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Here's the link to a thread I started in the Colorado Forum 10 years ago and just revived. If you've got a heart & soul for rural living and are looking for a place for you and yours, check it out:
Hmm, not sure why that link stopped working. Thanks for the help, k7baixo. The original link points toward the last page of the thread and my most recent update. Just relinked and it seems to be working fine now.
When you go to CD in your link, it makes one wonder why someone would want to move to a poverty ridden tiny town with no advantages, closest sources of shopping for basics 50 miles, that is losing population not growing and prospering. No potential for a decent paying job.
Both of these Comments sadden me. Many towns like Branson, Colorado, have dried up and blown away in the face of declining population, yet this tiny enclave is still here. As elders are passing, there is room for new people with new ideas for the future. Different people enjoy different lifestyles. Cycles ebb and flow, and there are hidden jewels to be found by those with a sense of exploration, curiosity, and adventure. No need to harshly judge a place simply because it's not your flavor. I am quite certain that wikipedia's input is far less authentic and up-to-date than what I have shared over the years in my original post. Living over a decade in Branson has enriched my life in untold ways.
1: How to earn enough to support yourself, and or a family, when median income is just over half of national average. Who wants to move to where they will live in poverty if they can even find a job.
I live in a small town of 2,000 people, and median income is above both the national average and state average 50 miles from a larger city.
If I was young and with my family of 7, why would I even consider moving there?
Now elderly and need to be near good medical services again you are ruled out.
Taking the visual tour of Branson, it shows to be a dead town, just waiting for burial.
Tell us why a young educated family which is average today, would want to live in Branson Colorado? What would be the advantages.
Last edited by oldtrader; 03-21-2021 at 02:13 AM..
Some people yearn for peace and quiet and safety, and a locale where the natural environment overshadows the built environment. They would prefer to wake up to birdsong and gorgeous sunrises rather than the crush of city commutes. Some folks may want to move to this region to be closer to family -- or perhaps further away from them. It's true that some people have a laundry list/rubric of what they want a place to provide for them -- yet others may be more interested in what they might be able to contribute. When the U.S. westward migration began, a lot of people stayed in Boston or Virginia, or Massachusetts, while others headed for new, unknown vistas and discovered something about their own lives.
Some people like the lack of pretension in a place like Branson. People already living in a rural setting know that even if you don't really like your neighbors, you know they'll show up if you need them. You know that if your animals get out, someone will let you know. If your outbuilding catches on fire and you're not around, the volunteer Fire Dept plus a few others will save your property.
Some people want a change, a new life direction -- and maybe they have more ideas and dreams than they have buckets of cash. Maybe they want their children to learn about the ag life, and enjoy the energy of 4-H and FFA and the County Fair and a week of Vacation Bible School in the summer. Maybe the thought of cycling into neighboring New Mexico amidst beautiful vistas is something that appeals. Maybe they like the thought of getting grass-fed beef or eggs from their neighbors.
Our Branson website states clearly that Branson isn't for everyone. If you're only reading this thread, and not the main CO forum it points to, it may be worth a visit. In my experience, no one really gets persuaded or talked into relocating to Branson. It's more likely that they've got an itch for something that just might be found out here where the plains meet the mesas.
I'm not dissing your questions because they carry some truth. However, there is a quality of life that exists here, plus room to grow. It may surprise you that Branson is home to a Princeton University graduate, as well as graduates of The George Washington University and Georgetown University in Washington, DC, who could live anywhere and yet here they are, drawn by family history or serendipity or the desire for something different.
Two or three new contributing households could make a real difference to the future of this town...
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Having spent 30 yrs in CO (from town of population (5)) and many jobs / family, time on the eastern plains (during era of Cattle Mutilations).... and worked in Economic Development for USDA Rural Development, and bought and sold commercial buildings in small rural towns... I would have to take up Spain or Italy on the FREE villages they offer, if I were to resurrect a small town. USA just won't cut it for me (medical expenses can bankrupt you).
I do have a passion and heritage for prairie pioneers (150th anniversary of our homestead last yr).
Looks like you have a 'corner' bank building (angled door front)
Been trying to convince spouse to let me restore Denmark, KS (abandoned sandstone community with NICE bank building!, and entire main street (but no roofs)). No dice... "You will be VERY lonely there..."
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(angled door front)
