Sep 27, 2026 · 55 min
Gainesboro residents confront an ideological land grab
BONUS SERIES: Our Town Chapter 1 | Sometimes You Find Silver
The episode shows how secrecy, land purchases, and political organizing can turn a small town into a battleground over belonging and democratic control.
- 1Ridge Runner and affiliated groups quietly acquired Gainesboro land while promoting an ideological settlement project.
- 2Residents connected mysterious property deals to a Christian nationalist network only after investigative reporting exposed the venture.
- 3Local resistance grew from suspicion into public confrontation, chamber opposition, and organized campaigns defending Gainesboro’s welcome.
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At a Dairy Queen gathering, Gainesboro residents confront Josh Abatoy and CJ Engel as supporters and opponents of Ridge Runner meet face to face.
The brief
Brian Allen’s metal-detecting hobby leads him toward a coveted Gainesboro property, where unfamiliar buyers reveal the first clue that outsiders are pursuing more than real estate.
Restaurant owner Cassie Kessler and historian Mark Dudney help show how secrecy, local business ties, and investigative television exposed Ridge Runner’s Christian nationalist ambitions.
A livestream celebrating Donald Trump’s victory invites like-minded people to move to Gainesboro, prompting residents to question whether their town was being marketed as ideological territory.
Nancy Pruitt turns concern into resistance, recruiting neighbors, distributing signs, and helping organize a confrontation at Dairy Queen attended by roughly 75 people.
The chamber rejects Ridge Runner amid discriminatory rhetoric and legal threats, while a new 450-acre purchase suggests Gainesboro is one foothold in a larger Tennessee project.
Susan Berfield
Bloomberg L.P.
Cumberland RiverBooks & mentions
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