Posted: 5/7/2025 3:15:46 PM EDT
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My wife and I lived in middle TN (Hermitage/Lebanon/Murfreesboro) before moving to FL for my job. We have been here 17 years, but the 3 hurricanes last year were enough for my wife. My job has recently gone fully remote, so we now have the opportunity to move back to TN (also considering GA to be close to my sister). I'm looking for a nice house (have 2 boys and need a home office) with at least 10 acres and a shop. Found a place that fits criteria in Coalmont. The only thing that I know about the area is that it has an offroad park (which is a bonus). Anybody know anything about Coalmont; specifically living in the area? I'd like to be rural, but also close enough to the normal shopping necessities (Walmart, Home Depot, auto parts store, TSC, etc). |
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I'm the next county over from Coalmont I'm up that way pretty often. You're about 45 minutes from a Walmart in either direction. About an hour and 15 minutes from Chattanooga ie major hospitals and medical centers. The bad: It is a poor area with a lot of methbillies. The Sheriff's dept isn't even half staffed. The current sheriff is currently being reamed by the POST commission over working non certified officers in certified positions. The ex sheriff lost the election because his chief deputy had a bad habit of just beating the hell out of people and is in federal prison right now on several civil rights violations. The chief of Coalmant PD has a questionable and storied past. The ems service is competent but stretched a little thin. There's two good air ambulance services that serve the area. The good: There are a lot of good people there that are neighborly if you know how to treat people. Low taxes mean good deals on houses and land. I'm addition to the ohv park you are in close proximity to a lot of great state parks, lakes, hiking and outdoor activities. The schools are meh on ratings of spending and standardized test scores but that test known as the TCAT is absolute bullshit. The schools are small without a lot of vibrance in the community and the teachers are good caring folks. There are at least 2 private schools there. Not a lot of shopping at all in Coalmont but there's a Save a Lot in Tracy City and a Piggly Wiggly in Monteagle. McMinnville, Manchester, and Jasper are the closest bigger towns with a Kroger or a Walmart and a big box home and garden store. You better seriously look at the internet service availability if you're work from home. You may need satellite like hughesnet or starlink Also Brown's Dairy Bar headed out of Coalmont toward Gruetli is worth a trip from my house for a good old fashioned cheeseburger and milkshake. It's a hole in the wall but has great food and is still run by the same family that had it when I was a kid. |
I think one of the major problems with America today is not enough families sit down to a big plate of squirrels momma just fried up.
Thanks for the intel. Sounds like it is probably more rural than we want. I plan to retire in this house, so being over an hour from medical services might be too much. My wife is also used to stopping by the grocery store multiple times per week and she doesn't hold Piggly Wiggly in high regard.  Great point about high speed internet availability. It is a must have. |
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Originally Posted By frankiebagadonuts: Thanks for the intel. Sounds like it is probably more rural than we want. I plan to retire in this house, so being over an hour from medical services might be too much. My wife is also used to stopping by the grocery store multiple times per week and she doesn't hold Piggly Wiggly in high regard. Great point about high speed internet availability. It is a must have. Here's a screenshot of "downtown" Coalmont. In my searching for this I found that the Coalmont PD has been disbanded which I'm going to put in the good category for your purposes. As far as groceries if she looks down on Piggly Wiggly she will vapor lock at the austerity of a Save a Lot. Think of it as a hillbilly Aldi's 
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I think one of the major problems with America today is not enough families sit down to a big plate of squirrels momma just fried up.
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Originally Posted By bodybagger: Here's a screenshot of "downtown" Coalmont. In my searching for this I found that the Coalmont PD has been disbanded which I'm going to put in the good category for your purposes. As far as groceries if she looks down on Piggly Wiggly she will vapor lock at the austerity of a Save a Lot. Think of it as a hillbilly Aldi's https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/139944/1000005975-3536156.jpg Originally Posted By bodybagger: Originally Posted By frankiebagadonuts: Thanks for the intel. Sounds like it is probably more rural than we want. I plan to retire in this house, so being over an hour from medical services might be too much. My wife is also used to stopping by the grocery store multiple times per week and she doesn't hold Piggly Wiggly in high regard. Great point about high speed internet availability. It is a must have. Here's a screenshot of "downtown" Coalmont. In my searching for this I found that the Coalmont PD has been disbanded which I'm going to put in the good category for your purposes. As far as groceries if she looks down on Piggly Wiggly she will vapor lock at the austerity of a Save a Lot. Think of it as a hillbilly Aldi's https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/139944/1000005975-3536156.jpg If I'm not mistaken, the town library is in a double-wide trailer next to the volunteer fire department. |
Earthsheltered house - a reinforced bunker that even the treehuggers consider to be socially acceptable.
Earthbag house - like an earthsheltered house, but cheaper and easier to DIY.
Earthbag house - like an earthsheltered house, but cheaper and easier to DIY.
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Is the city hall building next to the post office still being used as the city hall? They still have a sign over the door identifying it as the city hall, but google isn't indicating it to be the city hall. Coalmont City Hall |
Earthsheltered house - a reinforced bunker that even the treehuggers consider to be socially acceptable.
Earthbag house - like an earthsheltered house, but cheaper and easier to DIY.
Earthbag house - like an earthsheltered house, but cheaper and easier to DIY.
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Originally Posted By bodybagger: I think so but I'm not 100%. I'm going to try to go fishing up there soon so I'll try to remember to look and see. When I saw the thread, I knew I had heard of Coalmont and had a very rough idea of where it was but couldn't remember if I had ever been there. Checked the map, and there are towns in the surrounding area that I know I have been to, and it wouldn't be strange if I passed through Coalmont on one of those trips, but I just couldn't remember ever having been in Coalmont. The city hall building is interesting. I'd guess it was built around 1900 to 1920. Seems to be two small window unit air conditioners, propane heat of some kind, and a handicap access ramp that were added at some point. Looks like they have taken care of it. I'm not sure, but the "boarded up" part to the right of the door under the city hall sign, looks like it may have been some sort of drive through window at some point in the past. A little more googling, and... Dang it, I was off by a year. Built in 1921. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coalmont_Bank_Building |
Earthsheltered house - a reinforced bunker that even the treehuggers consider to be socially acceptable.
Earthbag house - like an earthsheltered house, but cheaper and easier to DIY.
Earthbag house - like an earthsheltered house, but cheaper and easier to DIY.
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Originally Posted By frankiebagadonuts: While small town USA has its appeal, 4 buildings and a double-wide isn't what I had in mind.  While it ain't no Arab, Alabama, it does have more than 4 buildings. Probably at least six or seven buildings, if you look around enough. |
Earthsheltered house - a reinforced bunker that even the treehuggers consider to be socially acceptable.
Earthbag house - like an earthsheltered house, but cheaper and easier to DIY.
Earthbag house - like an earthsheltered house, but cheaper and easier to DIY.
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I took another look to see if they had a Chevron, which might give them some hope of competing with Arab, Alabama, but I couldn't find one. They've got an Exxon, but it's just not the same thing. ETA:  When Koreans Visit A Southern Town | Henry Cho Comedy |
Earthsheltered house - a reinforced bunker that even the treehuggers consider to be socially acceptable.
Earthbag house - like an earthsheltered house, but cheaper and easier to DIY.
Earthbag house - like an earthsheltered house, but cheaper and easier to DIY.
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