Tuesday, February 22, 2011

National Soldier's Home

Brownlow along with the Johnson City Board of Trade (similar to today's Chamber of Commerce) distributed 10,000 copies of the Board's report to Congress and Brownlow's comments, to members of the Grand Army of the Repbulic (early version of the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans and Veterans of Foreign Wars). Brownlow was able to secure 7,000 signed petitions from members of the GAR, which were forwarded to Congress.  In 1900, Brownlow's bill passed Congress unanimously.
Initially Brownlow asked Greeneville which they would prefer: a federal courthouse or the recently approved Branch of the Soldiers Home. Greeneville, home of former President Andrew Johnson, was a larger more populated town than Johnson City and the Congressman felt their voters deserved first choice. They selected the courthouse because of its status and importance at the time.

In 1901, Johnson City was a village of 5,000 inhabitants. The total assessed value of all property in the village was $750,000 Mr. Brownlow's project was being estimated to cost over 2.1million dollars. In the three years it took to build the facility, Johnson City's property value and population doubled. 475 acres of farmland was purchased from four families (Lyle, Miller, Hale, Martin) at a price of $50.00 per acre. the Board of Governors chose the site for its view of the mountains and its access to fresh water. The property spanned an area from Tennessee Street, along the railroad line all the way to the National Guard Armory, a distance in excess of one mile. The site was just over one mile from the Johnson City Limits.

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