4/23/15 Week 13 Day 2

For our final trip, we visited the small town of Philo just outside of Urbana-Champaign. It rests on the intersection of a highway and a railroad so that it can transport its goods. It is home to a water tower proudly referred to as "The Center of the Universe."

The Center of the Universe

I grew up in a small town very much like Philo, except it is a mining town. To live in such a town feels like you are an island of civilization in a sea of fields. The nearest large stores can be fifteen minutes away. This why in small towns such as these, a Casey's General Store and gas station is very common.

 

The post office in Philo, unlike those in some larger cities, does not give off the same "strong, sturdy" feeling that government buildings often do. It serves its purpose and no more.

Schools in small towns can become centers for socialization, not only for the children but for the parents. In such tight-knit communities, the mothers and fathers if children in the same grade can become close and often help each other to look after the kids when needed. You know what they say: "it takes a village."

The churches of a small town are another gathering place for the community, occasionally hosting large dinners (called "Harvest Feasts" in my town.)
I personally have never been to a church, but even I felt their presence in the community and saw the effect it had.

Out on the edge of Philo is small division of much larger houses.

The cemetery of a small town can reveal a lot about its history and the families that lived and still live within it.

Philo's business street, which houses the Philo Tavern, ends abruptly and looks out onto open fields. Growing up in Gillespie, I used to think that the surrounding fields were boring and even ugly. I have learned a new appreciation for the atmosphere of a small town and its surroundings.