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Jamestown, TN Real Estate News

By Leslie Helm, Real Estate For Trail Riders
(Tennessee Recreational Properties)
I was driving through Atlanta a few years ago and I saw a billboard that read, "The Only Thing That Has Better Coverage Than Georgia Electric is Kudzu!" It made me laugh because anyone who has spent any time in the south knows about Kudzu. It will cover anything, very quickly. Some of its nicknames are "Foot-A-Night-Vine" and "Mile-A-Minute-Vine." Kudzu was first seen in the United States at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, where it was promoted as a forage crop for cattle. Visitors to the exhibition were taken by Kudzu's large leaves and highly-fragrant  purple blooms, embracing the plant for ornamental purposes. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) planted it widely and, from 1935 to the early '50s, the Soil Conservation Service encouraged farmers to plant Kudzu to reduce...
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By Leslie Helm, Real Estate For Trail Riders
(Tennessee Recreational Properties)
If you're thinking of moving to the Big South Fork, here in Jamestown, Tennessee, and you've already bought a piece of land and had it cleared, built a house and a barn, gotten your fencing up and horses squared away and have made some new friends to ride with, the only issue you have now is that there are "so many trails; so little time." There are a number of trailheads in the Big South Fork national park, where you park your trailer and ride out from there. People generally make plans to ride in different locations, and they will meet at one of these trailheads. It's usually a graveled area, designated for this purpose, with plenty of room to turn your rig around. There are usually hitching rails and there may even be a mounting block. Trails are very well marked and maintained by th...
Comments 1
By Leslie Helm, Real Estate For Trail Riders
(Tennessee Recreational Properties)
If you're thinking of moving to the Big South Fork, here in Jamestown, Tennessee, and you've already bought a piece of land, had it cleared, built a house and a barn, gotten your fencing up and you now have horses happily eating hay in the sun, it's time to meet some riding buddies and hit the trail. There are a number of equestrian communities in the area around Big South Fork national park, like Spruce Creek Acres, Ridge Top Acres, Rockhouse Ranch, White Oak and The Highlands, so it's a very supportive horse-oriented area. It's very easy to find people to ride with; you'll meet them in Walmart and you'll encounter them on the trails. Riders generally pack a lunch and go out for most of the day, tying up at the hitching rails that are found all over Big South Fork. There will usually b...
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By Leslie Helm, Real Estate For Trail Riders
(Tennessee Recreational Properties)
It's really amazing how often people who live close to "tourist attractions" never go to see them or use them. That seems to be the case with Pickett State Park. It's only about 5 miles or so from the front gate of Rockhouse Ranch, Spruce Creek or any of the campgrounds in the area. From the intersection of Highway 154 and Highway 297, where you'd turn right toward Big South Fork, it's 3 miles straight ahead to the park office and the entrance.  The park lies within the 19,200-acre Pickett State Forest, adjacent to the massive 125,000-acre Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, and  is known for its geological, botanical and scenic wonders.  Visitors to the park can explore large rock houses, natural sandstone bridges, scenic bluffs, and wild mountain streams.  The park memo...
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By Leslie Helm, Real Estate For Trail Riders
(Tennessee Recreational Properties)
When you move to the Big South Fork area in Jamestown, Tennessee, you're in horse country now! With several equestrian communities in the vicinity of Big South Fork national park, such as Spruce Creek Acres or Rockhouse Ranch, you'll find yourself living in a very supportive horse-oriented neighborhood. Both are within minutes...literally... of two trailheads into the park, the very popular Cumberland Trailhead and the new Troxel-Wood Trailhead on Obey Blevins Road. Once you've bought a piece of land and had it cleared, built a house and a barn and gotten your fencing up, what's left? HORSES! Most people who live in the Big South Fork area prefer gaited horses because you don't have to "post" to a trot, making them very comfortable to ride. Because of their stride, they cover a lot of g...
Comments 2
By Leslie Helm, Real Estate For Trail Riders
(Tennessee Recreational Properties)
If you're thinking of moving to the Big South Fork, here in Jamestown, Tennessee, and you've already bought a piece of land, had it cleared and have built a house and a barn, step five is fencing.  Most homeowners in equestrian communities surrounding the Big South Fork have at least two horses, and often more, so you can imagine that pasture and fencing is a big issue. Four board fencing is very popular and you'll see a lot of it. The trails here are so wonderful and there are so many opportunities for outdoor activities that people do not want to be saddled with (no pun intended!) a lot of maintenance and upkeep.  Cabins tend to have a rustic look and don't, generally, have yards with lawns that need mowing. Driveways are usually gravel so no one is spending time sealing asphalt! Like...
Comments 5
By Leslie Helm, Real Estate For Trail Riders
(Tennessee Recreational Properties)
If you're thinking of moving to the Big South Fork, here in Jamestown, Tennessee, and you've already bought a piece of land, had it cleared and built a house, step four is building a barn. The Big South Fork national park offers the best trail riding east of the Mississippi, and is called "The Trail Riding Capital of the Southeast."  Most homeowners here have at least two horses, and often more. Barns tend to be simple because winters are mild and horses don't need elaborate shelter. Up here on the Cumberland Plateau, "pop up" thunderstorms are common during spring and summer and rainfall can be quite heavy. You'll want to site your barn in such a way that water drains away and not into your stalls, or you'll want to install French drains during the construction process. You will probab...
Comments 2
By Leslie Helm, Real Estate For Trail Riders
(Tennessee Recreational Properties)
I live in an equestrian community, Spruce Creek Acres, near Big South Fork national park in Jamestown, Tennessee.  I not only live near the trail, I'm actually ON it; I turn onto the Spruce Creek Trail before  bearing left into my driveway. The house has a lovely screened porch at the back and it's fun to watch riders passing by. Around the side of the house, there's another screened porch, known as "The Cat House."  Here are Tazz, a big bluepoint Siamese; Anhi, chocolatepoint princess and her half sister, Asia, a chestnut Oriental, whiling away a summer day. They're "indoor cats" but they have a cat flap in the bedroom so they can get out and sniff the air in safety. The Cat House overlooks the horses' turnout area, so the cats have something to watch all day! For information about hor...
Comments 2
By Leslie Helm, Real Estate For Trail Riders
(Tennessee Recreational Properties)
While trail riding is the main pastime in Big South Fork national park, Tennessee, there's plenty to do here for the "horse husband" who does not ride.  First of all, four-wheeling is hugely popular here as well and this is, in fact, a destination of great renown for the four-wheeler crowd itself. Nearby Pickett State Park caters to four-wheelers and the area around Blackhouse Mountain is a particular favorite. These ATV trails are within about 15 minutes of the well-known equestrian communities including Spruce Creek Acres, Rockhouse Ranch and The Highlands).    For fishermen, Dale Hollow Lake is about 20 miles to the west, with the nearest "putting in" place being the East Fork Marina just off of Route 52. Dale Hollow Lake, an Army Corps of Engineers project, is HUGE and, until recent...
Comments 2
By Leslie Helm, Real Estate For Trail Riders
(Tennessee Recreational Properties)
If you're thinking of moving to the Big South Fork, here in Jamestown, Tennessee, and you've already bought a piece of land and had it cleared, step three is building a cabin. The Big South Fork national park offers the best trail riding east of the Mississippi, so homeowners don't want to be slaves to upkeep and maintenance. ..they want to spend their time riding, hiking and enjoying the myriad of outdoor activities that the Big South Fork offers. Cabins tend to have a rustic look, understated and generally unassuming.  Metal roofs are common, for longevity and low maintenance. Green is the predominant color, although you'll find red and the new copper color that is so appealing. Rooflines generally have a "broken back" which creates the ubiquitous wraparound porches so common in this ...
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By Leslie Helm, Real Estate For Trail Riders
(Tennessee Recreational Properties)
If you're planning on moving to the Big South Fork, here in Jamestown, Tennessee, and you've chosen a piece of land, step two is clearing your land. There are two ways to do it, depending on the location and the lay of the land. The traditional way is for a bulldozer to fell the trees, pushing them into a huge "burn pile," which will smolder for days. The advantage to doing it this way is that stumps are removed. The disadvantage is that bulldozers leave ruts. Another choice, especially if the land is lightly wooded, is to use a lighter piece of machinery, often a more nimble Bobcat, equipped with a special roller on the front that has tungsten points for gripping and grinding. It can remove all of the undergrowth and small trees less than 6" in diameter, shredding the bark and spitting...
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By Leslie Helm, Real Estate For Trail Riders
(Tennessee Recreational Properties)
If you're thinking of moving to the Big South Fork, here in Jamestown, Tennessee, the first step is to buy property. Many of the cabins in the Big South Fork area were built for weekenders from Knoxville, Nashville, Chattanooga or down from Kentucky. For the most part, they are very simple and generally have a bedroom  and bath downstairs and a loft upstairs with a half bath (if there is one at all). Folks who are retiring to this area, drawn by the best trail riding east of the Mississippi, are in their 50's and 60's and they want creature comforts,  like one-floor living. They also want some of the amenities in the homes they have sold elsewhere, such as hardwood flooring, solid countertops, dishwashers and garbage disposals and  bedrooms big enough for a Queen or King-sized bed. The ...
Comments 5
By Kathy Baker, GRI Tennessee Realtor
(Realty 1)
This is the 4th annual Fentress County Pleasure and Games Horse Show, sponsored by the Fentress County Fair Association. Class sponsors pay for ribbons, trophies and gift baskets. There are gaited and non-gaited classes, english and western, barrels and games. This show is created for the local pleasure and trail riders. There is a huge contingent of trail and pleasure horses in the area. We have plenty of rated horse shows here at the Fairgrounds in Jamestown, but this one is for fun! My friend Donna Farmer is the Chair woman of this great event. Donna has a volunteer committee of 15, but there is always a need for more!  Each year Donna and her committee choose a charity and accept donations on it's behalf. This year they selected The American Cancer Society. Two of our local beauty ...
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By Kathy Baker, GRI Tennessee Realtor
(Realty 1)
Welcome to Spruce Creek Stables and Campground in the heart of The Big South Fork, Jamestown Tennessee!! Meet my neighbors, and your hosts, Pam and Gary. This great couple has owned and operated Spruce Creek Stables and Campground since 2004. It located in the Spruce Creek Subdivision, on 4 beautiful  acres. Pam and Gary pride themselves on their southern hospitality, and it has served them well. Most all of their customers are repeat visitors. As Gary says, "customers come here as friends and leave as family". Hey, who wouldn't love a home away from home, where your hosts "leave the light on." These are fun people to hang out with, come and visit soon!!! There are 9 campsites that can accomodate any size rigs. Every campsite has a dump station and 220 with 30 and 50 amp service. Direc...
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By Leslie Helm, Real Estate For Trail Riders
(Tennessee Recreational Properties)
The thing with auctions is...you never know what's around the next corner. For Auctioneer Darren Rudd, every day is a new day, full of possibilities...a world of possibilities... as people call him to consign various items or he goes to see about liquidating someone's estate. Weekly auctions are held at AuctionWorld in Jamestown, Tennessee, every Tuesday night. Doors open at 5 and the auction starts at 6 but you'd best get there early as cars fill the parking lot, spilling out behind the building and on down the street! You can grab a chili dog or a burger at the snack bar but you'd better grab a seat too because the place fills up fast! Auctions are a tradition in the south and Darren was "raised up going to car auctions and horse auctions on Saturday nights," in his hometown of Notasu...
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By Leslie Helm, Real Estate For Trail Riders
(Tennessee Recreational Properties)
There's something about the shape of Tennessee barns that tells you you're deep in the heart of horse country. There's a softness to the rooflines that gives them a signature silhouette, so different from the crisp right angles and 12-pitch roofs that you find in other parts of the country. Of course, winters are mild here so barn builders don't have to factor in the "snow load" that is such a way of life in places like Vermont, upstate New York, Minnesota, Montana etc.  And there are no hurricanes, so barn builders aren't limited to the single story structures you'd find in Florida to accommodate "wind loading." The colors are softer here, too, with faded reds and weathered wood. Driving through the countryside here is like being inside the postcard! If you're interested in horse prope...
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By Leslie Helm, Real Estate For Trail Riders
(Tennessee Recreational Properties)
Big South Fork, Tennessee, is a destination for trail riders. The Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area encompasses 125,000 acres and has hundreds of miles of trails for riding. It's called "The Trail Riding Capital of the Southeast" and, in fact, has the best trail riding east of the Mississippi! Several equestrian communities have been developed near Big South Fork in recent years. If you're looking for a really special place, consider Rockhouse Ranch, Big South Fork's most prestigious address. While it encompasses about 600 acres of the most beautiful land you'll see anywhere, there are only 35 homesites, with generous parcels ranging from 5-20 acres.  Each building site includes an interesting topographic feature;  a rockhouse, a bluff, a stream, a waterfall...maybe all ...
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By Leslie Helm, Real Estate For Trail Riders
(Tennessee Recreational Properties)
Located on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee and Kentucky, the Big South Fork national park contains 1,338 documented archaeological sites, more than in any other national park in the Southeast. The Plateau served primarily as a seasonal hunting ground for the Cherokee and Shawnee Indians, who never established permanent village sites. Deep gorges carved by eons of erosion have created impressive cliffs and arches throughout the area and they used, instead, caves and rockhouses cut by the streams and rivers along the walls of the steep canyons as their temporary quarters. Originally these tribes were located throughout what are now the states of Georgia, Alabama and the Carolinas, North and South, although the Cherokee Indians originally inhabited much of America's southeastern seaboa...
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By Leslie Helm, Real Estate For Trail Riders
(Tennessee Recreational Properties)
When you live out here by Big South Fork national park, fifteen miles from Jamestown, Tennessee, how do you make a living? Well, you have to be clever and start a business of your own. You have to find a niche. And you have to be good at what you do. My friend, Joan Waterbury, has done all of that. She is able to live in an equestrian community, minutes from the best trail riding east of the Mississippi, in what's called "The Trail Riding Capital of the Southeast," Big South Fork. She has found a way to support herself, two Paso Fino horses, two dogs and two Himalayan cats. Simply stated, she's the finest seamstress I have ever seen; I am awed by her talent! She does curtains, drapes, custom window treatments, slipcovers, pillows and cushions as specialty orders, outsourced by interior ...
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By Kathy Baker, GRI Tennessee Realtor
(Realty 1)
Crabtree signs is located just north of downtown Jamestown. Carl and wife Kandy have been in the area for over 25 years. Carl handles all of the production in the shop, which includes all types and sizes of graphics. He does a healthy business with the local Realtors, myself included.  Carl and wife Kandy, have been married for 29 years and of those 29 years, 25 of them have been in the sign and graphics business. Back when they first started, Kandy would work along side Carl hanging and painting, as well as handling lighting on billboards. This is not a job for wimps!  Kandy toughed it out, and now she stays in house, and works in the office as the administrator, handling all billing and other administrative type duties. Kandy and Carl offer all sorts of different types of graphics. K...
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