The Economic Survival of America's Isolated Small Towns

Preface
Acknowledgments
About the Author

Introduction
Previous Research
What Is a Small City or Town, and Who Lives in Them?
What Does It Mean for a Small Town to Be Isolated, and Why Is That Important?
Selecting the Case Study Cities
Similarities and Dissimilarities between the Economic Forces and Solutions Facing Large Cities and Small Towns

Fifty-One of America’s Small and Isolated Cities Examined
Northwest Region
Emmett, Idaho
Rupert, Idaho
Lewistown, Montana
Lincoln, Oregon
Ephrata, Washington
Cody, Wyoming
Douglas, Wyoming

North Central
Algona, Iowa
Detroit Lakes, Minnesota
International Falls, Minnesota
Montevideo, Minnesota
Holdredge, Nebraska
Sidney, Nebraska
Valley City, North Dakota

Great Lakes
Carmi, Illinois
Kingsford, Michigan
Ashland, Wisconsin
Rice Lake, Wisconsin

Northeast
Caribou, Maine
Titusville, Pennsylvania

Southeast
Arab, Alabama
Hamilton, Alabama
Thomaston, Georgia
Kosciusko, Mississippi
Brevard, North Carolina
Roxboro, North Carolina
Covington, Tennessee
Lexington, Tennessee
McKenzie, Tennessee
Galax, Virginia
South Boston, Virginia
Elkins, West Virginia

South Central
Pocahontas, Arkansas
Colby, Kansas
Fort Scott, Kansas
Charleston, Missouri
Chillicothe, Missouri
Perryville, Missouri
Breckenridge, Texas
Elsa, Texas
Pecos, Texas

West and Southwest
Winslow, Arizona
Fort Bragg, California
Yreka, California
Delta, Colorado
Gunnison, Colorado
Lamar, Colorado
Salida, Colorado
Winnemucca, Nevada
Taos, New Mexico
Vernal, Utah

Conclusions
The Relevance of Lessons Learned in Micropolitan Cities to Those That Are Small and Isolated
Will Technology Enable Small Towns to Survive?
Are There Advantages for Employers in Small, Isolated Cities?
Why Should We Care about America’s Cities That Are Small and Isolated?
Special Considerations for Small, Isolated Cities and Towns
The Brain Drain and Postsecondary Education
If You Build It, Will They Really Come?

A Special Case Study: Raton, New Mexico
What Happens to a City without Jobs?
Interview with Paula Murphy, Publisher of the Raton Range

Issues for Future Economic Growth, by City and Region

Bibliography
Books
Internet Citations
Presentations
Unpublished Papers

Index

Biography

Dr. Gerald L. Gordon is the president and chief executive officer of the Economic Development Authority in Fairfax County, Virginia, one of the largest office space markets in the United States. Dr. Gordon holds a bachelor’s degree from The Citadel, a master’s degree from George Washington University, and a doctorate in international economics from the Catholic University of America. He is also the author of 13 books and numerous articles on strategic planning and economic development. His most recent books are Reinventing Local and Regional Economies (2011) and The Formula for Economic Growth on Main Street America (2009).

Virginia Business Magazine named Dr. Gordon the 2010 Virginia Business Person of the Year, and Leadership Fairfax, Inc., named Dr. Gordon the recipient of its 2011 Northern Virginia Regional Leadership Award.