How big a town are you from?
- Thread starter NCHawker
- Start date
The Big LeHAWKski
Well-Known Member
2,100 population now, it was around 3000 when I was in high school in the mid-80's.
When I graduated we had a big class of 74 kids. Now the graduating classes are in the 40-count range.
Back then it was everything I needed, great place to grow up, worked hard (walked beans/detasslled ,baling-stacking hay) and play sports - pretty much sheltered in a good away from what's out there in the real world.
Now I'm still proud of my hometown, but I'm only back every Christmas and I see it slowly dying, with zero career opportunity, constant small-town gossip and I'm glad I got the hell out of there when I was 18, never moved back.
Guessing my story is very similar to others.
Now I live in a beautiful suburb of a city of just over 1M.
Grateful I got the small-town values, grateful I made it out.
When I graduated we had a big class of 74 kids. Now the graduating classes are in the 40-count range.
Back then it was everything I needed, great place to grow up, worked hard (walked beans/detasslled ,baling-stacking hay) and play sports - pretty much sheltered in a good away from what's out there in the real world.
Now I'm still proud of my hometown, but I'm only back every Christmas and I see it slowly dying, with zero career opportunity, constant small-town gossip and I'm glad I got the hell out of there when I was 18, never moved back.
Guessing my story is very similar to others.
Now I live in a beautiful suburb of a city of just over 1M.
Grateful I got the small-town values, grateful I made it out.
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Denverhawk1
Well-Known Member
From Waukon Iowa. 4,000 people. Slowly dying. Just like so many other small towns across the country.
tksirius
HN's Love Doctor
My high school bb coach was from Waukon.
SmokeTownHawk
Well-Known Member
From the Fairbank-Oelwein metroplex, population 1200 and 6500 respectively. Graduating class @ Wapsie Valley was 93 during the baby-boomer era. Live in an area over 200k now. The farm life was good growing up for certain things but glad I live in a larger town now. More services and things to do, along with a better job market.
guffus
Well-Known Member
i grew up in SE Iowa on a farm outside a small town of 1000. I went to small catholic school that graduated 45.
i moved to the Chicago suburbs after graduating from Iowa 27 years ago. It took a long time to get used to life in the Chicago suburbs in these modern times. It just seems like you never see anybody you know when you go out. everybody you work with lives 25 miles apart. But there is still part of me that is glad I left. I would not want to move back to my home town, but I would not mind moving back to Iowa City or Cedar Rapids one day.
Still I think about my small home town in Iowa and all the small towns that voted for Donald Trump and wonder if I am part of the problem. If all the college graduates from small towns end up moving to big cities, instead of moving back to their small towns after college, then its no wonder the towns are struggling.
i moved to the Chicago suburbs after graduating from Iowa 27 years ago. It took a long time to get used to life in the Chicago suburbs in these modern times. It just seems like you never see anybody you know when you go out. everybody you work with lives 25 miles apart. But there is still part of me that is glad I left. I would not want to move back to my home town, but I would not mind moving back to Iowa City or Cedar Rapids one day.
Still I think about my small home town in Iowa and all the small towns that voted for Donald Trump and wonder if I am part of the problem. If all the college graduates from small towns end up moving to big cities, instead of moving back to their small towns after college, then its no wonder the towns are struggling.
Denverhawk1
Well-Known Member
Funny. Who was it?
Denverhawk1
Well-Known Member
I have never tried to verify this number before, but I've heard that 4 out of 5 high school graduates leave Iowa. That did not say how many move back after leaving, but if it's even close to accurate that would explain why so many small towns across the state are dying. In my family that number was exactly right.
Denverhawk1
Well-Known Member
I've thought this before too, but to me I've always come to the conclusion "what came first, the chicken or the egg?" Was it hard to find meaningful employment first? Or did the kids leave first? Was it harder to find adventure first? Was it harder to find purpose for life first?
The older I get the smaller of town I can handle gets. Iowa is wonderful from the 1st of April to the 1st of November, but it's the other times I'd struggle with and I know it.
Small town in NW Iowa of about 400... went to high school in Carroll and graduated with 94... I live in DSM now and love it here... not sure I would be able to go back to living there perhaps when I would be a little older... The wife for sure wouldn't be able to live there though so probably not
Grew up on a farm 500 acres in NW Iowa. School was 4 towns consolidated to make one. Had 30ish in my class. I don't think we had 40. Moved to Dsm after that for 10 yrs. Then moved to the sticks of TN now in a similar small town community that I grew up in. Cities are for visiting not living in to me. It'd be nice to be a little closer to Nashville than I am but between the lack of neighbors and cost of living being so much less not to mention fresh air I'm not going to nit pick too much. Will I go back to Iowa?... Doubt it winters are just something I don't miss at all. It can get cold here but not nearly as bad or for as long and it rarely snows.
ibahawkeye
Well-Known Member
Grew up in a town of about 7500. I think we had like 110-120 in our graduating class if I recall correctly.
Now I live in a smaller town of about 2,000 that's only 15 minutes away from where I grew up.
Now I live in a smaller town of about 2,000 that's only 15 minutes away from where I grew up.
Times are great in Illinois ..............
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/could-illinois-be-the-first-state-to-file-for-bankruptcy/
MelroseHawkins
Well-Known Member
NE Iowa. City with pop about 1,500
Class of 60 when graduated.
Moved to Iowa City area in city currently 18,000 but growing fast. Prob 2nd fastest growing in Iowa.
Class of 60 when graduated.
Moved to Iowa City area in city currently 18,000 but growing fast. Prob 2nd fastest growing in Iowa.
MelroseHawkins
Well-Known Member
When I go back home I look around and what really comes to my mind or what I question is where all the people in my smaller hometown work at. Doesn't seem like there would be enough decent jobs around for everyone but there must be, I guess.
HawkU
Well-Known Member
North Liberty?
If so I have relatives who have lived there for 25-30 years and they are not liking what's happening.
I visited last summer and was stunned at the growth from the last time I was there.
guffus
Well-Known Member
Just a bit of Trivia.
If you have ever listened to Iowa football games being streamed over the Learfield Sports Network, my hometown is the home of Mershman Seeds, who advertise a lot during those Iowa games. My cousin works there.
hawkdrummer1
Well-Known Member
hometown Washington, IA, population 7,200 Graduating class 175
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