Little Known Facts about Bristol’s Past by Joe Goodpasture: Many older Bristolians fondly recall the years following World War II as the city’s modern-day Golden Era. As historian Tom Lee points out in his book ‘The Tennessee-Virginia Tri-Cities”, Bristol, Tennessee officials began promoting the city’s abundant water supply as an inducement for new industry as early as 1946, and a 1949 Chamber of Commerce brochure encouraged new businesses to take advantage of cheap TVA electric rates. In 1952, Bristol, Virginia agreed to furnish 1.5 million gallons of water per day for a new Sperry-Farragut plant. The following year, the city constructed a new water system, opening up the entire area from Bristol to Abingdon for new industry as well as new homes. Monroe Calculating Machine Co. began operations at a new $1 million plant in 1947. Holston Steel Structures received its charter in 1946 and Bristol Metal Products came along in 1950. Also in the early ‘50s, S.E. Massengill Co. announced it would become the first pharmaceutical manufacturer in the U.S. to produce a tuberculosis-arresting drug, and Accurate Machine Parts Corp. opened its Bristol operation. Meanwhile, longtime Bristol plants such as Big Jack Manufacturing and Universal Molded Products won substantial defense contracts. The business boom poured millions into the local economy and the bustling downtown became the leading retail center between Roanoke and Knoxville. Locally-owned businesses such as H.P. King Co., Faucette Co. and Ball Brothers Furniture flourished alongside national chains like JC Penney and Sears-Roebuck and it seemed everyone took time to order two hot dogs and a coke for 25 cents at Bunting’s Drug Store. Downtown restaurants and movie theaters were packed and passenger trains still made regular stops at the Depot. No wonder many old timers consider this Bristol’s Golden Era.
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 16:19:51 +0000