La Follette;Jacksboro;Caryville Info Sources? (Gatlinburg, Lake City: insurance, hotel, house)

[Asharra]

I was born in Lafollette, and lived in Caryville most of my life. It is a small town, and there are still some "hillbillies" that live there, but it is not as bad as some make it out to be. While it's true that some jobs may not pay as well as others, our cost of living is also lower than some other places. Not only that, but you have low paying jobs anywhere you go. And yeah, there are people who may have had drug problems- but that's anywhere you go as well. As for being suspicious of "people with nonhillbilly accents", I get funny looks and snickers when I speak where I am now for my accent. So it's not like the accent problem is just in those towns. And as for that matter, Knoxville is not that much better off. I have lived in other places, and I will probably return to Caryville in a few years (after completion of grad school). I think overall it's a good place to live. There are some very beautiful places there as well.
However, I've never had lakefront property. Never wanted it. So I have no opinion on that one.

[don'tdoit]

Don't do it. Don't even consider it. If you don't have family here, or aren't poor and needy, don't come. I am an import to Campbell County, have been here 20 years, and still have difficulty surviving. I have the added burden of being educated with 2 college degrees, and worst of all, I'm from (gasp) the NORTH! My family will never be accepted here. And, yours won't either. If you are self sufficient, and can contribute to society in any way, you will not fit in here. This is good-ole-boy country where everyone is someone else's cousin, or uncle, or Papaw. Yes, if you are desperate, they will take you right in, feed you, take you to church, and help you get on a government subsidy program. Forget the water levels...that's a joke.....that's the least of your worries. If you're thinking you can just buy a nice, quiet, peaceful lake property and hiberate there unbothered, don't fool yourself. They'll hunt you down, and if you have anything nice, and they think you are undeserving, they will either steal it or destroy it. Nothing makes the locals madder than some stranger coming in here with a bunch of money and buying up all THEIR lake land. Upity. As they say here, "That Yankee (or any other part of the country you may be coming from) has more money than sense." Beware. Be careful. Just don't do it.

[Mr. Bighead]

So I'm not imagining things after all... Since most of the mines closed a few decades ago, most folks who have any brains or work ethic moved away from places like Lake City, Briceville, Jacksboro, Caryville, etc. The productive, law-abiding citizens who stayed started commuting to Knoxville to work, since there are no decent jobs in the area. Naturally, the kids of productive, law-abiding citizens tend to move away. It's a classic brain-drain situation. As a result, these declining hellholes have really high proportion of crazy-check recipients, crank cookers, baptists, thieves, kissin' cousins, and various other slackjaws. I grew up near Lake City, so I understand the prevalent mindset. I even held the prevalent mindset, to some extent, until I joined the military and found out by comparison what a sh1thole Lake City is. It probably isn't as bad an area for me as it is for an outsider. I have distant relatives around, I can turn up the accent a notch, and I can put on a pretty convincing good ol' boy act. If you're from another part of the country, you're automatically considered a Yankee. As Don'tdoit has learned, having money and an education makes you even more suspicious and sometimes a target. If you MUST move to east Tennessee, the closer you get to Knoxville or Chattanooga, the better off you'll be.

[SPLIT]

`Have not spent time in that northern county, but famous bass boat mfg NORRIS Craft is in LaFollote, making quality boats since mid 50"s. They have their own web-site and customer / tournament info. I am looking at one of their 59 runabouts original owner right now to acquire.

[don'tdoit]

I haven't done the research, but my guess is that the vast majority of Norris Craft boats built here, don't stay here. No one in this county can afford one. I hope you get your boat. If you do, be sure to remove it as quickly as possible from Campbell County. Who knows what could happen to it if it sits around here for any period of time.

[Mr. Bighead]

That might be a slight exaggeration, DDI. Lots of folks in Campbell County have pickups, bass boats, four wheelers, trampolines, and above ground pools that together are worth more than their doublewide.

[don'tdoit]

Thank you, Mr. B. I stand corrected.

[Mr. Bighead]

I saw that some people were asking about these lovely areas on the Dandridge board. I'm too lazy to write up another glowing report, but they should not be deprived of my wisdom. so...

BUMP

[Accountable]

I am amazed at how someone could continue to live in a place for 20 years that he clearly hates, as if he's a victim and has no means of moving away. Some people must thrive in the role of being miserable and trying to spread that misery.


"have been here 20 years, and still have difficulty surviving.... I have the added burden of being educated with 2 college degrees........My family will never be accepted here. And, yours won't either. If you are self sufficient, and can contribute to society in any way, you will not fit in here......... They'll hunt you down,......"

[Mr. Bighead]

You gotta wonder... but who knows what his situation really is? I moved back here seven years ago. I started to realize about four years ago that this place sucks. I'm working on my escape, but it's not convenient right now, and it's not a real high priority. Besides, I kinda enjoy observing and criticizing hillbillies.