Small Town News

Small Town News--whose headline is it, anyway? @SmallTownNewsImprov 

Welcome to Lewes, Delaware, the first city in the first state!  Located in southern Delaware on the Delaware Bay in Sussex County, Lewes was the site of the first European settlement in Delaware. Originally settled by the Dutch in 1631 and named Zwaanendael, the colony was wiped out by the Lenape in 1632.  A second attempt was made in 1663 by the Dutch, but the settlement was razed by the by the E...

Small Town News--whose headline is it, anyway? @SmallTownNewsImprov 

Welcome to Mound, Minnesota, the birthplace of Tonka truck! The Village of Mound was settled in 1850s, but wasn't incorporated until 1912.  The town derived its name from prehistoric burial mounds thought to be created between 300BC and 100AD.  The mounds no longer exist, but were surveyed in 1883.  In 1946, Mound Metalcraft was founded in the town and began producing hat, tie, and shoes rack...

Small Town News--whose headline is it, anyway? @SmallTownNewsImprov 

Welcome to Highlands, North Carolina! Situated in the Nantahala National Forest, the town's location was determined by the intersection point of lines drawn from Chicago to Savannah and New York to New Orleans in 1875 by Samuel Kelsey and Clinton Hutchinson.  They were looking for a location that would serve as a "great trading center and commercial crossroads."  Unfortunately the t...

Small Town News--whose headline is it, anyway? @SmallTownNewsImprov 

Welcome to California, Missouri, small enough to know you, large enough to serve you!"  Located in central Missouri, the town was founded in 1834 and was originally named Boonesborough.  The name was changed to California in 1847 because there was already another Boonesborough in the state.  The town is home to what is thought to be the oldest continuous fair west of the Mississippi.  The Mon...

Small Town News--whose headline is it, anyway? @SmallTownNewsImprov 

Welcome to  Bluffton, South Carolina, the "Heart of the Lowcountry!"  The area was first settled by Europeans in the late 1720s to build plantations, but the town was not incorporated until 1852.  In the early 1800s, the first homes were built by plantation owners to escape from the unhealthy conditions on the rice and cotton plantations.  Situated on a bluff overlooking the May River, t...

Small Town News--whose headline is it, anyway? @SmallTownNewsImprov 

Welcome to Wasilla, Alaska!  In 1917 the US government planned the Alaska Railroad to intersect a wagon road near the mining town of Knik.  Settlers bought up land around the new railroad station and Knik began a steady decline.  Wasilla Station became the new supply station for the mining an trapping trade in the area.  In the 1930s the US government moved 200 farming families from the Upper Midw...

Small Town News--whose headline is it, anyway? @SmallTownNewsImprov 

Welcome to Hamilton, Montana! The town was founded in the late 1890s by copper king Marcus Daly, in response to nearby Grantsdale's refusal to let him establish his headquarters there.  The town has since served as the central tradepost for the surrounding area. Hamilton was home to the last Kmart in Montana and the entire Mountain Time Zone.  Unfortunately the store closed early last month. ...

Small Town News--whose headline is it, anyway? @SmallTownNewsImprov 

Welcome to Frenchtown, New Jersey!  Originally occupied by the Lenape Native Americans, they were fully displaced by Europeans by 1750.  The town had several names until the 1790s, when it began to be called Frenchtown because many of the settlers were French speaking.  The town is located on the banks of the Delaware River on the Hunterdon Plateau.  The town is host to three festivals - Wine and...

Small Town News--whose headline is it, anyway? @SmallTownNewsImprov 

Welcome to St. Johnsbury, Vermont, "Gateway to the Northeast Kingdom."  The area was originally granted in 1760 and went through several names until 1790 when the current name was adopted.  St. Johnsbury is the county seat of Caledonia County and is the largest town in the Northeast Kingdom.  The Northeast Kingdom is comprised of Essex, Orleans, and Calendonia counties in Northeast Vermo...

Small Town News--whose headline is it, anyway? @SmallTownNewsImprov 

Welcome to Spearfish, South Dakota! The city was founded in 1876 at the mouth of the Spearfish Canyon during the Black Hills Gold Rush.  Originally called Queen City, the town supplied mining camps in the area.  In 1887, the Thoen Stone was found in Black Hills.  It is inscribed with the year 1834 and is purported to be the last will and testament of Ezra Kind.  In 1933, Kind and six others crosse...

Small Town News--whose headline is it, anyway? @SmallTownNewsImprov 

Welcome to Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, not your ordinary small town!  The town was named after Smith Paul, who settled in the area in the 1830s and built a large farm house.  The town eventually grew up around the homestead.  The town is home to the Toy and Action Figure Museum, which becomes a pretty serious topic of conversation for us.  The museum was named a "Top 50 Most Authentic American Ex...

Small Town News--whose headline is it, anyway? @SmallTownNewsImprov 

Welcome to Churubusco, Indiana, Turtle City, USA!  Named after the location of a battle during the Mexican-American War, the area was originally two towns that bordered each other across a railroad track.  In the 1840s, both towns grew large enough to have their own post office, and the Postmaster General required the towns to apply for a joint post office.  Because both of the towns original name...

Small Town News--whose headline is it, anyway? @SmallTownNewsImprov