Joseph A. Anderson bought land on the Virginia-Tennessee border from his father-in-law, Rev. James King, and founded Bristol in 1852. Just four years later, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad came to Bristol, and the town became a major trading center of the Appalachian region. During the Civil War, Bristol was a vital railway link between the North and the South, and it later became known as the birthplace of country music. Readers are sure to enjoy viewing over 200 vintage photographs of the train station, the Carter Family, the King family, Virginia Intermont College, and King College, as well as homes and people from all walks of life. The S. E. Massengill drug manufacturing company shown on the cover is among the highlighted industries.