A Century of Change: Vintage Photos Reveal Life in America's Small Towns

Photographs from the early 20th century capture a different America: brick-paved main streets, horse-drawn carriages sharing roads with early automobiles, local manufacturers, and tightly knit communities built around single industries. Over the last century many of those towns were reshaped by economic change—mining booms and busts, the mid-century decline of local industry, and later reinvention as historic or tourist destinations.

Below are highlights from a selection of small towns whose vintage images help tell the story of growth, decline and revival across rural America.

Oatman, Arizona: Born of a gold strike in the early 1900s, Oatman and nearby Gold Road were major producers through the 1940s. Once home to more than 10,000 people, the town’s population fell dramatically; the 2020 census recorded about 102 residents. Today Oatman survives as a "lively ghost town" with preserved storefronts, roaming burros and living-history performers.

Manning, Iowa: Founded in 1881 and named for O. H. Manning, this small town’s Main Street was a dirt road until it was paved in 1915. The town remains small—roughly two miles by two miles—with a strong sense of local history tied to early 20th-century improvements like that paving project.

Eastman, Wisconsin: Established in 1855 and named for Rep. Ben C. Eastman, the town’s 1920 power plant was a modest structure that resembled a residence rather than an industrial facility. Eastman recorded about 350 residents in the 2020 census.

Normal, Nebraska: In the early 1900s the local state bank occupied a building smaller than a typical house. Normal was annexed in 1919 and later became part of nearby Lincoln, reflecting the changes small communities often experienced when adjacent cities expanded.

Hermosa, South Dakota: In 1927 the town’s entire population—84 residents—gathered to see President Calvin Coolidge during his visit to the Black Hills. The trip illustrated efforts at the time to connect rural communities with national leaders and emerging communication networks.

Boothbay Harbor, Maine: A 1910 photograph shows a town baseball game, a reminder of small-town leisure and community life. Incorporated in the late 19th century, Boothbay Harbor grew as a trading and shipbuilding center and now depends on boat manufacturing, fishing and tourism.

Cordell, Oklahoma: A 1920 image shows two locals beside a sign urging drivers to slow down. Cordell emerged around a late-19th-century general store and post office and carries the history of settlement on land once belonging to Indigenous nations.

Manhattan, Nevada: After gold was discovered in 1905, the town swelled rapidly—within a year as many as 4,000 people lived there. Today Manhattan’s population is a fraction of that peak, and many residents describe it as a "living ghost town."

Bannack, Montana: Another product of a gold rush, Bannack flourished for decades before losing most of its population by the 1930s. By the 1940s the school closed for lack of students; the site is now preserved as part of a state park with many original buildings remaining as historical artifacts.

Bonners Ferry, Idaho: Founded after mid-19th-century gold discoveries, the town was photographed in 1926 during its more prosperous years. With a population of roughly 2,500 today, Bonners Ferry has invested in a revitalized downtown to attract visitors.

Dayton, Tennessee: The town gained national attention in 1925 with the Scopes Trial, in which biology teacher John T. Scopes was prosecuted for teaching evolution. The trial highlighted cultural tensions that resonated far beyond this small community.

Hugo, Oregon: Hugo High School, pictured in 1926, served local students for more than five decades before closing in 1967—an example of how rural school consolidation and population shifts changed small-town life in mid-century America.

Fleischmanns, New York: A summer retreat for city dwellers, Fleischmanns grew as hotels and guest houses catered to New Yorkers escaping summer heat. Such seasonal economies helped sustain many small towns in the region.

Provincetown, Massachusetts: Long a fishing and whaling community, Provincetown became an artistic center in the early 20th century with the founding of a local art association and museum. It is also known for its place in early American colonial history as a Mayflower landing site.

Crossett, Arkansas, and Stillwater, Minnesota: Both towns grew around lumber operations and river access. Crossett’s 1920s lumber industry and Stillwater’s raft-assembly and timber connections helped shape regional economies; Stillwater later gained recognition for its scenic charm.

Holy City, California: Founded in 1919 by William E. Riker, later described as a cult leader and white supremacist, Holy City was built as a roadside attraction and commune. Over time it deteriorated after fires, neglect and the construction of highways that bypassed it; the site later changed hands among private owners.

Taos, New Mexico: The Taos Pueblo’s ancestry stretches back centuries; archaeologists estimate that ancestors of the Taos Pueblo built dwellings and ceremonial structures as early as 1000 AD. The pueblo’s living history offers a direct link between contemporary communities and long-standing Indigenous cultures.

Wrangell, Alaska: Long inhabited by the Tlingit people, Wrangell came into broader contact with outsiders in the early 1800s. Over time it was claimed or governed by multiple powers—reflecting the layered colonial and Indigenous history of the region.

South Pass City, Wyoming: Once a gold-mining boomtown, South Pass City was later abandoned and is now preserved as a historic site with more than 20 restored buildings open to visitors, offering a vivid window into the mining era.

These images and stories show how small American towns evolved—booming on single industries, shrinking when those industries declined, and sometimes reinventing themselves as tourist attractions or cultural sites. They also highlight the resilience of local communities and the many forces—economic, social and geographic—that shape rural life.