Central Fire Station – “B” shift, 1982
27. Kingsport Fire Department – Safety Expo, 1983
28. Kingsport Fire Department – Safety Expo, 1983
29. Boy Scouts on fire engine fore parade, undated
30. “Dickson fire,” undated
31. Unidentified (possibly site of original fire station), undated
32. Engine No. 7 – passing fire hose through illegally parked car, undated
33. Central Fire Station and fire engines, undated
34. Kingsport Fire Station with engine, undated
35. Fire School group picture, undated
36. Kingsport Volunteer Fire Department gathering, undated
37. Firefighters with fire engine, undated
38. Firefighters with fire engine, undated
39. Firefighters working, undated
40. Kingsport Central Fire Station with crews and engines, 1931
41. Engine No. 10, undated
42. Kingsport’s first fire department reunion, undated
43. Miscellaneous, various dates (4)
44. Miscellaneous, various dates (4)
45. Kingsport’s first fire department, undated, and undated photograph of yellow fire engine
46. Miscellaneous, May 1972 (4)
47. Miscellaneous, May 1972 (4)
48. Miscellaneous, May 1972 (4)
49. Miscellaneous, May 1972 (4)
50. Miscellaneous, May 1972 (4)
51. Engine No. 10, undated
52. News article, “Fire Official Dies En Route to Fatal Asphalt Explosion,” source unknown, April 28, 1972
53. News article, “Assistant Fire Chief Dies of Heart Attack,” The Daily News (published by the Kingsport Post), April 28, 1972
54. Santa Claus on a Kingsport Fire Department engine, undated
55. “Kingsport Life Saving crew – electrocution,” undated
56. News article, “Firemen Honored by State,” c.1963-1964
57. Miscellaneous, August 1956 and July 1955 (2); Memorial Service Bulletin, Denver Lisenby, 1972 (2)
58. News Article, “Firemen Say Farewell to Comrade,” Kingsport Times-News, May 1, 1972
59. Miscellaneous, various and undated (4)
60. Copy of letter from the family of Denver Lisenby to Mr. Charles K. Marsh, May 22, 1972
61. News Article, “Negro, Pals Save Life of City Fire Captain,” Kingsport Times-News, January 19, 1965
62. Various news articles, c.1965
63. Kingsport Fire Department officers, February 12, 1965 (3); and Memorial service bulletin for Denver Lisenby, 1972
64. News Article, “Roy Pyle, Former Kingsport Fire Chief, Succumbs,” Kingsport Times-News, undated
65. Miscellaneous, undated (7)
66. Miscellaneous, various dates (4)
67. Miscellaneous, various dates (4)
68. Group of unidentified men at First Methodist church, December 1939
69. Reunion of Kingsport’s first fire department, undated
70. Fire School group photograph, undated
71. Unidentified photograph of interior fire damage (label on back reads: “X marks spot where Jefferies body was found date”), undated
72. Unidentified photograph of exterior fire damage (label on back reads: “W. Wanola Ave. 200 Block”), undated
73. Unidentified photograph of exterior fire damage (label on back reads: “W. Wanola Ave.”), undated
74. Firefighters on roof of unidentified house or building (label on back reads: “Dale St.”), undated
75. Unidentified house or building exterior (label on back reads: “Dale St.”), undated
76. Firefighters on roof of unidentified house or building (label on back reads: “Dale St.”), undated
77. Unidentified house or building exterior with on-lookers (label on back reads: “Dale St.”), undated
78. 19th Annual Fire Department Instructors Conference – Memphis, TN, January 7-10, 1947
79. 23rd Annual Fire Department Instructors Conference – Memphis, TN, January 9-12, 1951
80. Tennessee Firemen’s Association – Clarksville, TN, 1946
81. 25th Annual Fire Department Instructors Conference – Memphis, TN, 1953
82. Unidentified gathering honoring the Kingsport Volunteer Fire Department, undated
83. “Water Safety Congress Tennessee and Cumberland Valleys Award to Kingsport Life Saving Crew,” undated
84. 21st Annual Fire Department Instructors Conference – Memphis, TN, January 11-14, 1949
85. Kingsport Legion Pool, undated

Series III, Artifacts, undated, Box 4.
Box 4
1. Kingsport Fire Department First Aid Kit
2. Front door key to Watauga Street Fire Station