A salute to small towns

Hard work and a can-do state of mind have breathed new life into these hamlets.

I'm a small-town girl, born and raised in Cornersville, Tennessee, population 992.

To an outsider, my hometown might seem like just a wide spot in the road. Still, it was there I learned the transforming power of community pride, the importance of being a good neighbor, and the value of preserving the past while striving for a better future. Not a day passes that I don't feel a bit of longing for my childhood home.

That's why I love discovering exceptional small towns when I travel. I constantly search for places that transcend the cookie cutter mentality of suburbia. Fortunately, these towns are becoming easier to find.

While some communities have succumbed to urban sprawl and unyielding economic pressures, many others are making a valiant effort to survive. Perhaps their greatest ally has been The National Trust for Historic Preservation. In 1980, this group started The National Main Street Center designed to revitalize historic and traditional commercial areas. Each year, the trust grants five Great American Main Street Awards. These 2002 winners represent the best of the South.

Okmulgee Booms Again

Theirs is a classic tale of boom and bust. Oil brought prosperity to Okmulgee, Oklahoma, a city just 45 miles south of Tulsa. Then the oil money dried up, and so did the town. When the Phillips 66 refinery and several supporting industries closed in 1983, Okmulgee lost more than half its residents. By the mid-eighties, only a handful of businesses clung to life.

Still, this is a story of hope and renewal. The good people of Okmulgee stiffened their resolve and refused to go gently. In 1986, local banker John Mabrey learned of a new program in Oklahoma designed to rebuild downtowns. The community's leaders and business owners quickly got onboard, and Okmulgee became one of Oklahoma Main Street's first communities.

Now, 17 years later, the downtown area boasts an 85% occupancy rate. "When the Main Street program started we were down and on our way out," M & D Star Drugs owner Charlotte Newport remembers. "But there were a few people who said, 'We're here, and we're staying here.'"

The pivotal project in the town's resurrection was the refurbishing of the Creek Council House. Once the national headquarters for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, the building was in danger of falling down. The community raised more than $1 million to renovate the Council House and transformed it into a museum and gallery.

Boutiques and restaurants now fill the downtown stores. The Orpheum Theater has been restored and now shows first-run movies. Lots left vacant by a devastating fire in the eighties have been turned into pocket parks.

Program director Kendell Mooney is pleased with the city's progress but says there's more to come. "These hardships are not unique to our community, but it took a lot of people coming together and seeing the potential in big empty buildings," she reflects. "Our state has that pioneering spirit. Despite the tornadoes, the wind, and the loss of oil refineries, we're going to make lemonade out of lemons."

Long Live the Queen

Staunton, Virginia (pronounced STAN-ton), is luckier than many small towns. In the early seventies, a coalition of citizens formed the Historic Staunton Foundation and began a movement to preserve the rich architectural treasures. Their efforts laid the foundation for a remarkable renaissance.

"I love the buildings," says Staunton Downtown Development Association director Kimberly Watters. "They are just fantastic. I think everybody should take a tour of downtown. Unless you actually go out, walk around, and look up, you may not notice what's there."

Indeed, Staunton is lovely. It shadows the contours of the Shenandoah like a blanket. When viewed from the town's high points, the hilly terrain and church steeples lend a European feel. Fine shops, a coffeehouse, and antiques stores crowd Beverly Street and the wharf district.

A favorite is Holt's for the Home, the state's oldest tabletop store. Here, a black pup named Kimbal serves as the official greeter, and visitors peruse a fantastic array of china, kitchen accessories, and gifts. "As far as I'm concerned, Main Street is where it's happening," says owner Brigitte Cowan, who was named 2002 Virginia Retailer of the Year. "Our goal is to not be mainstream. We offer a higher level of service and a better selection of merchandise."

Aside from the businesses, a whole cultural arts scene is blossoming in the area. Galleries and theaters have opened, including a replica of Shakespeare's Blackfriars Playhouse, home to the Shenandoah Shakespeare troupe. These developments, Kimberly believes, are a result of Staunton's economic development initiatives.

"Staunton is a special city," Kimberly says. "It has a strong sense of place, an uncommon energy. It was once the queen city of the Shenandoah, and I think it is again."

CASSANDRA M. VANHOOSER

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Spring 2003
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