Ashland, pop. 770 - A former Baptist Church is now Cups & Mugs. Coffee by day, bar options in the evening, food from breakfast through supper. A place for community to come together.

Englewood, pop. 54 - What if this town could get help with one spark, one exclamation point. What kind of difference would it make for those who live there?

Minneola, pop. 752 - One key to making this a strong town in Southwest Kansas is the hospital, city and school working together (group name is LIFT- Leading Into the Future Together). Working to solve the child care problem, this town is full of opportunities, dedicated volunteers, and strong anchors.

Coldwater, pop. 672 - A wise customer at the excellent Blonde Grill said, "In any small town, you can be invisible, or you can be involved, but you have to choose. You have choices in small towns. If you don’t want to feel part of the community, you don’t have to be part of it. If you want community, you can have it."

Protection, pop. 503 - We had the great opportunity to visit with teacher Andi Dale and three of the students (see picture) who got to attend Hamilton, a musical that teacher Dale used to teach history. A GoFundMe page made this trip possible and it changed lives. We heard it ourselves. Goosebumpling.

Wilmore, pop. 36. What did we hear constantly? "It feels like we're one big family here."

Baldwin City, pop. 5,029 - Sullivan Square, a green space in Baldwin City, is the main contributing factor to a deep feeling of community in this town. The downtown intersection is home to the Lumberyard Arts Center, Sullivan Square, Ice Cream House, and other shops that make this not just a charming downtown but a place where the heartbeat of community is felt.

Eudora, pop. 6,657 - A downtown clothing store (Twill Trade), Zeb's Coffeehouse, and a new ice cream shop, Main Street Scoops and Sweets, have helped create community. The ice cream shop is packed after shool events. They also have an excellent nook where little kids can hang out. The well-done museum is in the middle of downtown and is a great fit.

Lawrence, pop. 95,905 - Lawrence has bike lanes, trails of every surface, and many concrete trails. The Burroughs Trail features storyboard signage, exercise equipment, accessible structures, a bike repair station AND a community orchard! Just off the trail is a spray park, shelter, and parking area.

Lecompton, pop. 683 - HillCreek Market replaces Kroeger Meats as a great stop on the east side of town. It serves as a coffee shop, ice cream stop, cafe, and butchery, with as many local products as possible. Indoor and outdoor dining. Friendly people. Nice addition to the great historic sites in town.

Anthony, pop. 1,944 - In a town where the school system does not include art in the elementary curriculum, it's critical to have a non-profit organization, The Arts Center, to provide art education and creative opportunities to residents of all ages.

Attica, pop. 481 - We didn't get a picture of Lori, the city clerk, so this water tower (with the fun font) will have to do. Cities of this size are held together by city clerks. Without anyone in the city paid to worry about how to sustain the city, much falls on the city clerk. Lori is willing and dedicated.

Bluff City, pop. 42 - To find a Blessing Box stocked with food staples in a town of 42 was a nice thing to see. There are no businesses in town, except for a post office, so this probably saves the day at times.

Danville, pop. 26 - The pride here was easy to spot as symbolized by landscaped areas and mowed lawns. People are moving in to this town to get away from big city hustle and bustle. Those who live here help newcomers get settled.

Harper, pop. 1,213 - Good job to the City of Harper for this interpretive sign below the standpipe water tower topped with the red fish weather vane. A decade ago, it was very difficult to find any information about this local icon that has been atop the town since 1892. Now, it's right there!

Waldron, pop. 9 - It's tiny and there are no paved roads into town but they have a nice entrance sign.

Burrton, pop. 861 - When asked what was going on that we couldn't see from driving main street, the answer was that there are lots of dreams for the town. We bet on you, Burrton!

Halstead, pop. 2,165 - The owner of Daphne Mae (see picture), Tessa Wendling, moved back to her hometown after 20 years in Chicago. She bought The Old Hardware Store and converted it into a cafe, with plans for an adjoining building.

Hesston, pop. 3,495 - Fantastic city and school playgrounds are one factor that make this a good place to live.

Newton, pop. 18,433 - The Soshine Foundation owns Norm's Coffee Shop, the Sweet Shoppe, and The Porch. The Foundation provides an afterschool program, job training for kids, and they serve a community meal for 250 people every Wednesday. Everything is free, paid for by grants and donations.

North Newton, pop. 1,829 - The Kidron Bethel Village complex of Bluestem Communities provides some of the most quality infrastructure and care for elderly, making this population an important part of the economy.

Sedgwick, pop. 1,598 - The Meeting House creates community in Sedgwick. Paid for by community members, staffed by volunteers (except for one paid person), and frequented by so many from within and beyond the community, this is the place to come together. The tip jar is for scholarships.

Walton, pop. 217 - The locally-owned bank, owned by John and Shirley Esau, have chosen to stay put and be an anchor in this cohesive community.

Cunningham, pop. 450 - Cozy's Pizza is a new restaurant in town and it already has become a place for community to gather. They do intentional things to make it so, like streaming local high school sports on the large TV.

Kingman, pop. 2,980 - Pixley and Mae clothing boutique, 301 N. Main, and Perfectly Posh, 116 W. B, exist because of someone who believed in re-investing in his hometown by restoring this shared building and charging a rent low enough to make it possible for these entrepreneurs to thrive.

Mt. Vernon, unincorporated Have you eaten in this tiny town with the big church across the unpaved road? Open Thursday-Sunday 8 a.m.-2 p.m. It's a popular spot for locals and Cheney Reservoir traffic.

Nashville, pop. 53 - When you're looking for someone to talk to, go to the elevator. We found four guys having coffee willing to answer our questions. Wish we had taken a picture of them! They were awesome and we got the local scoop.

Norwich, pop. 423 - After their post office closed, Norwich was headed for a collection of outdoor metal post office boxes until Ye Olde General Store agreed to provide a "Contract Postal Service." Adjoined, hardware store employees also staff the post office. Post office customers enter through a separate door but store staff easily flow from their checkout counter to the retail USPS window. Talk about an extra effort.

Penalosa, pop. 17 - A "Sampling of Soups" took place in a church in this small incorporated city (where once lived an alligator). People crave community, especially in an area where the only business is the co-op.

Spivey, pop. 61 - Once again, the post office staff could answer all of our questions and, per usual, they provide the friendly face to all locals that come in daily. They told us how Spivey Days brings the community together.

Zenda, pop. 67 - Yes, Zenda still has the Lumberyard Steakhouse but the pulse of the town is clearly known by the administrator at the Zenda Telephone Company. Woody and Beulah Graber were original owners of the telco and they were committed to re-investing in the town.

Dighton, pop. 948 - Every town would love to have a pharmacy. Dighton has one.

Healy, unincorporated - Find an 18-hole, solar-lighted miniature golf course here with a glow sand volleyball court next to it. Belle South Putt & Volley, purchased on E-bay!

Larned, pop. 3,593 - Sometime it's the small things. Check out this shaded, mobile picnic table.

Burdett, pop. 218 - Formerly Moosettes Cafe, the Stop-N-Go on K-156 is well-placed and much needed for locals and travelers. Hand-pattied hamburgers are ready in the warmer oven. Local beef and pork is in the freezer packaged for purchase. Good inventory at this convenience store.

Rozel, pop. 98 - No longer used as a church, this former Methodist church is now the primary school. Each room has their own HVAC/ventilation system. K-12 students from Burdett, Ransom and Rozel come to Pawnee Heights school district here.

Garfield, pop. 147 - This historic band shell is a familiar sight to those who travel K-156. It stands in the roadside park that includes signage about the 1872 Santa Fe Trail supply station, Camp Criley, and a stone stile used back in the day to help women mount their horses.

Alden, pop. 120 - It takes constant effort to continue to operate a successful business in a small town but Paula Royer does so with Prairie Flower Crafts. Paula, also the mayor, says young people would move to Alden if there was housing.

Bushton, pop. 199 - It was a blow when this town lost its school but they have rebounded and found some gumption to re-purpose the school in many ways that range from a library and senior center to a certified kitchen and food bank.

Chase, pop. 390 - There's a new energy rising in Chase as evidenced by the arched entrance sign and the new fire building for the volunteer fire department.

Geneseo, pop. 231 - Sometime it's just having something that puts you on the map. The Geneseo Museum does that with its display of local Doc Janzen's research and documentation of UFO's and extraterrestrial life.

Little River, pop. 474 - Likeability. From seeing volunteers (including kids) help unload the grocery truck to watching the camaraderie between the clerk and everyone who came into the post office, it's clear this town likes itself. Picture - bikes in front of a post office are a good sign.

Lyons, pop. 3,556 - One of Lyons industries is their salt mines. Creative minds have made it so that Lyons will have the World's Largest Salt Shaker and a mural depicting the story of salt in Lyons.

Raymond, pop. 85 - Yes, people in small towns have visions of what they could do to help the town. One person here wishes he could open a little convenience store since a county road goes right through the middle of town. It would help the town and give him something productive to do.

Sterling, pop. 2,318 - We loved this setting at Sterling College. It could be created in a green space in any community. See the fireplace on the far end? Great idea.



Scott City, pop. 4,096 - In a town that invests in itself, some assets are a new million dollar turf field at the high school football stadium and a hospital with an emergency room. A pharmacy and optometrist adjacent to the hospital add to the appeal of living here.

Neodesha, pop. 2,220 - The One Thing is shopping. Christy Springer's The Gingham Pig: A Meat Boutique is located at 1007 Main in Neodesha where the Springer Family can sell their pork directly to customers. Christy also has many gift and food items. It's very fun. When the pig is out, she's open! Sagebrush Mercantile, 710 Main, is another unique stop for antiques (especially cast-iron skillets), furniture, boutique clothing, gift items--and conversation. A floral shop, Blessed Blossoms, 510 Main, is a delightful place for a light lunch.

Fredonia, pop. 2,069 - Sometime a community just needs to laugh and play together. That's what will happen at the August 26 Fredonia Sausage Fest.

Altoona, pop. 351 - We found one person to talk to -- but it was one that has dreams of cleaning up the town and bringing some visible thrive-ability back to the town. They are rebuilding their school after a fire and they are home to the Prairie Nut Hut.

Buffalo, pop. 218 - Loneliness and social isolation is a major issue in small towns. The importance of even one person to be consistently available, like a post office clerk, is invaluable to a town. In Buffalo, that person is post office clerk Zina. She greets people, asks how they are doing, listens to stories and laughs at jokes. Every Tuesday, Buffalo has a community lunch pot luck at the senior center. They may not have businesses, but they have community.

Benedict, pop. 69 and Coyville, pop. 63 - We appreciate the people who visit with us as we learn about common issues in these smallest of towns.

New Albany, pop. 59 - A tornado and a flood took away the heart of New Albany in 2007 and 2009. The biggest loss was the post office because that's where people gathered, checked on each other, saw a familiar face. The church has a well attended chicken-and-noodle supper quarterly.