Small Town USA: Struggling to Survive

I was struck by the grandiosity of people’s dreams, at least as reflected in the names that some small-towners give their businesses. Donut Palace has a nice ring to it—inspiring thoughts of wealth and royalty (note the crowns). Unfortunately, like so many others, this business didn’t make it.

Some small towns are located close to a city, and they receive the city's spillover. A few possess a rare treasure—some unique historical event or a natural attraction--that draws visitors with money to spend . Most of the others, though, are drying up, left in a time warp as history shifts around them . This photo essay tells the story.