Quitman, MO calls it quits

[proud2BlibKansan]

QUITMAN, MO. -- A tiny northwest Missouri town that was the birthplace of a governor and home to one of the country's largest cattle ranches has ceased to officially exist after 150 years.

The Nodaway County Commission voted to disincorporate Quitman this month after a local resident asked for it. Green Township likely will take over responsibility for graveling the streets, but beyond that it's unclear how the move will affect the remaining residents.

Quitman, which had 45 residents in the 2010 census, quit collecting taxes in September because no one ran for any of the five board of trustees' positions.

The board already was down to three members before the April election, and then two of them died. The widow of one of the board members was the only remaining trustee and she moved away.

With no board to set a new tax rate, the tax came off the books in September, as required by state law. And no tax revenue, no town – the county commission's vote was a formality.


Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/11/17/3922191/tiny-northwest-missouri-town-calls.html#storylink=cpy

[dimbear]

1. Little towns all over the country are dying, and the explanation is the price of gas.

What might have been a cheap, pleasant drive in the country is a luxury now.

[bhikkhu]

2. Changes in agricultural methods would be the more obvious explanation

as from the beginnings of the westward expansion to about the 20's small farms used to dot the reasonably well-populated countryside. Farms have been getting bigger and bigger, and far fewer people are necessary to run them than used to be the case.

In the semi-rural area I live there are plenty of operating large farms and ranches, and a couple of dairies. I use the well-kept old country roads regularly bicycling. One thing I never have been able to get over is how empty it seems; you can go for miles and miles or all day and hardly see a soul. I know a bunch of farmers through my work, and the ones I have talked to all say how things have changed since they grew up. Basically, there were so many people before because there were so many jobs, but they were mostly miserable-hard work that paid little or nothing, whereas now machines do much of it.

Small towns are shrinking to nothing, but that's a variety of change that's been going on since the moldboard plow was popularized in the 11th century or so.

[Historic NY]

3. the real answer was no one was williing to step up to the plate...

they will push it off to others to help support them.