Small Town News

Welcome to Waterville, Maine!  Despite its simple name, it is surrounded by places that Keith can't pronounce.  It is situated on the Kennebec River and was originally settled by the Canibas tribe of the Abenaki people.  It was burned in 1692 during King William's War, and was subsequently abandoned by the tribe.  Waterville was incorporated in 1802.  Early industries included fishing, l...

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Welcome to Cheraw, SC, the "Prettiest Town in Dixie!"  Located along the Pee Dee River, the area was originally inhabited by the Pee Dee and Cheraw tribes.  Wars and disease decimated the population, and by the time of the American Revolution, only a few Native Americans remained in the area.  The area was settled by Europeans beginning in the 1740s, and played a role in both the Revolut...

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Welcome to Gallipolis, the old French city!  Located beside the Ohio River, the border between Ohio and West Virginia, the city was founded in 1790 by 500 French refugees fleeing the French Revolution.  The refugees purchased the land from the Scioto Company, a purported land development company registered in Paris.  When they arrived in the area, they discovered that the deeds were worthless and...

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Welcome to Moses Lake where the only thing that stinks is the water!  Named after Chief Moses (who was named that by settlers), a leader of the Sinkiuse tribe, the area was traded to white settlers who blackmailed the chief to give up the land instead of being convicted of a murder he clearly didn't commit.  Okay, maybe some other things stink as well.  Moses Lake has a sister city, Yonezawa,...

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Welcome to Culpeper, VA, "A Great American Main Street."  Named "The Prettiest Town in Virginia" by Architectural Digest , Culpeper is a bedroom community of Northern Virginia and the Washington DC area.  The original town was surveyed in 1759 by a young George Washington.  Mother's Day was established in honor of one of Culpeper's citizens, Ann Jarvis.  If you'r...

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Welcome to the "Watermelon Capital of the World"!  Incorporated in 1888, Cordele was named after Cordelia Hawkins, the daughter of the the president of SAM railroad.  Cordele's early growth was due to the presence of two railroads, the Savannah, Americus & Montgomery line (SAM), and the Georgia Southern and Florida.  In 1968, Cordele was gifted a Titan missile, which still stand...

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Welcome to Mitchell, SD, home to the world's only Corn Palace!  Incorporated in 1883, the town was named for Milwaukee banker Alexander Mitchell, who seems to have no connection to the town whatsoever.  Mitchell is home to such attractions as the world famous Corn Palace and the Dakota Discovery Museum. It was also home to George McGovern, who lost the 1972 Presidential election to our favori...

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This is Sparta! Founded in 1839, Sparta is located in Southwest Illinois close to the Illinois-Missouri border, the Mississippi River.  With a population of 4,302 according to the 2010 census, Sparta became known as "Magazineland USA" after World War II due to the numerous printing plants that produced most of the mass-market color comic books in the US.  Sparta is also home to the Amate...

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Welcome to "The Model City", Anniston, AL!  Along with Selma, AL, Anniston ranks as one of the top cities by most violent and property crimes in the US according to FBI data, but don't let that deter you!  Anniston has a rich history that is worth noting, such as the firebombing of a Freedom Riders bus in 1961, the racially motivated murder of Willie Brewster after a white racist ra...

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Welcome to Claremont, NH!  Settled in 1762, Claremont was named after the country mansion of Thomas Pelham-Holles, Earl of Clare.  Claremont is bordered on the west by the Connecticut River, which serves as the boundary between New Hampshire and Vermont.  This quaint city is home to the Union Episcopal Church, the oldest surviving church building in New Hampshire.  It was also home to the first Ro...

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Welcome to Warrensburg, MO, the home of Old Drum!  The murder of beloved dog, Old Drum, and subsequent trials gave birth to the phrase "man's best friend".  A statue honoring Old Drum stands in front of the Warrensburg Courthouse.  The city is also home to the University of Central Missouri and is the birthplace of Kimberly Wyatt, former member of the The Pussycat Dolls.   Small Tow...

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Welcome to Live Oak, FL, A Caring Community!  First named Live Oak Station in the early 1860s, the town was named for the tree under which railroad workers rested and ate lunch during the construction of the Pensacola & Georgia Railroad in the area.  Live Oak was officially incorporated in 1878 and grew to be the largest inland and 5th largest city overall in Florida due to the proximity of ne...

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Welcome to Clovis, NM!  Clovis began in 1906 when the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway was being constructed in the area and the engineers were told to choose a town site.  Originally it was known as Riley's Switch, but was formally named Clovis in 1907.  It is thought by some that it was named after "Clovis Culture", the oldest known culture in the United States.  The first &q...