small towns

Having lived in Red Lake Falls for much of my life, it has been sad to see the little town whither away.  When I was in elementary school, I can recall a clothing store, two supermarkets, a laundry mat, an arcade (Who's on Main - hard to forget that one since I spent every summer day there), several cafes, a large department store (good old Eckstein's which - if I recall correctly - consumed most of what is now Park Place Mall when it was called "Peppermint Square") and so on.

Now, there are just a hand full of businesses.

When I see thriving small towns like Fertile, here is a good post on just how many stores and little shops it has, or even Fosston, I wonder what is the reason for the downturn in RLF.  Maybe it was that they wanted to try and develop a swamp for housing (and name the street that runs through it "Reynolds" - thank you very much!) or what.  But it's a shame.  It is one of the most beautiful small towns you'll ever see.  It is a great spot for people to live (the housing market is a fraction of what it is in TRF), yet there just isn't a lot there.