Try Small Town Life

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Small towns like Savana, IL and small town life thrive on the banks of the majestic Mississippi River. —an important artery in the transportation of America's industrial and agricultural products.
Small towns like Savana, IL and small town life thrive on the banks of the majestic Mississippi River. —an important artery in the transportation of America's industrial and agricultural products.
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Our son Matthew constructs a log fort with deadwood scavenged from the nearby forest.
Our son Matthew constructs a log fort with deadwood scavenged from the nearby forest.
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Outdoor play in the fields and woods surrounding our home has opened up whole new worlds to our
Outdoor play in the fields and woods surrounding our home has opened up whole new worlds to our "city" children in all seasons.
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A visit to the neighbor's pony
A visit to the neighbor's pony "Prince" is always a thrill for our daughter Elisabeth.
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Though we only have a small garden, there are many productive farms around Savanna that are good sources of inexpensive (and high quality!) food. This farmer still trims his hillside pastures with a horse-drawn mower.
Though we only have a small garden, there are many productive farms around Savanna that are good sources of inexpensive (and high quality!) food. This farmer still trims his hillside pastures with a horse-drawn mower.

The crowds and smog around our city home finally got to us, and my wife Pat and I were eager to head for clean air and the country life. We weren’t, however, sure that we wanted to live in seclusion or that we would be happy without such amenities as electricity or indoor plumbing. So, instead of heading “back to the land,” we decided to settle in a small town. There we found that small town life and the old-fashioned, easygoing village lifestyle was everything we could have hoped for!

Good Livin’ in a Small Community

The state of our family finances made it necessary for me to find employment in our new home before we attempted to move. It didn’t take long, however, for me to discover that there was an editorial job open at a local newspaper in Savanna, Illinois. And that was all the encouragement that Pat and I needed. We packed up our three children and headed for the small (Savanna’s population is about 5,000) village on the banks of the Mississippi River!

In a very short time Pat and I were settled into the community. We found an inexpensive old house to rent (such homes are usually available in small, non-industrialized towns), and–after another year of searching–were able to locate our “dream home” and buy it.

We were glad to discover that housing costs are less in villages, too. For $6,888 (a “good buy,” even in 1964!) we got a completely furnished wood frame home on top of the highest bluff in Savanna. Our 30-by 35-foot back lot was soon converted into a garden. The woods surrounded us on every side. We found that deer, ‘possum, rabbits, and so forth could be seen every day, often by simply looking out of a window. And we hung a feeder, our yard was filled with birds all year long. (Once we even caught sight of a bald eagle, and later discovered that this endangered bird still nests along parts of the Mississippi.)

  • Published on Mar 1, 1979
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