Comments on: Sonny Boy

By: Brian

Brian — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 00:25:24 +0000

I didn think you were tearing them down. Kewanee is probably on the better end of some Illinois small towns. A lot of small towns are like “Ghost Towns” (which I find sad). I know it sounds like a Mellencamp song, but I grew up in a small town, I went to school in a small town, and I find it sad to see them disappearing.

It would be interesting to see you views on small towns in a post in the future. I went to school in Kirksville, Mo and it was interesting to see how a Super Wal Mart transformed that town. In the age of bailout and stimilus, it is interesting what is being done to save small towns. Especially in a tech age as today when people could work from home in more affordable rural areas.

By: Brian

Brian — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 17:25:24 +0000

By: FamManLib

FamManLib — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 18:04:20 +0000

Brian, you make a good point. I wasn't trying to tear them down by using
that description. I just thought it was a fact. Yes, this can be said of
many, perhaps most small towns in Illinois, especially those “downstate.” I
grew up in one of them, too, and was always irritated when someone from the
Chicago area would call anything south of I-80 “downstate.”

By: Brian

Brian — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 17:10:16 +0000

I found your description of Kewanee, IL being “economically depressed” kind of interesting. Having grown-up “downstate” and driven through many towns like this across the state, and I just called them small town. With Kewanee having Goods Department store, they seem to be on the better side of this term. It seems like most rural Illinois towns could be considered “economically depressed” these days. Kewanee atleast seems to have attracted a niche tourist market for their Goods department store. The store even boast a bed and breakfast where you can stay in the store overnight in a sample room. Rumor has it that Michael Jordan had even stayed theren when picking out furniture for his Highland Park house.

Unless these towns could find a niche market to attract people like a special resturant or store, or have been absorbed into a greater metropolitian area (like many towns in the Chicago area), most small towns these days could be considered “economically depressed”. I would have to say that Standard City, IL/Nilwood, IL where my dad grew up would definately be classified under this title. They are like Illinois Ghost Towns.