Country Connections
by James and Ellen Perry
Sitting on my front porch on this beautiful late April day with the shadows growing long, the temperature is at 80 degrees with a bluebird sky and white azaleas and dogwoods in bloom—life’s treasures given by the Creator.
My thoughts wander over to two very nice and gentle brothers that have deep roots from Union County to Knox County’s Corryton and Gibbs areas. I’m thinking of Joe and Dale Longmire.
Joe Longmire’s grandkids are the ninth generation on their maternal side of the family living in this part of God’s earth. This Longmire family dynasty just barely happened. According to family history, you see, Charlie Longmire moved his family from what’s known as the Chuck Swan Management Area of Sharps Chapel, Tennessee, to Kansas City, Missouri, in 1924 where Charlie worked as a conductor on a streetcar.
I guess Kansas City grew thin on Charlie’s nerves because he returned to Maynardville, Tennessee in 1929 and moved into a house next to the old courthouse. Charlie Longmire’s son Claude attended school in Union County and attended Horace Maynard High School. Claude Longmire, future father of Joe and Dale and daughter Leisa, joined the CCC in the mid 1930s. Claude learned to drive at the CCC Camp at Ft. Oglethorpe, Georgia and was chosen by officer Joseph Spencer to drive him all over the state of Tennessee during most of his time with the CCC.
Claude also learned how to play baseball in the CCC. He became a hind catcher, and after the CCC, Claude played semi-pro baseball for the Frolics Inn.
The Frolics Inn team went to the Minor League World Series in Battle Creek, Michigan. Claude had married. His wife, Ruby, rode with him to Battle Creek. Ruby experienced labor pains during the Minor League World Series. So Claude drove Ruby back to East Tennessee.
Their first son, Joe Longmire, was born October 26, 1946. I guess Claude wanted his first child to be born in Tennessee, otherwise their first born, Joe would have been born a Yankee.
That was a close call, Joe.
Claude and Ruby ran Longmire Grocery in Corryton in the building now occupied by Jack’s Tires between the railroad tracks in Corryton, Tennessee. Claude had Joe stocking shelves at age four.
When his brother Dale was born, Dale said as a baby his mother would put him in a box, set the box in a shopping cart and stock shelves from the cart. The boys, Joe and Dale were started on their lifelong grocery careers as toddlers. An old saying, “The family that works together stays together.”
Time passes. The boys attend Corryton Elementary School and Gibbs High School. Joe goes to UT and studies accounting. Dale plans to be a teacher, so he attends LMU. Dale tries teaching for a very short time, decides it is not for him, so Dale and Joe embark on a joint venture.
They are both now working with their parents and sister, Leisa at Longmire Grocery Store in Corryton. Together, Joe and Dale acquire property at the junction of Washington Pike and Roberts Road and as partners start House Mountain Market in 1977.
Eleven years later they buy the IGA from Burl Kirkpatrick. The IGA was located on the east side of Tazewell Pike at the junction of Tazewell Pike and East Emory Road where Home Federal Bank sits today. After some years as their IGA grocery business grew, they needed a larger store.
Around 1996 a new shopping center was being built in Gibbs. That shopping center is now known as Gibbs Center. Joe and Dale needed 28,000 square feet but the developer would only commit to 20,000 square feet so Joe and Dale bought the entire shopping center and property, completed the mall, and had their 28,000 square feet for their IGA. Knowing the Gibbs Center would need more parking, they spent $10,000 for a state permit to relocate a small creek into the ditch next to Tazewell Pike.
On their grand opening day in the new 28,000 square foot store in Gibbs Center, there was three truckloads of groceries scheduled from Fleming Foods of Hickory, North Carolina, which was about $100,000 in total cost.
These three semi-truck loads were cancelled by Fleming Foods on their opening day. But luckily when this cancellation notice was made a salesman from MDI came in the door, immediately got busy with his company (MDI), got their credit opened up and the next day the MDI truck arrived for the grand opening. The brothers have been doing business with MDI ever since. At the time of their new grand opening in the Gibbs Center, everything that Joe and Dale had was tied up as collateral to open the new store.
With the help of MDI and their own perseverance the brothers made it through the tough times and today the IGA in their Center is recognized as a pillar of the tri-county area. In 2004 they sold the House Mountain Market.
They sell local produce from Grainger and Blount Counties. They sell Cruze Farm Milk which is high-end milk. They sell Sweetwater Valley Cheeses. They sell Del Rio Tennessee natural honey. They handle Swaggerty sausage which is now sold in 12 countries. They sell Benton’s bacon which is high end. They were the first store in the area to sell produce, also Pet milk and Avondale milk.
Joe married and had two sons and has twin granddaughters. Dale married and had two daughters and has four grandchildren. Leisa worked in her parents’ store and the House Mountain Market and now works in the Midway IGA.
They restored a 1958 Plymouth Sport Fury with a 350 cid Chrysler engine with 2 four-barrel carbs—one of only eight registered in the USA.
Recently, Kelsea Ballerini used their IGA to shoot a music video called “Half of my Hometown.” It can be seen on the internet.
Joe enjoys cruises, collecting antiques (he has 319 milk bottles) and going to baseball games. He also has a small herd of sheep.
Dale is a former Nascar fan, a real fan of Richard Petty. He has been to Richard Petty’s shop with Petty’s favorite food, a case of Vienna sausage. They both enjoy spending time with their grandchildren. Tim Burchett drops in when at home near Gibbs when he’s here from Washington.
This reinforces that when a family has the same interest and works together, they can accomplish goals, be respected by their community and peers. Joe and Dale Longmire carried forward on their parents’ ambitions and have been steadfast in accomplishing a very successful grocery legacy.