Hoss House history

[Debbie]

I stumbled across a conversation on the "Downtown" JC website from 2005 and took interest in several of your comments.
 
My mother was born in Johnson City in 1928 and is a direct descendent of Elkanah Hoss, the gentleman who built Hoss House in the late 1800's.  Elkanah was her great grandfather on her father's mother's side..  I have been searching to find out the name of the hotel that my gg grandfather built and your comments gave me so much information.  I knew that Elkanah's sister, Mary Ann, was married to Henry Johnson, but I couldn't figure out where the hotel was.  According to your comments, Henry sold his property to Elkanah about 1870.  From that original hotel, I have a beautiful mahogany bed and 2 marble-top tables that are in my guestroom.  I also have 2 of the rocking chairs that reportedly sat outside on the porch of the hotel.  I would love to see a photo, if one exists, of the hotel.  You mention the book by Ray Stahl.  It no longer is in print...is there somewhere online or in Johnson City I might be able to find a copy?  I'd be interested in any information about the Hoss or Artz families.  You said that Hoss House became Greenwood Hotel and then Arlington Hotel.  What happened to the building?  I saw a photo of the Arlington Hotel, JC on your website, c 1906.  Is that the same building that Elkanah built?

[Annie]

Debbie!

This is such an interesting gem of local history! I would call Norma Meyers at the ETSU Archives of Appalachia as I am sure they have a copy of Ray Stahl's book and additional information about your familial hotel.

Please keep us posted on the update. 

[Shannon]

I apologize for not reponding sooner, Debbie.  I have been working on a massive project for the university that has taken all of my attention.  I'm back now!

I'm afraid that Ray Stahl's "Pictoral History of Johnson City" is long out of print, and with his passing, not likely to see ink again.  I have a copy my dad bought me in 1982 that is one of my prized possessions.  However, I'm sure that they used to have a couple copies at the Johnson City Public Library!

There are several photos of the "Hoss House," as well as photos of the landmark hotels that later stood on that site.  The house/hotels stood directly across from Main Street downtown across the railroad tracks.  It was built on the ORIGINAL site of Johnson's Depot, the first store.  Henry later moved the store to the other side of the tracks, according to Stahl.

It's my dream to one day write a sequel to Ray Stahl's incredible book and correct some of the (admittedly frequent) errors that slipped in.  I have notebooks filled with liner notes based on revised information and typographical corrections in that book.  As soon as I can(which isn't fast at all), I will check the book and post the relevant passages.

Thanks!

Shannon

[Shannon]

Whaddayaknow?  I actually got a photo up quickly!

Here is a good photo of the Windsor Hotel located on the same property as the Hoss House, it was demolished in the early 70s or so.

[Shannon]

LOL! I just notice the original Hotel's name "Hotel Pardue" written in brick across the top of the building!

This wasn't the first hotel building built here as I recall. I believe there was a wooden structure that preceded it.

S.

[Shannon]

Here is the depot, I believe it is the second depot and the house on the other side of the track with the two chimneys is the Hoss House.




S.

[Shannon]

I believe this was the first hotel put up on that property...



To clarify, it's the big white building in the background.

[Debbie]

Shannon,

Believe it or not, I was able to find a gently used copy of Ray Stahl's book on Amazon. com.  I've read it from cover to cover and there is a fairly good photo of the Hoss House in the book.  I live in Florida and haven't been back to Johnson City since one of my grandmother's funerals in the late 1990's.  But both of my parents were raised there (my mother, Jane Artz, grew up on Roan St on the present site of Central Shopping Center and White's grocery store) and my grandfather, Welsford Artz, was mayor of JC in 1943-1947, which is right about the time my mother was a student at Science Hill HS.  Welsford was the grandson of Elkanah and Lucinda Hoss.  I've attempted to attach a photo of the house at 1101 N Roan St where my grandfather grew up...it was taken about 1900.