The Tri-Cities is a medium size metro area located in the Northeastern corner of Tennessee which is made up of Bristol, Kingsport, and Johnson City.
In 2000, the region was honored with the first All-American Region Award which is nornally known as the All-American City Award.
The three towns have quite a unique history together as well as apart.
Bristol has just been designated as the
birthplace of
country music due to a painting that was just discovered from the early 1900s depicting
country music's beginnings.
This city is also one of the few
cities in the
nation that is actually split between
states, yet shares the same
government. This was done when the two cities got together and created State Street, a
street in downtown Bristol that the state line splits exactly down the lanes.
Bristol also is home to the Bristol Motor Speedway, home of
NASCAR's fastest half-mile. When the races are in town, Bristol turns into the second largest city in
Tennesee, and within the raceway, has a higher density of people greater than downtown
Tokyo.
Johnson City, while holding a nation-wide
record, it isn't very widely known. Johnson City has the highest
population of
homosexuals per capita in the
nation.
JC also is home to East Tennessee State University (Which I will
node when I go there in the
Fall).
Kingsport is known for its many
battles fought on the city in the
Civil War. My (great * ?)-uncle personally fought on
Kingsport's ground.
The region was also known for its leaning
personality during the
Civil War. They switched sides many times during the
war, and we were the first area in the
state to turn
Union after the war.
I will continue to update this node as I find more history from the Tri-Cities, if you don't find anything interesting in here now, please wait before you flame me, its a work in progress.