Maybe think about this... the tree at the beginning of this video will shed its leaves at some point and then someone somewhere will probably clear the leaves away. Or maybe the leaves will stay there and it won't look that bad. Then consider the fact that there are also so many other trees around there, and that they have all been there and will continue to be there and will grow and shed leaves for years, even if no one notices or pays attention to them. I imagine you'd be far less inclined to get bored living in that area if you actually think about these kinds of things. I would probably also look down at the grass in that area if I was there and see if there are different types of grass mixed in ☺️
Can't stand the slow pace. Well if you can find gainful employment it's probably affordable it's better than a tent in a criminal neighborhood and extremely unaffordable.
You find the coolest towns off the beaten path. People used to take photos of their towns to preserve history. You are recording videos that residents will be able to watch years from now. Good job !
Youve become my most anticipated uploader everyday. Excited for the potential q&a. Starting your stuff from the beginning but also keeping up with the new stuff. Keep up the good work, love what you guys do.
I grew up in Falls City and found this tour of southeast Nebraska interesting and nostalgic. I want to try to address some of the comments. Where are all the people? If it's in the middle of the afternoon (it appeared like it was) then people are either working in town or working out on their farms. Are these towns dying? You could say that - they certainly don't have the population they used to but they'll be around for a long time yet. Many rural areas have regional centers - like Falls City - where people from the surrounding smaller towns go for shopping, gas, groceries, health care, etc. The distances aren't that great - 20 to 25 miles and very little traffic. All these towns have nice houses and houses that are dilapidated. If Joe & Nic had continued to the south side of Falls City they would have seen a lot more poor quality houses. Finally, these towns aren't for everyone. If you can't stand a slow pace or lack of instant entertainment options, then these towns aren't for you. BTW, I'm glad you took the back roads. That shows what this part of the country is really like - miles and miles of farms.
I Absolutely love it there so peaceful and quiet and leaves time to spend time on people you care about and not the insanity of the rest of the world and the nature is beautiful to me
Humboldt: A town of 800 people but with exceptional pride. The downtown memorial and band shell and the magnificent fairy gardens. Congrats people of Humboldt!
Only four hundred people it takes, to keep this town alive and proud. That's one hell of an accomplishment. It's not the quantity, is it? It's very definitely the quality. The whole town reads like the preservation of something that 90% of this nation needs and doesn't even know it's missing. Oh yes, congrats indeed, to the good people of Humboldt!
born in Falls City lived in Humboldt in magical early 50 s Mose and Evelyn’s Tavern with dad Gene Murray listening to juke box with Perry Como Hank Snow. Christmas decorations the music ! Names of people Rice , Studhihts(?) Costakas gridleys Massey, asa( girl ) dad owned a bank Any one class of 66. I’m am john murray. Please respond
I’m really struck by how beautiful all the towns were. I loved the rolling landscape and abundance of trees. Many homes were lovingly kept up, and it was so green and lush. Really idyllic!
I’m originally from Petoskey Michigan and the sound of gravel under the car tires remind me of my childhood. You are astonishing in pointing out all the other things that most people would never take into consideration. I enjoy you and I thank you for everything that you do to bring these small towns life.
Imagine if everyone grew big, proud home gardens, canning their own food, raising chickens and rabbits. A small dairy/goat herd. This town could be repurposed to be a new home agriculture, where the residents are self sufficient.
@@al99795 How long would they stay? What if they need medical care? You're gonna need some help as time goes on and boredom could be a problem in a small town.
Visiting these places, even if it's only via your respectful videos, is like being magically transported to another time. Many of the homes we see range from the functional and unpretentious to some that are more architecturally interesting through to some that are run-down and in obvious need of attention but still have a poignant beauty about them. Thanks very much for showing us a side of the U.S. many of us who live in other countries seldom get to see in this way - it's greatly appreciated!
Salem. Nebraska where I was born (1956) and lived till 10 yrs old when dad moved us to Oregon. I walked those streets and caught crawdads and (non-poisonous) snakes by the creeks. We were dirt poor but it was good times. Thanks for nostalgia overload. 🥰
@@bobklk51 Hi Bob, I am familiar with Hermiston. Great territory and wonderful people out there. Anything East or the Cascades and south of Eugene is fantastic. Anything from Eugene north to Salem, Portland is managed by the wrong people. Oregon at its best is the lower third and the Eastern Half.
I am from Eugene. It's a beautiful place, but has been overtaken by crazy liberals. I now live in Arizona where it is HOT and getting nuts too, plus the cost of living is skyrocketing. I really miss the beauty and cool weather we had in Eugene.
I like your comment “that’s a lot of stuff” when looking at trashy yards! Falls City looked like a really nice small town and I am glad you got out and walked the downtown
My great-grandfather, George Ferguson Work, a Civil War veteran and eventual Nebraska County judge, laid all of the county lines in Nebraska. My Mom was from Hastings, Nebraska.
@@doug132639 On my mother's side, we're Scotch/Irish. We believe "Work" was originally "O Rourke" on the Irish side. It became "Work" when the family, originally from County Cork, Ireland, migrated to America. The Scotch Fergusons have been in America since the 1600s. We still have a house standing from that period in the East (or did when I last researched this 25 years ago). My mother was a DAR member - Daughters of the American Revolution.
When I was a kid in 1954, my 3rd grade civics book was titled Our Town, and it was based on Hastings, Nebraska. According to the 1950 Census, It was in the middle of the 48 states, it had the median population and it was representative of small town America. I never forgot the book or the friendly little town it represented.
My father was born, given up for adoption, adopted by evil pious people in Nebraska. Neither he, nor I, will ever set foot there again.. That .. thanks to the CHILD SAVING INSTITUTE in Omaha.
@@jeffhildreth9244 I’ve seen videos on here from a retired FBI agent about the child trafficking that occurred in the Omaha area, back in the day. I am from rural nebraska, and neither Omaha or Lincoln represents the rest of the state. I have owned a successful small business since 1999, and was offered a VERY handsome price to move my business to Omaha. It would have required me to move my family and I there, and I quickly decided that nobody could pay me enough to give up my “small town” lifestyle to live in or near Omaha.
This drinking fountain reminds of when I was a kid, we would drink out of hoses and we would go to parks and lakes all by ourselves. Rules were …be polite, stay out of trouble and be home before the street lights came on. Today, I would be considered feral. Those were the days.
The funny thing about that abandoned house with the abandoned Ford truck in the yard is that the lawn was still mowed. I'm glad you went to Falls City, I was looking on the map following along and noticed a bigger town in the area and was curious to see what it looked like.
Actually the well kept landscaping and mowed lawns and roadsides were remarkable and really stood out to me. Pretty area with clear pride and there must be some helpful people helping with those chores.
As a European this is so cool to watch. Makes me dream about living in a place like that, and being super happy living where I live, both at the same time :) Nice vids!!
It's now official. The middle of nowhere is southeast Nebraska. But that park with the statues was so beautiful. Someone put a lot of time, effort and money into beautifying their town. That very narrow road looked like you were driving on a sidewalk. I would move there for the cheap houses but again, it's the middle of nowhere. Thanks for the trip Joe.
Loved seeing this. My maternal grandfather, William Winslow, was from the Barneston area but had several family members who lived in Falls City and the surrounding area (my uncle Max, who is my grandpa's youngest brother and his wife still do. I wonder if I saw their house on here and didn't realize!) Papa moved to Kansas in 1972, but we still have tons of family in various places in Nebraska. His great great grandfather, Phineas Winslow, was actually among the first homesteaders to settle here.
Thank you. I'm unable to travel as I have a sickly old dog and 2 elderly cats. Your wonderful videos satisfy my wanderlust. You have shown me places I would otherwise never see.
My brother was stationed at SAC back in 1980's; he said just stand on the side of road and you can see for miles & miles. Now I understand what he meant. Thanks for another great video; I'm hooked on your channel.
We went to a family reunion years ago in a very small town called Shickley, Nebraska. At the time around 250 people. What a change from how I grew up. But oh such an amazing way to live. I can see why people would stay.
That first town named Humboldt was like a movie set where they aren't filming. In your drive around town I didn't see a living thing, not even a moving car.
Many of these towns are quite beautiful. I love that the lawns aren't manicured and the traditional architecture is charming. I'd live in one of those houses any day over a McMansion, especially for that price!
The first town looked OK, all that artwork was impressive. If a few dozen comfortable retirees moved there it might bring it back to life. Falls city also looks really good
Joe & Nic, Great Tour. Falls City over the decades had 5 Movie Theaters & Opera/Movie Theater that could seat 710 people. Tthe Ace Hardward you drove by is in 1st floor. When they put on the Historical Registry the 2nd Floor was as it was many decades ago. The Projectors were like it was only needing dust'n off. Seating was fully intac & stage. Ghosty. always, Tommy
This is the area of Nebraska where my mother grew up. I still family in the area. It is a beautiful area of the country with clean air, low crime and access to the Kansas City International Airport- just 90 minutes away. Many jobs are remote- with internet you don't have to live next to the office.
Great video. Spent the first 15 years of my life in Verdon. Really hate to see these small communities fade away. Thank you for the trip down memory lane. As crazy as life is in the bigger cities, the simple life certainly has some appeal.
Just been watching 80s adverts, so already feeling pretty nostalgic and when I look at these rural towns it absolutely feels like going back in time. Did not help my nostalgia. Lovely.
Thank you , really enjoyed these "middle of nowhere" portraits of Kansas and Nebraska. There is a simplistic beauty to the landscape and some of the towns . Yes , it would be culture shock for anyone that spent their entire life in a major metropolitan area to move to those very rural parts of America, almost like moving to a different country!
humbolt memorial gardens are incredible, obviously a local sculpture comes in handy, but still amazing memorial gardens...also salem and those amazing butterflies....amazing that when the population of humans moves on, wildlife moves in...
My wife and I are both proud Nebraska natives. We left 25 years ago and often talk of moving back when we retire but the hang up is the weather. But you never know, we do love going home to visit.
Another great video Joe. Yep, I have trouble with what day it is, since retirement 😂 Nice little cental square in Humboldt. Love the statues in the memorial gardens ❤ The ubiquitous Dollar General. $32,000 average house prices in Verdon 😮. What no DG!! In Verdon 😮 Salem is definitely a ghost town 👻 🦋🦋🦋🦋. Looks like they just walked away in that house with the truck. Falls city, looks quite nice, the country court house is impressive. Its nicely kept little town, good to see open stores. The residential are was very impressive, lovely houses. Thanks for sharing Joe👍
Thanks for another awesome video. You really memorized those national crime averages! With your great personality, it just gives the impression somebody is usually in the vehicle with you. Versus just us being the audience when you talk in many of them. Before being semi-nomadic myself in San Antonio these days, I was living in western Connecticut. I will be curious what towns/cities you will look at while there and eastern NY state.
Excellent view of the small cities/towns of rural NE! Does seem many of the small towns have a Lady Liberty.. wish I had that contract back in the day. Thanks and safe travels... Cheers!
Very enjoyable. I used to get out and drive the back roads through small towns but I can't do that anymore, so I appreciate your posts very much. Keep 'em comin 😊
OZ here// Thanks Joey- again for a lovely journey. Hello to Nicolle !. Humbolt Park is gorgeous! love the statues. Its maybe the loveliest park I,ve ever seen. If I lived there, I,d offer to mow the grass for free ! - well, if on a ride-on mower ! LOL. There is certainly nothing like a little of - Back in Time ! Love all the big old trees in these towns.
Can't have enough of this videos. I digest them by section 😃 makes you realize that this country is big with options not only 405 free way here in CA 😃
In my younger years living in Saskatchewan, Canada...we used to travel around the province's back roads and vosit all the little old towns, this is like doing it all over again, but we also get the insight and stats about them. It's great ! Count me in as a new subscriber ! 👍 🇨🇦 ✌️
Stunning statue garden! Verdon looks so empty. Salem looks desolate. Falls City is nice. I like the city hall. Thank you for letting us know about the movie connection! I’d live in Falls City. Appreciate your video!
Cool little 75 mm pack howitzer at Humboldt and that gazebo could have been set down yesterday. The garden is drop dead amazing. More cool railroad towns with Falls City hosting a Herzog facility. Herzog is one of the largest railroad right of way contractors in the industry. Another excellent video, thanks much!
Thank you for the tour Joe,.so peaceful to do a ride around of a town that is slowly leaving us. The stories it could tell over the years. I really enjoy your channel. Thank you.
Kiaora from New Zealand! It's so sad to see old towns dying, nevertheless it's someone's home. Incidentally you mentioned the Brethren church which I'm a member here in New Zealand. Thank you so much for sharing.
Nebraska native here. A lot of us around here have jokingly called it "Falls Shitty" but dang, in comparison to the one-street dying ghost towns, it doesn't look half bad for once 😂 I'm from Omaha and Lincoln, but I've traveled around southern Nebraska and there's good people. Just a shame most of them have to leave their towns to move to Omaha or Lincoln for opportunities.
I am hoping that some of these towns will get a little bit revitalized, or at least not fade away since there are so many jobs that can be done remotely nowadays.
Probably a good percentage that live in these areas are truck drivers or whatever and aren't there a lot of the time, a very quiet towns there. Just not a lot there as far as commerce but great if you can sustain and like it there.
Love watching your videos from here in NZ. The South Island here is very similar in many ways . Have decided on a few places I’d like to visit just by watching your great videos . Love the stats breakdowns 👍
It looked to me like the downtown streets in Falls City were the old brick streets. They look cool but when you get a little snow or ice on them they can be incredibly slippery to drive on. Sadly, a lot of the old towns are getting rid or them.
@@BirdDogey1 for a miserable job that actually pays kinda good did you try detasseling? A lot of the families I grew up with counted on the detasseling money to pay summer bills but the mud, bugs, heat and occasional center pivot made for a miserable job.
I used to have family in Salem, Nebraska. Spent summer of 1979 doing farming/dairy work there. Salem had an old bar back then called the Red Dog Saloon if my memory is right.
A wonderful video, as always. I loved the display towards the beginning with the statues, beautiful !! Lovely Summer days for driving around over there !! Thanks so much.😊
You get way more bang for your buck buying a home in NE than WI. Taxes are cheaper there too. I hope you stop in at more towns in that State. Would love what else you travel to. Thanks for sharing!
My Family is from that part of Nebraska (Gage, Pawnee, Johnson and Richardson Counties), and seeing Your Video brings back a few good memories! Keep Up The Good Work!!!!
Similar country town stories here in Western Australia. Most are well past their glory days. Some are determined to keep their civic pride alive, many simply surviving, some sliding into dereliction and others reduced to empty townsites with a few stone ruins and a decaying cemetery.
I want to live in this town. No property destruction is present other than some natural decay. no graffiti, no trash. Absolutely beautiful old homes as if time has stood still. No abandoned cars.
Every day I look for the dot on the menu that says a new video from you is up, and it still says Lord Spoda. I save it until evening when it is dark and a bit cooler, this heatwave is dreadful. I have seen all your videos and I'm retired now so I look at you and Nicole as friends. Silly, I know, but still. Many years ago I used to drive around my country filming and taking pictures of interesting buildings. That was way before TH-cam and I had to give it up because my car was useless. But I loved driving around in Sweden looking for old petrol stations and industry buildings of red brick. Look forward to your next adventure.
I would love to hear stories from people that are living in this towns, It would be a nice video, I would like to see something like this in your channel, people sharing stories and showing the town
I live around that area of Nebraska. There are some really interesting places but I will not live here forever. Finishing college and getting out. New to your channel and glad that I found it!!!
One thing to remember re: rural town populations .... 100 years ago when these town's population peaked, there were many more people that lived on farms outside of these towns than in the towns themselves. These people all had large families, because children were free labor on the farm, and 1/2 of them wouldn't live to reach adulthood. The people in the towns had businesses that were needed by the people that lived on the surrounding farms. Every little town had an elevator to store grain and load it on wagons, trucks or rail cars. They had a high school and a post office and at least one grocery store, usually 2, a butcher and a bakery ... a hardware store.... there was always a creamery that bought and sold milk and eggs and made cheese... and a lumber yard that would buy trees and mill it into lumber... there was usually an automotive garage and gas station, which had replaced the stable and blacksmith of generations before... when mechanization allowed more acres to be farmed with fewer people and fewer of those acres were required to be used to feed draft animals and the people working the farm, while at the same time declining childhood mortality, and birth control availability increased .... there were ever fewer people that needed to come to town to buy things, or go to school.
Seemed to be a beautiful day 🌞out there last Wednesday - so far. You never know in tornado country... Humboldt appears to be a very nice and generally clean small town with nice parks! Gas there is approx 30 cents cheaper a gallon than up here in my area of Pennsylvania. ...Verdon even smaller - and somewhat rough around the edges but still quaint. ...Salem even sounds like it should be a ghost town👻 - 83 souls still above ground - so far. No witch trials there though😱! ...Now on to Falls City - seems to be an interesting city to explore the downtown a little closer... and another Statue of Liberty with her back to the sun so her face doesn't "wear out". Damn, I must be in the sun too much!...and with that sobering thought we will move on.
Ya, why is Gas so expensive in Pa. ?? I travel between the Jersey Shore n NC a lot n go to Cabelas often.... Pa. gotta get their act together cause when also visiting Family in the western n north eastern parts everything seems to be older.... Love your beautiful state but just saying...... be well.
Joe, your comment on the apparently high per capita and household incomes in various Midwest farming communities fails to acknowledge that even one super rich farmer selling his land and "moving to town" tends to distort the "average person's" income. By the way, I appreciate your efforts to show places in America that I would otherwise never see.
That super rich farmer would have to actually live in the town to distort the figure. I didn’t see that. I see the occasional huge home outside of the town’s city limits. I’m thinking the rich farmer lives there. Most likely, the few residents work at the granaries that you see in every town and are paid pretty well.
What is now the Verdon Community Center used to be a Congregational Church but it closed. Sadly, there is no gas station or retail stores in Verdon. People in Verdon normally go to Falls City to get their supplies. I am glad to see you came to visit our area, next time you are in Verdon please stop by the Church and we can show you the inside of the building.
couldnt pay me to live there
You got a favorite state ?
@@jeromefym9548ARIZONA FLORIDA NEVADA TEXAS
Maybe think about this... the tree at the beginning of this video will shed its leaves at some point and then someone somewhere will probably clear the leaves away. Or maybe the leaves will stay there and it won't look that bad.
Then consider the fact that there are also so many other trees around there, and that they have all been there and will continue to be there and will grow and shed leaves for years, even if no one notices or pays attention to them. I imagine you'd be far less inclined to get bored living in that area if you actually think about these kinds of things.
I would probably also look down at the grass in that area if I was there and see if there are different types of grass mixed in ☺️
Can't stand the slow pace. Well if you can find gainful employment it's probably affordable it's better than a tent in a criminal neighborhood and extremely unaffordable.
I agree with you! 👍👍
You find the coolest towns off the beaten path. People used to take photos of their towns to preserve history. You are recording videos that residents will be able to watch years from now. Good job !
Thank you. :)
Youve become my most anticipated uploader everyday. Excited for the potential q&a. Starting your stuff from the beginning but also keeping up with the new stuff. Keep up the good work, love what you guys do.
Awesome! Thank you!
I grew up in Falls City and found this tour of southeast Nebraska interesting and nostalgic. I want to try to address some of the comments. Where are all the people? If it's in the middle of the afternoon (it appeared like it was) then people are either working in town or working out on their farms. Are these towns dying? You could say that - they certainly don't have the population they used to but they'll be around for a long time yet. Many rural areas have regional centers - like Falls City - where people from the surrounding smaller towns go for shopping, gas, groceries, health care, etc. The distances aren't that great - 20 to 25 miles and very little traffic. All these towns have nice houses and houses that are dilapidated. If Joe & Nic had continued to the south side of Falls City they would have seen a lot more poor quality houses. Finally, these towns aren't for everyone. If you can't stand a slow pace or lack of instant entertainment options, then these towns aren't for you. BTW, I'm glad you took the back roads. That shows what this part of the country is really like - miles and miles of farms.
Is a pretty town with beautiful, well-kept homes ♡
Exactly the kind of towns I love! The less people, the better.
I Absolutely love it there so peaceful and quiet and leaves time to spend time on people you care about and not the insanity of the rest of the world and the nature is beautiful to me
@@samilee8121- Having grown up in rural N.Dakota, I completely agree. I miss the rural Midwest
How are the Winters?
Humboldt: A town of 800 people but with exceptional pride. The downtown memorial and band shell and the magnificent fairy gardens. Congrats people of Humboldt!
Only four hundred people it takes, to keep this town alive and proud. That's one hell of an accomplishment. It's not the quantity, is it? It's very definitely the quality.
The whole town reads like the preservation of something that 90% of this nation needs and doesn't even know it's missing.
Oh yes, congrats indeed, to the good people of Humboldt!
It's actually about 850.
born in Falls City lived in Humboldt in magical early 50 s
Mose and Evelyn’s Tavern
with dad Gene Murray listening to juke box with Perry Como
Hank Snow.
Christmas decorations
the music !
Names of people Rice , Studhihts(?)
Costakas gridleys Massey, asa( girl ) dad owned a bank
Any one class of 66. I’m am john murray. Please respond
I’m really struck by how beautiful all the towns were. I loved the rolling landscape and abundance of trees. Many homes were lovingly kept up, and it was so green and lush. Really idyllic!
serenity in Nebraska... you just need to stop and listen..
I’m originally from Petoskey Michigan and the sound of gravel under the car tires remind me of my childhood. You are astonishing in pointing out all the other things that most people would never take into consideration. I enjoy you and I thank you for everything that you do to bring these small towns life.
Wow, thanks!
Imagine if everyone grew big, proud home gardens, canning their own food, raising chickens and rabbits. A small dairy/goat herd. This town could be repurposed to be a new home agriculture, where the residents are self sufficient.
that would unfortunately be labeled a cult or a commune these days no matter what their politics were
@@al99795 How long would they stay? What if they need medical care? You're gonna need some help as time goes on and boredom could be a problem in a small town.
Wallstreet can't make money there
Visiting these places, even if it's only via your respectful videos, is like being magically transported to another time. Many of the homes we see range from the functional and unpretentious to some that are more architecturally interesting through to some that are run-down and in obvious need of attention but still have a poignant beauty about them. Thanks very much for showing us a side of the U.S. many of us who live in other countries seldom get to see in this way - it's greatly appreciated!
I totally agree. :)
Salem. Nebraska where I was born (1956) and lived till 10 yrs old when dad moved us to Oregon. I walked those streets and caught crawdads and (non-poisonous) snakes by the creeks. We were dirt poor but it was good times. Thanks for nostalgia overload. 🥰
Similar childhood in Nevada. Now in Jacksonville , Or.
@@jeffhildreth9244 Nice area, I've lived NE Oregon (Hermiston) most of my life. (56yrs)
@@bobklk51 Hi Bob, I am familiar with Hermiston. Great territory and wonderful people out there.
Anything East or the Cascades and south of Eugene is fantastic.
Anything from Eugene north to Salem, Portland is managed by the wrong people.
Oregon at its best is the lower third and the Eastern Half.
I am from Eugene. It's a beautiful place, but has been overtaken by crazy liberals. I now live in Arizona where it is HOT and getting nuts too, plus the cost of living is skyrocketing. I really miss the beauty and cool weather we had in Eugene.
I like your comment “that’s a lot of stuff” when looking at trashy yards! Falls City looked like a really nice small town and I am glad you got out and walked the downtown
Love hearing the birds. They are always cheerful to listen to.
My great-grandfather, George Ferguson Work, a Civil War veteran and eventual Nebraska County judge, laid all of the county lines in Nebraska. My Mom was from Hastings, Nebraska.
Did he come from Scotland ? I see only 1 s ..I have a double ss .super sports model ..Greetings fellow Fregie
@@doug132639 On my mother's side, we're Scotch/Irish. We believe "Work" was originally "O Rourke" on the Irish side. It became "Work" when the family, originally from County Cork, Ireland, migrated to America. The Scotch Fergusons have been in America since the 1600s. We still have a house standing from that period in the East (or did when I last researched this 25 years ago). My mother was a DAR member - Daughters of the American Revolution.
When I was a kid in 1954, my 3rd grade civics book was titled Our Town, and it was based on Hastings, Nebraska. According to the 1950 Census, It was in the middle of the 48 states, it had the median population and it was representative of small town America. I never forgot the book or the friendly little town it represented.
My father was born, given up for adoption, adopted by evil pious people in Nebraska.
Neither he, nor I, will ever set foot there again..
That .. thanks to the CHILD SAVING INSTITUTE in Omaha.
@@jeffhildreth9244 I’ve seen videos on here from a retired FBI agent about the child trafficking that occurred in the Omaha area, back in the day. I am from rural nebraska, and neither Omaha or Lincoln represents the rest of the state. I have owned a successful small business since 1999, and was offered a VERY handsome price to move my business to Omaha. It would have required me to move my family and I there, and I quickly decided that nobody could pay me enough to give up my “small town” lifestyle to live in or near Omaha.
My great-great-great grandpa is O.J. Tinker. I just found this out last month. Thanks for the tour. It's beautiful there.
This drinking fountain reminds of when I was a kid, we would drink out of hoses and we would go to parks and lakes all by ourselves.
Rules were …be polite, stay out of trouble and be home before the street lights came on. Today, I would be considered feral. Those were the days.
The funny thing about that abandoned house with the abandoned Ford truck in the yard is that the lawn was still mowed. I'm glad you went to Falls City, I was looking on the map following along and noticed a bigger town in the area and was curious to see what it looked like.
I noticed the mowed lawn too. Maybe there's an elderly person/couple still living there, but can only afford to cut grass, not maintain house.
I noticed that too. Interesting. Would love to know the story.
Actually the well kept landscaping and mowed lawns and roadsides were remarkable and really stood out to me. Pretty area with clear pride and there must be some helpful people helping with those chores.
Whenever my wife and I travel it takes us forever to get where we are going. We like to drive through the little towns we pass by.
Love Nebraska .My home State .I have left but always come back this is home.
Notice how much richer blue the sky is there than here on the East Coast
There ARE some things I miss about my old home state!
As a European this is so cool to watch. Makes me dream about living in a place like that, and being super happy living where I live, both at the same time :) Nice vids!!
Awesome, thank you. :)
As an American in Europe I can tell you that America is an unlivable nightmare zone and you better stay in Europe.
@eustacemcgoodboy9702 Maybe you had a nightmare, but that is not true for all of America. There are things that can happen anywhere in the world!
It's now official. The middle of nowhere is southeast Nebraska. But that park with the statues was so beautiful. Someone put a lot of time, effort and money into beautifying their town. That very narrow road looked like you were driving on a sidewalk. I would move there for the cheap houses but again, it's the middle of nowhere. Thanks for the trip Joe.
The middle of nowhere is Portland Oregon, Seattle Wa, San Francisco, Calif.
Humboldt looks to be a nice place to live, a fairly quiet place
Loved seeing this. My maternal grandfather, William Winslow, was from the Barneston area but had several family members who lived in Falls City and the surrounding area (my uncle Max, who is my grandpa's youngest brother and his wife still do. I wonder if I saw their house on here and didn't realize!) Papa moved to Kansas in 1972, but we still have tons of family in various places in Nebraska. His great great grandfather, Phineas Winslow, was actually among the first homesteaders to settle here.
Thank you. I'm unable to travel as I have a sickly old dog and 2 elderly cats. Your wonderful videos satisfy my wanderlust. You have shown me places I would otherwise never see.
Awesome. That's what I'm trying to so. :)
Do them and yourself a favor, put them to rest and relocate.
@@jeffhildreth9244 They will go in their own time. As will I.
We're in Bonnie Scotland and find your videos fascinating. Small town America which we will probably never see. Look forward to the next one!
I watch Cammie and his youtube The Sheep Game in Scotland. I’m half Scot. The landscape in Scotland is beautiful.
My brother was stationed at SAC back in 1980's; he said just stand on the side of road and you can see for miles & miles. Now I understand what he meant. Thanks for another great video; I'm hooked on your channel.
Awesome. Thank you for the kind words. 👍😀
We went to a family reunion years ago in a very small town called Shickley, Nebraska. At the time around 250 people. What a change from how I grew up. But oh such an amazing way to live. I can see why people would stay.
People always talk about how great it would be if we could go back to the way things were in the 1950's. Well now you can, and its called Nebraska!
amen!
Why not? I'd take a farm girl over a city slicker any day.
@@davidlafleche1142 I hear ya brother!
@@prophetmargin7497 Good! You know any?
@@davidlafleche1142 Yes I do, but I'm very greedy, no sharing!
That first town named Humboldt was like a movie set where they aren't filming. In your drive around town I didn't see a living thing, not even a moving car.
Many of these towns are quite beautiful. I love that the lawns aren't manicured and the traditional architecture is charming. I'd live in one of those houses any day over a McMansion, especially for that price!
The first town looked OK, all that artwork was impressive. If a few dozen comfortable retirees moved there it might bring it back to life. Falls city also looks really good
Joe & Nic, Great Tour. Falls City over the decades had 5 Movie Theaters & Opera/Movie Theater that could seat 710 people. Tthe Ace Hardward you drove by is in 1st floor. When they put on the Historical Registry the 2nd Floor was as it was many decades ago. The Projectors were like it was only needing dust'n off. Seating was fully intac & stage. Ghosty. always, Tommy
This is the area of Nebraska where my mother grew up. I still family in the area. It is a beautiful area of the country with clean air, low crime and access to the Kansas City International Airport- just 90 minutes away. Many jobs are remote- with internet you don't have to live next to the office.
Great video. Spent the first 15 years of my life in Verdon. Really hate to see these small communities fade away. Thank you for the trip down memory lane. As crazy as life is in the bigger cities, the simple life certainly has some appeal.
When my Dad was in the Army in 1950-1953, he told me the strangest ppl he ran into were from New York and Nebraska....
My mom, a life long Nebraska resident always said 😊 people from Kansas were strange. She fought the breast cancer battle. Thanks!
lol. I’m from the Omaha area people are very nice here, lots of hard working families and pretty neighborhoods
Falls City is a pleasant spot between Kansas City and Omaha. Thanks for the tour
Just been watching 80s adverts, so already feeling pretty nostalgic and when I look at these rural towns it absolutely feels like going back in time. Did not help my nostalgia. Lovely.
I remember stopping there back many years ago with my grandfather to have a little 7 and 7 at the Elks Lodge.
I'm living in Arizona now Phoenix but at one time I work in Fall City and I lived and Stella Nebraska
You should check out the hills in the middle of nebraska, it’s as rural as it gets
What a a wonderful description of Humboldt, Nebraska.
You should sell merch with the saying "Boy that's a lotta stuff!"
Not a bad idea! :)
watching these is like a time capsule that i hope to rewatch 5 plus years later.
Thanks!
Thank you, Peter!
*On my way to south Dakota I've seen tons of dairy farms and all're thriving. ..secluded and quite state*
Man! 6:54 This place is magical 🧙♀️ I wish to visit here someday 🤞🏻
Thank you , really enjoyed these "middle of nowhere" portraits of Kansas and Nebraska. There is a simplistic beauty to the landscape and some of the towns . Yes , it would be culture shock for anyone that spent their entire life in a major metropolitan area to move to those very rural parts of America, almost like moving to a different country!
I totally agree. I love these places.
Really loved those statues!
humbolt memorial gardens are incredible, obviously a local sculpture comes in handy, but still amazing memorial gardens...also salem and those amazing butterflies....amazing that when the population of humans moves on, wildlife moves in...
It's true. I see it all over the country. :)
I grew up in small town Nebraska. It’s a great peaceful place. I just can’t deal with the winters.
I did one winter in Kansas. No thanks. Nebraska is even worse.
My wife and I are both proud Nebraska natives. We left 25 years ago and often talk of moving back when we retire but the hang up is the weather. But you never know, we do love going home to visit.
Another great video Joe. Yep, I have trouble with what day it is, since retirement 😂
Nice little cental square in Humboldt. Love the statues in the memorial gardens ❤
The ubiquitous Dollar General.
$32,000 average house prices in Verdon 😮.
What no DG!! In Verdon 😮
Salem is definitely a ghost town 👻 🦋🦋🦋🦋. Looks like they just walked away in that house with the truck. Falls city, looks quite nice, the country court house is impressive. Its nicely kept little town, good to see open stores. The residential are was very impressive, lovely houses.
Thanks for sharing Joe👍
Thanks, David. Great analysis!
Thanks for another awesome video. You really memorized those national crime averages! With your great personality, it just gives the impression somebody is usually in the vehicle with you. Versus just us being the audience when you talk in many of them. Before being semi-nomadic myself in San Antonio these days, I was living in western Connecticut. I will be curious what towns/cities you will look at while there and eastern NY state.
Thank you. 👍👍😀
Excellent view of the small cities/towns of rural NE! Does seem many of the small towns have a Lady Liberty.. wish I had that contract back in the day. Thanks and safe travels... Cheers!
Very enjoyable. I used to get out and drive the back roads through small towns but I can't do that anymore, so I appreciate your posts very much. Keep 'em comin 😊
I am enjoying these towns !!! I love looking and seeing the quiet life!
OZ here// Thanks Joey- again for a lovely journey. Hello to Nicolle !. Humbolt Park is gorgeous! love the statues. Its maybe the loveliest park I,ve ever seen. If I lived there, I,d offer to mow the grass for free ! - well, if on a ride-on mower ! LOL. There is certainly nothing like a little of - Back in Time ! Love all the big old trees in these towns.
Thank you, Cherie!
All of the trees are so lovely on this street.
wow,..that memorial garden made me tear up a bit,.thank you for sharing
Can't have enough of this videos. I digest them by section 😃 makes you realize that this country is big with options not only 405 free way here in CA 😃
In my younger years living in Saskatchewan, Canada...we used to travel around the province's back roads and vosit all the little old towns, this is like doing it all over again, but we also get the insight and stats about them. It's great !
Count me in as a new subscriber !
👍 🇨🇦 ✌️
Awesome!
Stunning statue garden! Verdon looks so empty. Salem looks desolate. Falls City is nice. I like the city hall. Thank you for letting us know about the movie connection! I’d live in Falls City. Appreciate your video!
Cool little 75 mm pack howitzer at Humboldt and that gazebo could have been set down yesterday. The garden is drop dead amazing. More cool railroad towns with Falls City hosting a Herzog facility. Herzog is one of the largest railroad right of way contractors in the industry. Another excellent video, thanks much!
Liked that garden in Humboldt.very nice
I really enjoyed this video especially the park it was awesome
Thanks so much!! 😁😀
Thank you for the tour Joe,.so peaceful to do a ride around of a town that is slowly leaving us. The stories it could tell over the years. I really enjoy your channel. Thank you.
Beautiful place to raise a family...
Kiaora from New Zealand! It's so sad to see old towns dying, nevertheless it's someone's home. Incidentally you mentioned the Brethren church which I'm a member here in New Zealand. Thank you so much for sharing.
If you will be in Oklahoma state in next trip, please visit Wakita from Twister film :) Regards from Poland, Thanks for your work.
Nebraska native here. A lot of us around here have jokingly called it "Falls Shitty" but dang, in comparison to the one-street dying ghost towns, it doesn't look half bad for once 😂 I'm from Omaha and Lincoln, but I've traveled around southern Nebraska and there's good people. Just a shame most of them have to leave their towns to move to Omaha or Lincoln for opportunities.
I am hoping that some of these towns will get a little bit revitalized, or at least not fade away since there are so many jobs that can be done remotely nowadays.
I think these towns will mostly be abandoned in 20 years when the boomers are gone
So many nice old trucks in Great condition
Nebraska/Kansas/Southern Illinois have to be the car restoration capital of the world
Thank you for putting the names of the towns you visit on the screen. I like your voice, it's very pleasant for what you do. Happy New year
Probably a good percentage that live in these areas are truck drivers or whatever and aren't there a lot of the time, a very quiet towns there. Just not a lot there as far as commerce but great if you can sustain and like it there.
Living in a good community is the most important thing!
My sister lived in small towns of Henderson & Palmer. She's now in Grand Island. We visited every summer.
Love watching your videos from here in NZ. The South Island here is very similar in many ways . Have decided on a few places I’d like to visit just by watching your great videos . Love the stats breakdowns 👍
Just watched , glad I was able to see the Fairy Garden .very lovely city .
I love it and absolutely nothing wrong w a slow pace its called peace something the world is dying without
It looked to me like the downtown streets in Falls City were the old brick streets. They look cool but when you get a little snow or ice on them they can be incredibly slippery to drive on. Sadly, a lot of the old towns are getting rid or them.
I spent a summer farming just outside Falls City (Salem). Never got ate up with more mosquito bites while down by the river fishing for catfish.
@@BirdDogey1 for a miserable job that actually pays kinda good did you try detasseling? A lot of the families I grew up with counted on the detasseling money to pay summer bills but the mud, bugs, heat and occasional center pivot made for a miserable job.
@@stevedavis5704 You mean I could have gotten paid? Only thing I received as bumble bee stings after moving bales of hay.
I used to have family in Salem, Nebraska. Spent summer of 1979 doing farming/dairy work there. Salem had an old bar back then called the Red Dog Saloon if my memory is right.
What had too many at the Red Dog... memory shot ?
@jeffhildreth9244 That and a stroke and a heart attack. But I'm back on top and ready to rock!
@@BirdDogey1 Go for it !!! I successfully beat throat cancer 11 years ago. A bump in the road and good as gold.
A wonderful video, as always. I loved the display towards the beginning with the statues, beautiful !! Lovely Summer days for driving around over there !! Thanks so much.😊
Thanks, CL!
You get way more bang for your buck buying a home in NE than WI. Taxes are cheaper there too. I hope you stop in at more towns in that State. Would love what else you travel to. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the Video Such Beautiful Neighborhoods
My Family is from that part of Nebraska (Gage, Pawnee, Johnson and Richardson Counties), and seeing Your Video brings back a few good memories! Keep Up The Good Work!!!!
That is awesome!
Similar country town stories here in Western Australia. Most are well past their glory days. Some are determined to keep their civic pride alive, many simply surviving, some sliding into dereliction and others reduced to empty townsites with a few stone ruins and a decaying cemetery.
They remind me of the small town in Western Australia in the southwest where I spent my early childhood-Balingup.
I want to live in this town. No property destruction is present other than some natural decay. no graffiti, no trash. Absolutely beautiful old homes as if time has stood still. No abandoned cars.
i would love to see that church in verdon back in the 40's and 50's! real salt of the earth peeps
Every day I look for the dot on the menu that says a new video from you is up, and it still says Lord Spoda. I save it until evening when it is dark and a bit cooler, this heatwave is dreadful. I have seen all your videos and I'm retired now so I look at you and Nicole as friends. Silly, I know, but still. Many years ago I used to drive around my country filming and taking pictures of interesting buildings. That was way before TH-cam and I had to give it up because my car was useless. But I loved driving around in Sweden looking for old petrol stations and industry buildings of red brick. Look forward to your next adventure.
Thank you, Thomas, for the kind words. We're glad you're here.
I would love to hear stories from people that are living in this towns, It would be a nice video, I would like to see something like this in your channel, people sharing stories and showing the town
I live around that area of Nebraska. There are some really interesting places but I will not live here forever. Finishing college and getting out. New to your channel and glad that I found it!!!
There’s something plaintive and Wyeth about the look of these towns, especially the second one.
Hi Joe! You are doing a great job. I am watching and following you from Turkey.
One thing to remember re: rural town populations .... 100 years ago when these town's population peaked, there were many more people that lived on farms outside of these towns than in the towns themselves. These people all had large families, because children were free labor on the farm, and 1/2 of them wouldn't live to reach adulthood. The people in the towns had businesses that were needed by the people that lived on the surrounding farms. Every little town had an elevator to store grain and load it on wagons, trucks or rail cars. They had a high school and a post office and at least one grocery store, usually 2, a butcher and a bakery ... a hardware store.... there was always a creamery that bought and sold milk and eggs and made cheese... and a lumber yard that would buy trees and mill it into lumber... there was usually an automotive garage and gas station, which had replaced the stable and blacksmith of generations before... when mechanization allowed more acres to be farmed with fewer people and fewer of those acres were required to be used to feed draft animals and the people working the farm, while at the same time declining childhood mortality, and birth control availability increased .... there were ever fewer people that needed to come to town to buy things, or go to school.
Seemed to be a beautiful day 🌞out there last Wednesday - so far. You never know in tornado country... Humboldt appears to be a very nice and generally clean small town with nice parks! Gas there is approx 30 cents cheaper a gallon than up here in my area of Pennsylvania. ...Verdon even smaller - and somewhat rough around the edges but still quaint. ...Salem even sounds like it should be a ghost town👻 - 83 souls still above ground - so far. No witch trials there though😱! ...Now on to Falls City - seems to be an interesting city to explore the downtown a little closer... and another Statue of Liberty with her back to the sun so her face doesn't "wear out". Damn, I must be in the sun too much!...and with that sobering thought we will move on.
I heard Nancy Pelosi is moving here with THE HILL DOG CLINTON .2 WITCHES THEN ..🎉🎉🎉
Ya, why is Gas so expensive in Pa. ?? I travel between the Jersey Shore n NC a lot n go to Cabelas often.... Pa. gotta get their act together cause when also visiting Family in the western n north eastern parts everything seems to be older.... Love your beautiful state but just saying...... be well.
@@MegaBait1616 Pennsylvania already had high gas taxes and they refuse to let them go.
@@billstill1794 , Bill what you mean already ??
@@MegaBait1616 Pennsylvania has some of the highest gas taxes in the country.
Thanks for your time and sharing, great job.
Thank you. :)
Joe, your comment on the apparently high per capita and household incomes in various Midwest farming communities fails to acknowledge that even one super rich farmer selling his land and "moving to town" tends to distort the "average person's" income. By the way, I appreciate your efforts to show places in America that I would otherwise never see.
That super rich farmer would have to actually live in the town to distort the figure. I didn’t see that. I see the occasional huge home outside of the town’s city limits. I’m thinking the rich farmer lives there. Most likely, the few residents work at the granaries that you see in every town and are paid pretty well.
@@JoeandNicsRoadTrip Thanks for the follow-up.
@@michaelrice3538 I got your point, and it’s a valid one. 😀
My uncle lives in Fall city. Used to have a great aunt that lived in humbolt. Had alot of family in yhat area at one time.
The first place is so peaceful and beautiful 😍 place I have ever seen
The sculpture garden is so neat!!!
I agree. A real treasure.
Looks very peaceful!
What is now the Verdon Community Center used to be a Congregational Church but it closed. Sadly, there is no gas station or retail stores in Verdon. People in Verdon normally go to Falls City to get their supplies. I am glad to see you came to visit our area, next time you are in Verdon please stop by the Church and we can show you the inside of the building.
Small towns makes me think of the movie Doc Hollywood, love it.