While on their honeymoon in the summer of 1991, they visited their first gem mine. Amy was so enamored with their newfound hobby that Johnny could not convince her to leave to get a bucket of chicken for supper. It was then that Amy asked, “When we get home will you build me one of these?” Johnny couldn’t help but laugh.
They soon returned home to settle into college and married life without enough money to even buy a can of soda ($0.50 at the time). But Johnny didn’t forget about Amy’s heartfelt wish and on her birthday that fall, he presented her with the plans to build their very own gem mine. With the blessing of Amy’s parents, who owned a piece of overgrown land near an old country craft shop near historic Blountville, TN, construction began on the mine.
The couple, only 18 and 19 at the time, began building their first flume on just a few hundred dollars and a lot of hard work and determination. They broke ground on the pond that services the flume on a cold December day with snow in the air. They worked hard and by Johnny’s birthday the following summer, they were open for business.
On opening day, the flume space available for customers to sluice their ore was only about 50 feet. They faced many challenges including limited funding and a lot of skepticism that they could own and operate a business at such a young age. But through the heartaches and headaches the Cooper family has always relied on their hard work, determination, pay as you go attitude, and lots of prayers.
Over 20 years later Cooper’s Gem Mine has never missed a mining season and have more than tripled their flume space. They have made the mining at Cooper’s a fun and education experience for every age of miner and the mine itself a fixture in beautiful downtown Blountville.
A Message from the Cooper Family:
Thank you to all of the miners who have supported us over the years! We treasure each and every one of our customers. Meeting and getting to know all of our guests has enriched our lives forever. We are truly blessed to have served such wonderful people.
