The ride to The Pressman's Home...

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

We took off this morning to ride up and check out the Pressman's Home. We rode the twisties of Hwy.61 , Hwy.33 and Hwy.66 to get there. Folks that rode " The Stompin' Grounds Ride " will remember 61 and 33 both great roads for the art of motorcycling and 66 will rip your pegs off    ( we rode it on " The Peg Draggin' Ride" ) .It was hot today so we hit a few shady spots along the way to stop and kick tires. Photo below is Hwy.33 it crosses beautiful Norris Lake before you get into Tazewell, Tn. It sure is good seein' the lake at full pool again its been down for several years from lack of rain.Smokin'joe ( Valk ) Lucky 13 ( Valk ) Big Al ( KLR 650 ) Greg ( LTD 1000 Police ).

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

The Pressman's Home in its day... Check the link to read more about it...Most of the buildings still stand even after the rednecks burned them down.Picture taken from the internet.
http://webpages.charter.net/pressmenshome/index.html

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

The Pressman's Home ....

The Administration Building was built in 1912 and was the original location of the Trade School Building. After the new school was built in 1947 it housed the executive offices of the International president and secretary-treasurer. The Membership Records Department, the Accounting Department, the Service Bureau and the editorial offices were also housed in the building. The red roofed structure in the foreground marks the site of the sulphur spring which was famous in the early years. This building remains today, however hasn't been occupied since the 1970's.

Then...



As it stands today..

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

Trade School

The Technical Trade School was built in 1948. It was the cornerstone of a vast educational and training program at Pressman's Home. The school housed over $500,000 in presses and equipment. The school provided training in letterpress, gravure, and offset presses, ink mixing, camera, stripping, platemaking, color separation, and bindery operations. All of the equipment was provided to Pressman's Home by the manufacture on a loan basis. This trade school was what set the IPP&AU apart from the other unions. Trainees were required to have been in the union for five years, however many local boys were allowed to train at the school at no charge without any experience. Many of these men are still in the printing industry today.



As it stands today..

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

Hotel Pressuaina

The four-story hotel was built in 1926 to accommodate the many Union members and their families that came to Pressmen's Home to train at the Technical Trade School. The outside was made from sandstone which was removed from a quarry located on the premises. The lobby had a beautiful tile floor and an adjacent reading room. Delicious home cooked meals were prepared in the modern kitchen. The food was indeed home grown. Pressmen's Home had a dairy farm for milk, chickens for eggs and poultry, a huge vegetable garden and even a hog lot for the pork. Most of the rooms were decorated with iron beds and dressers. The screened-in porch to the left was a smoking area. The hotel was destroyed in October 1994 by arson.



As it stands today..

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

A few more pic's of the Motel

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

Story taken from the link above..

Self Sufficient

Pressmen's Home had it all. They produced their own electricity, water supply, telephone system, grew all the vegetables, had a dairy farm, hogs were slaughtered for pork, totally self sufficient. They employed plumbers, painters, carpenters, maintenance men, electricians, cooks, farm hands, life guards, almost everything. They owned over 2,000 acres. And produced the best quality printers in the world.

I love listening to the stories my father would tell of Pressmen's Home, the good times and the bad. My father was a plumber, my mother operated a store, my grandfather was a boiler operator, two of my brothers went to the Trade School. My uncles were cooks, carpenters, painters, and night watchmen. My aunt was a telephone operator. All of my parents ten children were born there. Mine is just one of a few families that have ties to Pressmen's Home. Pressmen's Home has given us so much.

What have we given it in return? Four of Harry and Ruth Burton's sons are in Printing, two in Knoxville, and two in the Chattanooga area. At one time all seven of the boys and all of their grandchildren were in printing. All with one thing in common, a love for printing and a Pressmen's Home. We thank you so much!

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

Tuberculosis Sanatorium

The Sanatorium was built in 1916. In the early years of printing it was thought that ink was a cause for contracting tuberculosis. Pressmen's Home was interested in the welfare of the union members. The hospital was completely staffed, adequately equipped, and ideally situated for combating this deadly disease. The climate in the mountains was thought to relieve the discomfort. Members who contacted the disease could come to Pressmen's Home at no charge. Many are buried in the cemetery at Pressmen's Home. The building was demolished in 1960's.



I'm not sure but I think this is what remains of the sanatorium 

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

On the way home we stopped for gas in front of this place...The Hancock County Jail built in 1860.....Thats all I got for todays history     Ride On...I love this bike.

[Dave Weaver]

That is a sweet bike, but I still think it would look better without that trashy trunk and ghastly fairing.  Take care buddy.

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

That is a sweet bike, but I still think it would look better without that trashy trunk and ghastly fairing.  Take care buddy.

Dave I thought you was coming on The Blue / Gray Ride ?  I looked for you 
We plan to ride the entire Blue Ridge Parkway Sept. 4-5-6 ( Labor Day Weekend )...The Fall Color Ride out of Robbinsville,NC is Oct.16-17-18  give some thought about joining us. I know you have a yellow/creame also but this one's mine 

[Michael K (Az.)]

Truly another world. Once again, good stuff from Smokin joe!!!

[hubcapsc]

This all reminds me of the John C. Campbell Folk School, near Brasstown, which is still
in operation... a good place to learn blacksmithing, or how to build a dulcimer...

https://www.folkschool.org/index.php

-Mike

[Big IV]

 

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

A small business in Townsend,TN also makes and sells dulcimer's.

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

 



Pressmen's Home Then and Now

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

Pressmen's Home 1964

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

 Pressmen's Home Memories

[Normandog]

 

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

They claim 15 degrees tonight I might roll out and do this ride again tomorrow.... Cleaning out my favorites and came across this ride we did in June 2009 .

[Tundra]

Real Nice Joe, love the history that goes with your great photo's 

[Skinhead]

Thanks for bringing that one back Joe, I remember reading it when you first posted it.  It's great the way you tie the proud history of of your area into your rides.  It also amazes me how something that was once thriving can be reduced to ruins over time.  Technology and process improvements take what was once a career opportunity for many and reduce it to a limited choice for a few. 

I've often wished I could bring my Grandpa (an old school German machinist that used to work at Mesta machine) back to see the changes that have taken place since he died.  I wonder if he would consider them improvements.

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

Thanks for bringing that one back Joe, I remember reading it when you first posted it.  It's great the way you tie the proud history of of your area into your rides.  It also amazes me how something that was once thriving can be reduced to ruins over time.  Technology and process improvements take what was once a career opportunity for many and reduce it to a limited choice for a few. 

I've often wished I could bring my Grandpa (an old school German machinist that used to work at Mesta machine) back to see the changes that have taken place since he died.  I wonder if he would consider them improvements.

I think in many ways Grandpa would be amazed I also think in many ways he would hate to see what America has become.

[Skinhead]

Thanks for bringing that one back Joe, I remember reading it when you first posted it.  It's great the way you tie the proud history of of your area into your rides.  It also amazes me how something that was once thriving can be reduced to ruins over time.  Technology and process improvements take what was once a career opportunity for many and reduce it to a limited choice for a few. 

I've often wished I could bring my Grandpa (an old school German machinist that used to work at Mesta machine) back to see the changes that have taken place since he died.  I wonder if he would consider them improvements.

I think in many ways Grandpa would be amazed I also think in many ways he would hate to see what America has become.

I couldn't agree more.