John B. Dennis
- Clinchfield Railroad Home Page
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- George L. Carter | M.J. Caples | John B. Dennis
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- CSX/CRR Today | CSX Kingsport Sub | CSX Blue Ridge Sub
- Railfanning | Restaurant Guide | CRR 800
- Destinations | Elkhorn City | Breaks | Dante | Speers Ferry | Kingsport | Johnson City | Erwin | Nolichucky Gorge | Spartanburg | and more
- Clinchfield Model Railroads
- Resources: Books | Scholars | Museums
- Clinchfield.org: Editor | Site Map
- Related Websites: Appalachian-Railroads.org | Southern-Railroads.org
John Bartlett Dennis
- Born: Gardiner, Maine
- Died: Asheville NC, Buried: Kingsport TN
- College: Cornell and Columbia College
- Profession: Investment Banking and Development, with most of his years spent at Blair and Company. For several years prior to 1920, he served as President of the firm.
- Accomplishments: Creator of Kingsport TN as the Model City, financial management and development of the CC&O Railway, and as a highly successful industrial recruiter promoting the Kingsport region. Major businesses to locate facilities there included: Eastman Kodak, Kingsport Press, and Borden Mills.
Dennis: Financial Manager and Deal Maker
It really took four extraordinary talented individuals to envision, create and to build the Clinchfield Railroad:
- George L. Carter as the Visionary and Entrepreneur
- Martin J. Caples as the Engineer and Designer
- John B. Dennis as the Financial Manager and Deal Maker
- James A. Blair as the Investor and Banker
Blair and Company were the primary investors and bankers for the Clinchfield. As a partner in the firm, John B. Dennis oversaw the extensive investment in not only the railroad, but also in the thousands of acres of land that were purchased, and in the many businesses that were created or recruited to the region.
John B. Dennis – Creator of the Model City, Kingsport TN
More information about Dennis and his efforts to develop Kingsport and the region will be added in the days ahead.
Clinchfield.org Sources and Resources
- Personal Maps & Memorabilia – Documents, maps and track charts that I have from the CRR, CC&O, and S&W
- Archives of Appalachia
- Book – Drury: The Historical Guide to North American Railroads
- Book – Goforth: ‘Building the Clinchfield’
- Book – Goforth: ‘When Steam Ran the Clinchfield’
- Book – Graybeal: ‘The Railroads of Johnson City’
- Book – Helm: ‘The Clinchfield Railroad in the Coal Fields’
- Book – Irwin & Stahl: ‘The Last Empire Builder: The Life of George L. Carter’
- Book – King: ‘Clinchfield Country’
- Book – Marsh: ‘Clinchfield in Color’
- Book – Poole: ‘A History of Railroading in Western North Carolina’
- Book – Poteat & Taylor: ‘The CSX Clinchfield Route in the 21st Century’
- Book – Stevens & Peoples: ‘The Clinchfield No. 1 – Tennessee’s Legendary Steam Engine’
- Book – Way: ‘The Clinchfield Railroad, the Story of a Trade Route Across the Blue Ridge Mountains’
- Article – Flanary: ‘The Quick Service Route, The Clinchfield Railroad‘
- Article – Flanary: ‘Men Against Mountains, Running Trains on the Clinchfield‘ October 2001
- Video – Ken Marsh on Kingsport area railroads and region’s history Video #1
- Video – Ken Marsh on railroads and region’s history Video #2:
- Articles – ‘Johnson City Comet‘
- Article – Scientific American: ‘The Costliest Railroad in America‘
- Article – Classic Trains: ‘Remembering the Clinchfield Railroad‘
- Article – Railway Age: ‘This Coal Road Is Also A Speedy Bridge Line,’ Sept 1, 1952 edition
- Article – ‘Railway Signaling and Communications‘
- Website – Carolana.com – North Carolina Railroads, South Carolina Railroads
- Website – StateOfFranklin.net which hosts Johnson’s Depot
- Website – RailFanGuides.us for Johnson City and for Erwin
- Website – The Radio Reference Wiki
- Website – SteamLocomotive.com
- Website – Clinchfield Railroad 1982 Track Chart at Multimodayways.org
- Website – Newspapers.com
Contact Us at Clinchfield.org
Would enjoy hearing from you if you have questions, suggestions, edits, or content that you are willing to share. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have similar interests in the Clinchfield or Model Railroads.
3Cs Websites
Appalachian-Railroads.org | Clinchfield.org | Southern-Railroads.org