BLOUNTVILLE, TENN.

Blountville, Tennessee is a small older historic community about 8 miles west of Bristol...est. about 1792.

DEERY INN @ 1940s

The Deery Inn, pictured above, has been a mainstay of the Blountville environs for over 200 years. The earliest portion was constructed in the late 1780s for use as a storehouse by Walter James, a merchant. James sold the structure to William Deery (1768-1845), and it remained in the Deery family until 1877.Since it's meager beginning, it has been added onto and expanded to its present size of 18 rooms, 2 attics, 3 cellars ,and 10 outbuildings. It consists of three sections: a two story hewn log house, a two story frame building, and in the rear, a three story stone house.

Not many bottles exist from Blountville, most being label only BIM generic druggists bottles or the more "modern" ACL labeled bottles.

The Founder of Bristol - Jos.R.Anderson - came from Blountville as did many of Bristol's early merchants. Ernest Long had a drug store in Blountville and later was to partner with Joseph Jones in the purchase of the Bunting's Drug Store of Bristol.

1883...Dr. Massengill & Brown/ Druggists

1885...W.A. Parrot's Drug Store

Longs Drug Store Blountville Tenn 2 ACL examples

Long Bros label only BIM example in center.

Long Bros. Bloundville (sic) Tenn.

Parson's Drug Store Blouintville, Tenn. ACL

In the year 2000, the owners of the Deery Inn sold the contents of the Inn at several weekend "tag" sales. Shortly afterward, the Sullivan County Historic Association purchased the Inn and its grounds. Complete restoration was begun almost immediately after. The 3 items pictured below were purchased by me at the "tag" sale. I additionally purchased several Bristol whiskey bottles and, assorted other items.

Click to enlarge

@1880s German made demijohn

Click to enlarge

Wicker-wrapped amber glass carboy

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Wicker-wrapped olive green glass carboy

** Items pictured in the left column are from the collection of Rob Kesner of Blountville. Thanks, Rob.

Sources - Bibliography

i)      Library of King College, Bristol,Tenn. - Newspaper Microfilms

ii)     Bristol,TN-VA Public Library - Newspaper Microfilms &  City Directories

iii)     1904 Bristol Herald Industrial Supplement

iv)     Bristol-Goodson Industry & Resources in 1885 -W.F.Henry/Reporter

v)    Witness To An Epoch - Chas.J. Harkrader

vi)     Double Destiny   - Robert Loving

vii)    Historic Sites of Sullivan County - Muriel Spoden

viii)   Bristol Tennessee-Virginia : A History - V.N. "Bud" Phillips

ix)     Spirits & Medicinal Bottles of Bristol, Tenn.-Va.   - Charlie Barnette

x)       The Passing Years   - Bristol Historical Association

xi)      City of Bristol @ 1915

xii)     A Pictorial History - Bristol Historical Association

xiii)    Whiskey, An American Pictorial History - Oscar Getz

xiv)    Prohibition, 13 Years That Changed America - Edward Behr

xv)     The Shadow Of The Bottle - Review & Herald Publishing Co.

xvi)    Historic Sullivan - Oliver Taylor

xvii)   One Year At A Time - Bristol - 1907 - Lonnie & Kim Blevins

xviii)   Honoring Our Heritage: Faces & Places From The Past -

                       Lonnie & Kim Blevins and Roy & Carolyn Williams

xvix)   Between the States: Bristol Tennessee - Virginia During the Civil War - V.N. "Bud" Phillips

xx)      Pioneers in Paradise - Bristol, Tenn-Va. - V.N. "Bud" Phillips

xxi)     A Good Place to Live - Bristol, Tenn-Va. - V.N. "Bud" Phillips

*** NOTE:

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