Johnson City in Washington County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

Summers Hardware

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, October 10, 2020

1. Summers Hardware Marker

Inscription.
Summers Hardware operated under different names in several locations as early as 1888 before moving to this building in 1911, and was reorganized as Summers Hardware in 1915. The company originally sold farm, construction, office, and mill supplies. The store even sold automobiles from 1911 to 1915. The horse collars and plows that Summers once stocked have been replaced with sophisticated industrial and commercial supplies, reflecting the transition in East Tennessee from an agrarian to an industrial economy.

After 1910 the company's location on the CC&O Railroad, which had links to both the ET&WNC and the Southern Railway, enabled it to efficiently receive goods from manufacturers and to ship them to its business customers from Kentucky to the Carolinas. Prior to paved highways, the company's mountain customers could best be reached by train. It was at that time one of three major regional hardware distributors in Johnson City and is the only one now in existence.

Erected by Johnson City History Tour.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1888.

Location. 36° 18.853′ N, 82° 21.156′ W. Marker is in Johnson City, Tennessee

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

, in Washington County. It is at the intersection of Buffalo and Cherry Street, on the right when traveling north on Buffalo. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 400 Buffalo Street, Johnson City TN 37604, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in East Tennessee

and in the Tri-Cities Area.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

the State of Franklin,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: East Tennessee & Western North Carolina Depot (within shouting distance of this marker); Johnson City (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Passing the Torch (about 500 feet away); James Hobart Stanton (about 700 feet away); Rich-R-Tone Records (about 800 feet away); Main Street (approx. 0.2 miles away); State Flag (approx. 0.2 miles away); John Sevier Hotel (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Johnson City.

More about this marker. Captions::
An idealized view of Summers Hardware from a postcard, ca. 1911.
Eight men standing in front of Summers' store on Main Street in the mid-1890s.

Also see . . . Who We Are. Corporate history of the company, now operating as Summers Industrial Supply. (Submitted on October 12, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, October 10, 2020

2. Summers Hardware Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on October 12, 2020. It was originally submitted on October 12, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 694 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 12, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.