How many live in their original home town?

I permanently moved from my hometown when I was 39 (six years ago). My kids did go to the same school I went to for most of their education, although I moved them a few times. (I kept moving out of State and coming back after a couple years.)

My sister has never left our hometown, in fact, she's never left the family farm except for a few years in college. She built her house on the backside of my parents' place. Her kids won't live in another house until they're grown, they attend the same school we went to and have always gone to the same church.

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I'm running so far behind I thought I was first!

http://hickahala.blogspot.com/

When I was growing up on a farm near our small town, I knew nearly every person and what house they lived in. I no longer live in my home town and have not for 30 years but go back a couple times a year, but I no longer know any of the people living there. My own parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles have all passed and nothing is the same.

The school I went to has been torn down and replaced with a modern (ugly) structure and the lakes surrounding the town are overrun with tourists camping.

Someone mentioned people walking on your property as if they owned it. That happens here where we live now as well. People often stop and want to 'pet' the horses and other animals. I have had to tell people pulling into my yard they cannot take their dogs out of their car as I don't want strange dogs chasing my animals. People do get put out over that.

We also live about 7 miles from a small town - that gives travelers just enough time to eat their fast food lunch and throw their empty bags, cups and wrappers out their car window and into my yard. Seems like after every weekend during the summer months, we are out picking up junk thrown in our yard.

I do, however, have wonderful memories of growing up on a farm and spending time at my grandparents farm the next little town over.

Even though I no longer live there - it's always in my heart.

I live in the house that my grandparents bought in 1944, they had a farm that was condemned when the Hanford project was started. The bought it and the farm from the man who built it in 1906. My parents bought it in 1969, we bought it from my mom in 1887......unfortunately it is down to just the house and 3 acres when I bought it. The town that didn't exist then is huge now.
I went to the same schools as my dad did (mom married into the area) I recently cared for my 6th grade teacher he is 97!! Some things like meeting old teachers and knowing people is great. But Dad and I find that sometimes we know too much! Hubby and I were recently discussing where we should retire too. It will be out farther as this area is just too big anymore. Not sure where but will most likely still be in Eastern Washington
It is nice to have the history, just wish the area hadn't got so big. We now have a major drug, gang problems and the usual urban growth problems.
Denise

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Denise

I'm about 60 miles from w**** I grew up and that is too close. The fond memories I have of weekends at my grandparents are what's left.....just memories. T**** are times I would love to have family in the same town but it ain't gonna happen and if it was my family I'd be locked up in the insane asylum. Dh's would be ok, they have their own lives and wouldn't interfere with ours. Mine on the other hand would feel that they had a say so in every decision we make...including when we went to the bathroom! Most of the time I rat*****njoy our "aloneness." We have a great church family that fills in the blank spots if need be. We may be **** t*****st of out lives and we may not but chances are we'll never go "back home."

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Ginnie..
http://ginniequilts.blogspot.com/
You can say what you want about the South,
But you never hear of anyone retiring and moving North.

I grew up and went to school here. All my Mothers family were here too.
We all moved away, one by one.
I moved back here 9 years ago. I hope to be buried here! No other family lives here now. Most are gone. I AM HOME!!

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Corky

LEAD ME NOT INTO TEMPTATION. I CAN FIND IT BY MYSELF.

I envy the folks that were able to stay in their home towns. I have a couple of friends that I grew up with that still live there in Illinois and they keep me in touch with who died, who got married and what everyone's kids are up to. I doubt that I'll ever move back there, but it sure is nice to think about all the good times and family memories.

Nik

My "hometown" is a city of more than 3 million people, so NOPE, no thanks!!! lol

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:yeeha:

I don't even live in the same country I was raised in. I've lived in 3 different countries and a couple of different states. This is home now. We've had this place 30 years. My mom still lives in the house I grew up in and its nice to visit it.I know it will be sold soon as my mom is getting old, I'm going to be sorry about that. Even though I don't get there often, I like to think its still there waiting for me to visit. Washington is home now, my kids were brought up here and this is where DH was raised. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

My mom was from Pahokee which was ruined by the Sugar Corp buying out the small farmers. My dad was from Miami....but it is nowhere near like it was before WWII. My kids will probably want to move where they can see snow....and will probably last less than 5 years there before coming home to Florida. Most things change and we have to go looking for something that reminds us of the way things used to be.

The town I grew up in was a smallish farming town when I was little, back in the seventies. Now it is the fourth largest city in the state: Chicago, Rockford, Aurora, Naperville. The year I became a freshman in high school was the year they stopped offering the agricultural classes. There wasn't enough interest anymore. I don't know if I was the only person to sign up for them, but it sure felt that way.

On Sunday, my parents accepted an offer from a builder to buy the house they've lived in for almost forty-two years. They will tear down the only home I knew until I was seventeen. They will tear down the house where I got married to make way for a gigantic behemoth that will probably sell for close to a million dollars. It will be far too large, even though the lot is a quarter-acre, and I can barely imagine a house too large for that.

I used to think I would like to move back to Naperville to raise my kids. They had a great school system. It was a friendly town. Part of the reason my parents are selling is because it is no longer friendly. I don't even like to drive in to visit them, because everyone on the street has an attitude like they have to get where they're going NOW, and it doesn't matter that you're in their way. I can't imagine being a pedestrian there.

Now we live in a small town — less than 1500 people — and we dream of moving somewhere with a lot of land and not many people.

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"Take me to the country
And dip me in some bliss
Get me out of here
'Cause I can't live like this."

Billy Pilgrim, "Get Me Out of Here"

I grew up as an Army brat untill I was 16...moved about every 9mos. Moved 6 times in the middle of the school year! Then I came to OK...Been here for 40yrs except for My 4 yrs in the Army. When I got out I came back, & I've been here ever since. This IS HOME!

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Freedom isn't Free

I live in my hometown too. I had moved away for about 5 years. But came back. We actually are both from the same town, he never left!!! We now own the land we are building on about 5 minutes from both our parents. He has deep family roots in town. My parents are the first of my family.

It is definately not the same as it was growing up. :waa: There are too many city people invading our town. It is just different now. But I do still love it!

I was born about 5 mi from Doniphan, Mo. on the west side of the river. I now live about 5mi from Doniphan on the east side of the river.

The town has changed a lot over the years, making way for progress, I guess. Like others stated, ever one used to know each other. Now you might not even know who lives next door to you.

I read the other day that this county, was the meth capital of the US. I know you can tell by the accidents and traffic that a new load has been cooked off.

Although my Dh and I have moved to different places during our 36 yrs of being together, we still come back home. There is something about the Current River that keeps calling.

been here since I could crawl. bank tried to sieze it so i bought it.
I'll probably die here... unless the develpers write me a check i like.

My hometown is Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Not much homesteading to do there! Although, my dad raised rabbits and pigeons on the roof of our flat for the table. Have spent most of the last 47 years in western Washington. We originally moved to eastern WA, but left after two years. Except for a stint in the USAF in California have lived here. Two years ago moved between two small towns to live the country life. Haven't had any gawkers try to get into the pasture with the Highlands. Those horns just look too intimidating. It also helps to be on a dead end road.
Never been back to Amsterdam. Maybe once before I die just to see what its like.

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If angels existed, they'd probably be considered big game. (Don Swain)

Home schooling.........not just for scary religious people anymore. Buffy

I live in the hometown I grew up in, if we didn't homeschool, my kids would be going to the same schools my wife and I did. My Great-Great-Great-Grandfather pioneered this area of Indiana in 1840 about 20 miles from here, my Great-Grandfather and my Grandfather where blacksmiths in the local limestone quarries just 2 miles away in a town smaller now than it was 100 years ago, now only about 200 people, then over 500. I bought the house I grew up in when my dad retired in 1986 and built across the road on his moms property after she passed away. They lived their during the depression but moved to Indidanapolis during WWII but kept the property and came home for the weekends etc. My Grandmother on my moms side grew up on the country road I live on and even whent to a smal limestone schoolhouse on this road that hasn't been a school for over 80 years but is a home now. This is home for us but because property is about $10,000 an acre now we have looked at Arkansas and MO for land, but will probably stay because of my roots.

Our home is about 8 miles as the crows flies from the city I was born and grew up in. It has changed immensely - about 400% larger than when I was born. Regionally, my family was from the county just west of us. Both sets of great great grandparents were also born / lived / died here. I've been told we've lived here for at least the past 350 years (Spanish Missionaries) - pretty deep roots for a Texan.

Ain't got nothing on Native Americans though - their lineage goes waaaaaaaaaay back.

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Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.

I have moved 67 times in my life. Where's home?

I think homesteading is more a philosophy than a place. Is for me anyway.