>>>I believe there are bits of Mayberry everywhere in this great >>>country...because there are bits of "Mayberry" in many of us!<<<
Greg, that was well said! I agree. Your comments about your hometown and current town remind me of my two hometowns. (I say two because I grew up close to both of them. I went to elementary school in one town and to junior high and high school in the other.) Clay City, Indiana, has called itself "The Mayberry of the Midwest" for a number of years now (and they came up with that name before New Castle, Indiana, started their "Mayberry in the Midwest" events). You'll see that name on every sign leading into town. The town has a Mayberry squad car (not completely authentic, but close) that they used to drive in many area parades. You can usually find it sitting at the visitor's center, which is a restored old-time gas station in the middle of town. A husband and wife in town dress up as Barney and Thelma Lou and used to drive the squad car. I know they've also been to different Mayberry events (if they're not on the digest, I'd be surprised). There's the Mayberry Malt Shoppe, which is open in the warmer months of the year. And the local A&W used to have a number of Mayberry pictures on display, but I haven't been there in some time so I don't know if they still have them. Overall, the town has really embraced its Mayberry image. The town is quite small (under 1,000, I think) but is still thriving. They still have their own high school, which is unusual for a town so small, but they fought years ago to keep it. They have two banks, two car dealerships, a library, a drug store, a grocery store, a couple of gas stations, many other businesses, and lots of churches. There are several good eateries in town, and a new one will be opening shortly--a BBQ and bakery that is sure to have excellent food. The town also has a pottery, which I believe is the oldest continuously operating pottery in the state. Clay City also still has a township 4-H fair each summer, one of very few remaining township fairs in the state (maybe the only one?). There are a few concessions to change--the A&W is one, and there is now a Dollar General on the edge of town. But, really, very little has changed since I was a kid. Clay City is a nice town with a number of attractive and well-maintained homes. It's a friendly town and a good place to raise a family. Yes, it really is like Mayberry in many ways. My "other" home town is Coal City, just a few miles down the road from Clay City. It has declined much more over the years due to the school being taken away when I was a kid and is not much more than a spot in the road now. But several years ago, an artistic lady in town created a couple of welcome signs reading "Coal City -- 167 Happy People and One Old Grouch." That's what reminded me of the town Greg mentioned. This idea really caught hold, and when the town started doing an annual festival, they had a contest for that year's Old Grouch, who was also the parade marshal. That was a big hit, so they continue to have the Old Grouch contest every year. The designated Grouch rides in the parade on a float with his "Grumpy Court" (the runners-up). A few years ago, after Clay City had had its Mayberry theme for awhile, somebody added a plank to the Coal City sign that read "The Mt. Pilot of the Midwest." Anyway, as Greg said, there are many towns across our land that exhibit those qualities we are so fond of from Mayberry. And we are so much the better for it! Thelma Lou (Janet) _______________________________________________ WBMUTBB mailing list [email protected] http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
