Anyone grow up in or now live in a really small town?

[CentexLion]

What is a 3/1/1 house?

3 bedroom. 1 bath. 1 car garage. Typical PA ranch home in 1960's

We ended up adding a second car garage and a concrete pad for the pop up trailer later. As a teenager, I ended up moving my bedroom to the unfinished basement. No windows, but cool in the summer and warm in the winter because of the Ben Franklin stove down there. When the bathroom was full (as it is most of the time with 5 in the house), I would run the 50 yards to my Grandparents outhouse. That came in handy a lot!

 

[Ranger Dan]

3 bedroom. 1 bath. 1 car garage. Typical PA ranch home in 1960's

We ended up adding a second car garage and a concrete pad for the pop up trailer later. As a teenager, I ended up moving my bedroom to the unfinished basement. No windows, but cool in the summer and warm in the winter because of the Ben Franklin stove down there. When the bathroom was full (as it is most of the time with 5 in the house), I would run the 50 yards to my Grandparents outhouse. That came in handy a lot!

That’s exactly what I grew up in, except a carport instead of a full garage... I never knew that it was called a 3/1/1 though. It makes perfect sense now that I know.

 

[RLCookie]

I was hunting in New Albany. I have been through Monroeton though.

Just around the corner. My family has property in Overton.

 

[RLCookie]

I was hunting in New Albany. I have been through Monroeton though.

What is your connection to Bradford county?

 

[nittany dave]

Whatever the population in Monaca may be today (versus your figure for sometime in the past) this 6 BILLION DOLLAR cracker plant alongside the Ohio river should provide a shot in the arm for the town of Monaca. In fact, it is likely to be the catalyst for a minor industrial renaissance in the region.

It's actually in Potter Township, a couple of miles away, but it's a Monaca mailing address.

 

[FHSPSU67]

I grew up in Gray, PA, population approx. 500

 

[PearlandLion]

Grew up in Muncy, PA (population -4,000) and lived for 16 years in Franklin, NC/Rabun Gap, GA (both smaller than Muncy). Live in the suburbs of Houston now and my burb (Pearland) is close to 150,000 and growing. I'm done with Smalltown USA.

 

[BoulderFish]

Grew up in Schuykill Haven pop was around 6000 as far as I know still around 6000

Nice! I did my first two Penn State years at the Schuylkill campus.

 

[BoulderFish]

Grew up in Muncy, PA (population -4,000) and lived for 16 years in Franklin, NC/Rabun Gap, GA (both smaller than Muncy). Live in the suburbs of Houston now and my burb (Pearland) is close to 150,000 and growing. I'm done with Smalltown USA.

I grew up near Elimsport, PA (Montgomery school district). I think Elimsport's population is still < 100 people.

 

[PSU.:.]

Born and raised in Wilkes Barre population 42,000
Lived in San Diego for 10 years pop. 1,400,000
Now I'm settled in Millville PA. pop. 920

 

[swordsman_l]

i was up in Bradford county this weekend turkey hunting and drove through so many tiny little towns. Thinking about the thread about the best penn State football player from your town. I was wondering who grew up or currently live in a small or really tiny town. Feel free to share your town name and population even if it’s Philly or Pittsburgh, but I think it will be more interesting to hear about the smaller towns.

I’ll go: Hummelstown PA (grew up) population as of 2016 is 4609

Interesting topic, but Hummelstown is nothing like those small towns in NW PA ( johnsonburg, Kane, st Mary's, Emporium, Ridgeway). I lived in hummelstown in the 1980s. It was really a seamless extension of Hershey. Used to hang at the Dawg in the shopping center.

 

[Rhino80]

I grew up in Red Rock , Pa (Ricketts Glenn State Park). Is a non existent town outside of a small town (Benton). Benton , of the Hughes Brothers and Zain Retherford fame.

 

[demlion]

Interesting topic, but Hummelstown is nothing like those small towns in NW PA ( johnsonburg, Kane, st Mary's, Emporium, Ridgeway). I lived in hummelstown in the 1980s. It was really a seamless extension of Hershey. Used to hang at the Dawg in the shopping center.

Haa! Agree. The difference between those NW PA towns and my town is, they were all big enough to have their own high schools, sometimes more than one.

My town was so small they built a HS between it and other towns. The usual name formula was something like "Kane Area High School." Ours was "Northern Area High School." We were named after a direction.

Those towns weren't the big city to me, but they were 5 times the size of my town.

 

[Rhino80]

Mine was Northwest Area HS

 

[transam2002]

Grew up in Muncy, PA (population -4,000) and lived for 16 years in Franklin, NC/Rabun Gap, GA (both smaller than Muncy). Live in the suburbs of Houston now and my burb (Pearland) is close to 150,000 and growing. I'm done with Smalltown USA.

Also grew up in Muncy, PA. Population ~2500 when I lived there. Now live near Jacksonville, FL. Population ~900,000.

 

[demlion]

Mine was Northwest Area HS

Finally, they renamed my HS for Dwight D. Eisenhower in the early 70s.

 

[Connorpozlee]

My family moved from Brooklyn, NY to a town on the Jersey shore. I grew up thinking I lived in a small town. Then I spent a couple years volunteering in Appalachia and married a woman from a MN town of 2000. Completely changed my view of what qualifies as a small town.
I must say that I love that people live in small towns and appreciated that lifestyle. Personally, I find myself feeling isolated and somewhat desperate when I am in the small towns. I need there to be some action going on around me, even if I’m not involved in it.

 

[Thorndike2012]

I grew up in Roaring Spring, Pa. About 10 miles SW of Altoona, in Blair County, near the Bedford County border. Population 1900 when I lived there.

The wife is from Clearfield, Pa. We met in State College and now live between Harrisburg and York.

 

[dalions81]

I grew up in Peckvile, PA. The population was around 6,000 and now well over 10,000.

 

[Ranger Dan]

Interesting topic, but Hummelstown is nothing like those small towns in NW PA ( johnsonburg, Kane, st Mary's, Emporium, Ridgeway). I lived in hummelstown in the 1980s. It was really a seamless extension of Hershey. Used to hang at the Dawg in the shopping center.

Yeah, I wasn't suggesting that Hummelstown was a tiny little town like those in the northern part of the state. Growing up there in the 70's, especially since I live between the RR tracks and the Swatara creek, it really had a small town feel.

 

[Ranger Dan]

I grew up in Red Rock , Pa (Ricketts Glenn State Park). Is a non existent town outside of a small town (Benton). Benton , of the Hughes Brothers and Zain Retherford fame.

I have family in Benton. My aunt lives near that burger and ice cream place called Mellanies Kold Kup (or something similar)

 

[Ranger Dan]

Born and raised in Wilkes Barre population 42,000
Lived in San Diego for 10 years pop. 1,400,000
Now I'm settled in Millville PA. pop. 920

I just drove through Millville yesterday on my way back home...

 

[bwifan]

Also grew up in Muncy, PA. Population ~2500 when I lived there. Now live near Jacksonville, FL. Population ~900,000.

Muncy Valley Inn had great steaks back in the 70s and 80s. Place was always busy

 

[Ranger Dan]

What is your connection to Bradford county?

My father in law has a hunting camp/family retreat there.

 

[Woodpecker]

Interesting topic, but Hummelstown is nothing like those small towns in NW PA ( johnsonburg, Kane, st Mary's, Emporium, Ridgeway). I lived in hummelstown in the 1980s. It was really a seamless extension of Hershey. Used to hang at the Dawg in the shopping center.

I would occasionally go to the Dawg back then - probably saw you there.

 

[gamblepsu]

In between Myerstown/Schaefferstown/ Richland area. Doesnt qualify as a town. Population: maybe 40?

Sounds like Reistville? Nice back way to Reading Area for me....

What this does bring to mind though is the apparent quest for the US Postal service (i have to blame it on someone) to get rid of neighborhood/village areas and lump everything in with the closest city. I have a Lebanon Address but i'm not really close to the town at all... but if I say I live in Iona even the new residents will look at me strange... (I'm not the old either!)

Harrisburg does this even worse.... why do people who live in say Colonial Park, say (Even to locals) that they live in Harrisburg.... drives me crazy sometimes....

 

[demlion]

My family moved from Brooklyn, NY to a town on the Jersey shore. I grew up thinking I lived in a small town. Then I spent a couple years volunteering in Appalachia and married a woman from a MN town of 2000. Completely changed my view of what qualifies as a small town.
I must say that I love that people live in small towns and appreciated that lifestyle. Personally, I find myself feeling isolated and somewhat desperate when I am in the small towns. I need there to be some action going on around me, even if I’m not involved in it.

I answered this thread saying i now live IN a small town, but that's not really true. I live 5 miles outside of town. Nearest neighbor is a quarter mile away through the woods.

Im not a big fan of crowds. Even PSU FB games are not something I would do more than once or twice a year.

We have a saying out here: "Town is for supplies."

 

[Aardvark86]

i was up in Bradford county this weekend turkey hunting and drove through so many tiny little towns. Thinking about the thread about the best penn State football player from your town. I was wondering who grew up or currently live in a small or really tiny town. Feel free to share your town name and population even if it’s Philly or Pittsburgh, but I think it will be more interesting to hear about the smaller towns.

I’ll go: Hummelstown PA (grew up) population as of 2016 is 4609

When I go home to pa to visit I can’t help but wonder what is going to become of some of the small towns given aging population etc.

 

[werpsu29]

Grew up in Birmingham, Pa (Huntingdon County)...population was maybe 100, not including Grier School.

 

[wbcincy]

I lived a lot of places, but my most formative years were spent in two Mifflin County towns, Reedsville with a population of 641, and Belleville with a pop of about 1400. Belleville must just be larger geographically because Reedsville felt more populated.

 

[Connorpozlee]

I answered this thread saying i now live IN a small town, but that's not really true. I live 5 miles outside of town. Nearest neighbor is a quarter mile away through the woods.

Im not a big fan of crowds. Even PSU FB games are not something I would do more than once or twice a year.

We have a saying out here: "Town is for supplies."

I get it. Everybody is different and is drawn to different styles of living. As I said I grew up in Jersey, an hour train ride into NYC that we would make on occasion. Then I made the trip with my wife (then girlfriend from the town of 2000) and she completely freaked out over the city. She got so freaked out being there that I got a bit freaked out and we had to head out sooner than expected. It never occurred to me just how big of a culture shock NYC could be if you were unfamiliar with it.

 

[transam2002]

Muncy Valley Inn had great steaks back in the 70s and 80s. Place was always busy

Spent a lot of time in Muncy Valley in the younger years. Lived in Muncy and my parents owned a small country store right next to the Inn. Good times!

 

[sluggo72]

Nice! I did my first two Penn State years at the Schuylkill campus.

I am pretty sure 'Ro tells me the same thing!, were you class mates?

 

[marshall23]

Mine was Northwest Area HS

I think we played NW in football at Southern. Used to be Neskapeck sp.?

 

[Player2BNamedL8r]

Grew up in Monaca, PA. Population used to be 7,000 - 8,000.

Too bad the district consolidated with Center. I grew up in Beaver Co. as well (Freedom HS) and the Monaca/Rochester games were legendary - not sure if rivalries like that exist anymore.

As for me....I grew up in a TOWNSHIP, meaning it was so small that they couldn’t even commit to “town” status (and because it was rural...not a single stop light).

 

[MtNittany]

Anyone grow up in Leilani Estates? It's getting smaller...

 

[royboy]

Too bad the district consolidated with Center. I grew up in Beaver Co. as well (Freedom HS) and the Monaca/Rochester games were legendary - not sure if rivalries like that exist anymore.

As for me....I grew up in a TOWNSHIP, meaning it was so small that they couldn’t even commit to “town” status (and because it was rural...not a single stop light).

speaking of small towns and Beaver Co., what became of Midland High School?
I assume they consolidated with someone?
Their championship basketball team in the 1960's was amazing

 

[olelion]

Grew up in Wilmerding, Pa. Growing up the population was about 5K. Now it might be less than 2K. Also lived in small mining towns throughout the years in PA, NY, Australia and Wyoming

 

[Steviedpsu]

Lived in Erie until I was 10, Moved to Wyalusing, PA, home of Ethan Kilmer! Not sure what the population was, but we did have 1 traffic light! Now I live outside of Bloomsburg PA and work in Millville PA. Lots of small towns there. My wife is from a small town in Sullivan County so after we were married it was funny living in Lansdale PA for five years!

 

[phillybillyreprise]

I grew up in RD# 2 Columbia, PA, population @10,000. I went to Hempfield High School in Landisville, PA, population @2,000. There are many great memories of a rural childhood. In 1970, I moved to Philadelphia and have been in the City ever since. When I go back to visit, I am glad to be heading back to Philadelphia.