Before Eastman

Kingsport's first industrial giant was Federal Dyestuff and Chemical Company, which opened during World War I and at its peak employed more than a thousand workers.

Paul Arnold (Richard's dad) loaned me the above photo from about 1919 of Federal Dyestuff's successor, Union Dye. It comprised 29 buildings in the area where the Toy Reid Center and Riverview are today. It went broke. You can read more about it here.