Roads Less Traveled
A commentary on rural communities

A small, quiet street is shadowed by rows of trees whose branches stretch almost lazily over the sidewalks and streets. A rustle of wind sends leaves rippling down the street, while in front of a Victorian-looking home a child plays in the yard.

Presently, unless we have lived in small/rural towns, the traditional picture held of small town America can be considered as one gradually fading. The bandstands still stand in the park and the gazebo-like structure still host to local musicians or speech makers. Often times it is a paradox of ideal living and simpler times, struggling to keep its voice and heritage intact in the face of what has been termed “progress”. Exactly what a small/rural community is, many don’t know, or at best are unclear on. The Federal definitions are inconsistent and vague (by frank admission of the Census Bureau) so in a sense, the State definitions of small/rural counties will also vary as well.

The rural community offers much to the traveler, for often they are indeed the road less traveled. While in the age of the internet, there is much information at our fingertips, it become irrelevant in the presence of a rural community because it loses the experiential aspects of living it. In the larger communities the experience is different, often isolating a person in the midst of a crowd and swallowing the individuality, as well as suffering more loss of history or at the very least making it less accessible.

I can read about Sutter’s Mill, but to actually walk in the community Sutter’s Mill originated from gives one a much different sense of a living history. The two lane road cutting through the heart of Sutter’s Mill, offers a portal into the past as historic buildings stand on either side. An old Oriental Apothecary Shop, a blacksmiths shop etc. are all reminders this is living history cherished by the community.

Reading Twain’s beloved Jumping Frog of Calaveras County takes on a deeper sense of appreciation when one is able to actually be there, in the center of history. The city of Marysville, California, upon entering the town from Highway 70, welcomes all to the Gateway to the Gold Fields. This indeed is not an empty boast, for not far from there are the rivers where water commerce was once common, and those curious enough can still hear the echoes of the Gold Rush.

Northeast on Highway 20 and then into the foothills, there is a touch of the folkloric Gentleman Bandit, and historic houses and sites announce themselves in brown painted signs with yellow lettering. Higher up in the sleepy community of Dobbins, an old school house has been converted into a Country Store next to the Grange Hall.

One of the most important aspects of the rural towns is that the sense of history and community are fluid; flowing into one another and serving as a strong undercurrent for the people living there. The line between the past and present becomes a little more blurred, and history asserts itself more strongly and is harder to push aside.

In one Marysville street, a building once a Western “Social Club” now serves as a meeting place for the Jewish community, and stands across from several old buildings from the vintage Gold Rush era. The Social Club itself stands next to a small vacant lot on one side, and modern buildings on the other.

Inherent in all of this, there are some strong characteristics embedded in the community. A strong sense of individualism, especially in the agricultural communities can be seen, as well as felt. The more visible agriculture such as orchards demands a strong sense of rugged individualism, despite the presence of the more industrialized. The interdependence between the larger companies and the local farms and orchards is obvious, for should either fail, the other will suffer.

However, this interdependence is what makes the rural community stronger, for it maintains a historic link with a vital aspect of the rural areas: knowing the true value of community resources, which many of the big cities have lost. A business shutting down in Los Angeles will have much less a comparative impact than a company which closes in Marysville, or nearby Colusa or Glenn County, and the presence of a new company while welcomed or encouraged, will have to contend with the question of their presence possibly impacting the community in maintaining its sense of identity.

Another enjoyable aspect of the historic rural community is the ethnic history is more observable. Yuba City, California, affectionately called “Little Punjab” denoting the strong presence Sikh and other Indian populations, provides connections to not only the Gold Fields, but the Railroads as well. It was with great delight I learned from a Sikh acquaintance some of the culture history via a book of old photographs of Indian railroad workers. Two large Sikh Temples and a festival which closes many streets for at least two days, establishes a historic, spiritual and economic tie to their rural community, often providing a community network within a community network.

In the Dobbins/Oregon House communities in Northern California, one will find a significant community of members originating from the Slavic and Russian countries. A book of Russian Fairy Tales captured my interest in the local thrift store, but alas I could not read the language, so I set the book aside. While waiting in line at another store in the area, it has become commonplace for me to hear conversations in Slavic languages and/or Russian. This particular community is not as visible, or at least as noticeable to those not of the culture, but the strong network is there and it is obvious from the interactions with the community members at large they feel a sense of contentment. One has to wonder in a non-rural community if the same sense of connectedness would be present, or less filled with anxiety. These communities are a wealth of information and resources, for those open and determined enough to find them.

Culturally enriching as well as historically enriching are important attributes which provide a lure to travel the rural areas of Northern California. To be able to walk the path of history, either as an individual or as a parent who strives to instill a sense of history and community in their own children, one can not deny the impact of walking down Columbia’s streets with frontier buildings on either side, or in downtown Biggs, CA where an old vacant hotel from the pasts sits, waiting to be restored to its former glory.

Past Dobbins, a traveler will find themselves deeper into the mountains, where oak trees give way to pines, and the American River points the way to the old forty-niner’s trail, now designated as Highway 49, which leads into Grass Valley, Nevada City and Auburn. Farther North yet, we find the Yuba River rushing along, with cabins and cottages dotted along the riverside and soon we come to Sierra county line, where the town of Lyons awaits us. Again, the historical ties are clearly visible.

All along the way, the most valuable resource has been the people. Folks who welcome and wave at you with all of their fingers, with smiles on their faces, and where a door is still held open for you. People who are all too willing to help with directions or information on places to see, resources to find, and local history or folklore to impart. It is all done with a smile and openness which is void in the bigger cities. A group of people gathered outside a local grocery store linger because they wish to talk with each other and pass the time, because that is just the way things are there and nothing nefarious is attached. Often times in these small towns, community equates to family ─ either by blood ties or more extended connections.

The rural towns are an adventurer’s best friend, for they hold a wealth of experience one will not find anywhere else. They are a treasure trove whose sparkle comes not from blinking neon lights, or the hustle and bustle of people crammed together in the midst of noise and activity. No indeed, the treasures of the rural community lie in an old out of the way store, or a two-story hotel which has it’s own story to tell, should one stop long enough to listen.

One has to wonder at the most famous lines of the poet Robert Frost, and speculate if his footsteps can be heard in these special places where the past still lives.

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
 

Submitted by:

Harold Curtis
Staff Writer
Travel With Humor

When life hands you lemons... throw 'em back!