Kingsport
Overview
Located on the Massachusetts shore a few miles north of Salem, Kingsport is just a little more than three miles southeast of downtown Arkham. From the home of Miskatonic University, Kingsport can be reached by taking Peabody Avenue west out of town. This brings the traveler into Kingsport by way of Hill Road. From Boston, follow Highway 1A north, taking the eastbound fork two miles past Salem. This brings the visitor in by way of Jackson Street in the south.
THe city is nestled in a bowl-shaped depression that encircles Kingsport Harbor. To the north rises a series of rocky cliffs that culminate in the dizzying heights of Kingsport Head. To the west and south are a number of hills. The largest, called Central Hill, is the sight of og Kingsport's old burying ground. Just over a mile out to sea lies the Jersey Reef, named after the Channel Island from which many Kingsporters trace their ancestry. This dangerous reef protects Kingsport's shores from the devastating Atlantic waves.
The streets of Kingsport are narrow and winding, twisting steeply through the hills to form a labyrinth of pathways often difficult to navigate. Houses are stacked at all levels and angles, bristling on the hillsides and filling the hollows. Numerous buildings and houses are incredibly old, particularly in the vacinity of Central Hill and along the north shore of the harbor. Many date back to the mid-seventeenth century.
Climate
Kingsport's climate is similar to Arkham's but cooler, thanks to the ocean breezes blowing in off the Atlantic. The ever-present fog and mist also makes the environment considerably damper. On the coldest winter nights temperatures dip to zero degrees fahrenheit or lower, but daytime temps range in the 20s or 30s. The first snowfalls arrive in November and, unlike Arkham's snow, often blanket the ground for weeks at a time. Spring comes in late March or early April, but frosts often occur as late as early May. The last week of May signals the start of the summer season and the arrival of the first crowds of tourists. Summer highs range in the 70s and 80s - rarely higher - and nights are often chilly. The summer season ends at the beginning of September, when the tourists leave to return to their jobs and schools in Boston and other places. Through October, temperatures range from the low 40s to the low 60s, but by November, the frosts have left their mark, and the trees have shed their leaves in anticipation of another winter.
Demographics
There is an unofficial but nonetheless easily perceived social heirarchy in Kingsport. At the top of the heap are members of the old Kingsport families, including such monied notables as Norton Weiss, Stephen Cabot, Martin Cabot, fish-packing tycoons Brandon Turner and John Pickering, Mayor John Jacob Hoag, and banker Cyrus Abbott. Next come influential professionals such as attorney Richard Court, Judge Norton Bedlow, Dr. Matthew Harris, and Evelyn Mercer of the Mercer Art Gallery. Those of slightly lesser stature include folk like May Talbot of the Daughters of the American Revolution and John Miles, principal of Hall School. Below them come a multitude of middle and upper-middle class business people like Dr. Enoch Warren, hoteliers Adam and Lois Tuttle, and the majority of Kingsport's better downtown merchants.
Near the bottom end of the scales resides the lower class business people of Harborside and Hill Town, followed by a few yankee fisherman bearing old family names. Next are the Irish, Dutch, and other northern European immigrants, followed by Italians, and lastly the Portuguese. Few African-Americans live in Kingsport, and even fewer of Asian decent.
This order does not necessarily reflect the actual income of disposition of each of these groups, but merely how they are perceived and treated by each other - it is the local pecking order.
Government
Kingsport's elected officials include a mayor and nine city council members (selectmen), all elected to two year terms. The offices are part-time positions paying only small salaries, but bringing their holders great prestige, as well as a certain amount of power. Mayor John Jacob Hoag is running uncontested this year, but 1930 promises a full ticket of candidates, each claiming they can undo the damage done by the Great Depression. Town Council meetings are held the first and third Tuesdays of every month at Talbot Hall, the site of Kingsport's town administrative offices.
Industry & Trade
General Hours of Business
Blue Laws in Kingsport are not as strict as those of Arkham. Although most businesses operate between the hours of 8am and 5pm, Monday through Friday (9am to 1pm Saturday), numerous restaurants and stores, particularly those catering to the tourist trade, are open on Sunday afternoons. Government and public buildings are open five days a week, 8am to 5pm, but are closed for lunch from noon to 1pm.
Comments