Skip to content
Our Towns
DONATE
  • Latest
  • Towns
        • AJO, AZ
        • Allentown, PA
        • Angola, IN
        • Asheville, NC
        • Bend, OR
        • Birmingham, AL
        • Boulder, CO
        • Brownsville, TX
        • Bucksport, ME
        • Burlington, VT
        • Castine, ME
        • Charleston, WV
        • Chautauqua, NY
        • Chester, MT
        • Chicago, IL
        • Coeur D'Alene, ID
        • Columbus, MS
        • Columbus, OH
        • Danville, VA
        • Dayton, OH
        • De Smet, SD
        • Demopolis, AL
        • Dodge City, KS
        • Duluth, MN
        • Eastport, ME
        • Erie, PA
        • Fort Wayne, In
        • Fresno, CA
        • Garden City, KS
        • Greenville, SC
        • Guymon, OK
        • Harvard, MA
        • Hattiesburg, MS
        • Holland, MI
        • Houston, TX
        • Indianapolis, IN
        • Jackson, MS
        • Los Angeles, CA
        • Louisville, KY
        • Memphis, TN
        • Muncie, IN
        • Nashville, TN
        • New York, NY
        • Pensacola, FL
        • Pittsburgh, PA
        • Provincetown, MA
        • Rapid City, SD
        • Redlands, CA
        • Riverside, CA
        • San Bernardino, CA
        • San Diego, CA
        • Shanghai, China
        • Sioux Falls, SD
        • South Bend, IN
        • Spearville, KS
        • St. Marys, GA
        • Tampa, FL
        • Toccoa, GA
        • Toledo, OH
        • Vermilion, OH
        • Washington, DC
        • West Point, MS
        • Winston-Salem, NC
        • Winters, CA
  • Topics
        • Communities That Work
        • Reports From America
        • Economic & Business Development
          • Entrepreneurs & Makers
        • Local Institutions
          • YMCAs & Community Centers
          • Faith Institutions & Organizations
          • Museums & Galleries
          • Libraries
        • Civic Life
          • Immigrants & Refugees
          • Town History & Story
          • The People
          • Leaders & Governance
            • Mayors
            • Citizen Engagement
            • Local Heroes
            • National v Local
        • Arts
          • Public Art
          • Art in Economy
          • Role of Artists
          • Entertainment
        • Education
          • K-12
          • High Schools
          • Skilled Technical Training
          • Community Colleges
          • Universities
        • Rural & Regional
        • Parks, Rec & Fun
          • Parks & Recreation
          • Beer
          • Language
          • Shopping
          • Flying / Aviation
        • Environment & Sustainability
          • Trails
          • Energy
          • Water
          • Transportation
          • Climate
        • Health
          • Health Clinics
          • Pandemic
          • Feeding the Community
        • Big Little Ideas
        • New Old Ideas
        • How-To Models
          • Build Local Economy
          • Support Rural Communities
          • Build Regional Solutions
          • Bridge Civic Gaps
          • Solve Social Problems
          • Involve Artists
          • Apply lessons from around the world
        • From the Readers
        • Eat Sleep Drink
        • Journalism & Civic News
        • Main Street & Downtown
          • Entrepreneurs & Makers
          • Collaborations & Partnerships
          • Tourism
          • Food & Drink
          • Invention & Renewal
          • Small Business
  • News
        • Press
        • Videos
        • Events
        • Newsletters
        • Our Towns, The HBO Documentary
        • Podcasts
  • About
  • Connect
  • Latest
  • Towns
  • Topics
  • News
  • About
  • Connect
  • Work with Us
    • A-F
    • G-O
    • P-Z
    • AJO, AZ
    • Allentown, Az
    • Angola, IN
    • Asheville, NC
    • Bend, OR
    • Birmingham, AL
    • Boulder, CO
    • Brownsville, TX
    • Burlington, VT
    • Castine, ME
    • Charleston, WV
    • Chautauqua, NY
    • Chester, MT
    • Chicago, IL
    • Coeur D'Alene, ID
    • Columbus, MS
    • Columbus, OH
    • Danville, VA
    • Dayton, OH
    • Demopolis, AL
    • Dodge City, KS
    • Duluth, MN
    • Eastport, ME
    • Erie, PA
    • Fort Wayne, In
    • Fresno, CA
    • Garden City, KS
    • Greenville, SC
    • Guymon, OK
    • Harvard, MA
    • Hattiesburg, MS
    • Holland, MI
    • Houston, TX
    • Indianapolis, IN
    • Jackson, MS
    • Los Angeles, CA
    • Louisville, KY
    • Memphis, TN
    • Muncie, IN
    • Nashville, TN
    • New York, NY
    • Pittsburgh, PA
    • Provincetown, MA
    • Rapid City, SD
    • Redlands, CA
    • Riverside, CA
    • San Bernardino, CA
    • San Diego, CA
    • Shanghai, China
    • Sioux Falls, SD
    • South Bend, IN
    • Spearville, KS
    • St. Marys, GA
    • Tampa, FL
    • Toccoa, GA
    • Uncertain, TX
    • Vermilion, OH
    • Washington, DC
    • West Point, MS
    • Winston-Salem, NC
    • Winters, CA
    • Communities That Work
    • Reports From America
    • Economic and Business Development
    • Leaders and Governance
    • Health
    • Civic Life
    • Arts
    • Education
    • Rural and Regional
    • Parks, Rec, and Fun
    • Local Institutions
    • Environment and Sustainability
    • Big Little Ideas
    • New Old Ideas
    • How-To Models
    • From The Readers
    • Main Street & Downtown
    • Entrepreneurs & Makers
    • Collaborations & Partnerships
    • Tourism
    • Food & Drink
    • Invention & Renewal
    • Small Business
    • Mayors
    • Citizen Engagement
    • Local Heroes
    • National v Local
    • Health Clinics
    • Pandemic
    • Feeding the Community
    • Immigrants & Refugees
    • Town History & Story
    • The People
    • Public Art
    • Art in Economy
    • Role of Artists
    • Entertainment
    • K-12
    • High Schools
    • Skilled Technical Training
    • Community Colleges
    • Universities
    • Parks & Recreation
    • Eat Sleep Drink
    • Beer
    • Language
    • Shopping
    • Flying / Aviation
    • Libraries
    • Museums & Galleries
    • YMCAs & Community Centers
    • Faith Institutions & Organizations
    • Journalism & Civic News
    • Trails
    • Energy
    • Water
    • Transportation
    • Climate
    • Build Local Economy
    • Support Rural Communities
    • Build Regional Solutions
    • Bridge Civic Gaps
    • Solve Social Problems
    • Involve Artists
    • Apply lessons from around the world
    • Press
    • Videos
    • Newsletters
    • Podcasts
    • Events
    • Our Towns, The HBO Documentary

          SPEARVILLE, KS

          Economic & Business Development

          What the Renewable-Energy Economy Looks Like

          Another gigantic turbine blade is delivered in Spearville, Kansas Nicolas Pollock / The Atlantic At its peak, nearly one century ago in 1920, the coal-mining industry employed nearly 800,000 people in the United States. Decade by decade, as America’s population has swelled and its economy has grown, and as total coal output as also increased, employment […]

          Economic & Business Development

          What Rural Economies Look Like From Above

          In Kansas, the advent of an energy industry is inscribing itself on the physical landscape, adding wind farms to wheat farms.

          Leaders & Governance

          A Note About Trumpism, From the ‘Real America’

          Mayor Kevin Heeke of Spearville, Kansas (far left), with Atlantic interview and video team yesterday (Deborah Fallows) For the past week my wife Deb and I have been in western Kansas — Dodge City mainly, also Garden City, briefly Spearville. There will be a lot more to report in coming days on the economic, cultural, and political […]

          • 0
            Twitter
          • 0
            Linkedin
          • 0
            Email

          STAY CONNECTED

          Receive news and updates

          This is the site of the Our Towns Civic Foundation, dedicated to connecting innovators, reformers, civic-patriots, and dreamers across America. The reports here are based on travels and interviews over the past decade by Deborah and James Fallows. The ongoing accounts will emphasize local voices on how communities are adjusting to the economic, environmental, and technological opportunities and challenges of the era.

          Copyright © 2022 Our Towns - All Rights Reserved

          Privacy Policy

          Follow us on

          twitter logo in light blue youtube icon in light blue Instagram icon in light blue