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Wed 27 Jul, 2005 04:45 am
I have read in National Geographic magazine and other places that the Mid West faces depopulation.
In some places they are trying to encourage people in a pioneering spirit to settle in their area.
Ellsville(I think that what its called),Kansas has recently deceided to give incentives to people to live in their town.
People from as far away as California have deceided to settle in the town.
Other places are trying a `homestead' approach.
Possibly, although i've never heard of it. There's an Ellsworth, Kansas (named for an early Federal martyr of the American civil war, reputed to be the first northerner killed in that war--the town is rather well known), and a Wellsville, Kansas, but i could find no evidence of an Ellsville, Kansas.
The article said it was up the road from Holyrood.
In about 1900 (perhaps a few years earlier), the urban population of the United States surpassed the rural population. Rural population has been shrinking ever since. In the early 1960's the major railroads dropped passenger service (and hence the Feds felt the need to create Amtrak, a taxpayer funded monstrosity), and in the late 1970's, interstate bus companies began to eliminate rural stations and "flag" stops. As the population of rural areas has decreased, so has economic opportunity, and many services and commercial outlets have disappeared. This may well be what is motivating the phenomenon to which you refer.
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