Columbus, Wisconsin

Founded in 1839 on the banks of the Crawfish River, Columbus is home to about 5,000 residents. For more than three quarters of a century, from 1900 to 1977, the canning factory and the businesses it spawned were the biggest contributors to area prosperity. When the canning factory, Stokley Van Camp, closed in 1977, Columbus maintained its vitality because of mostly decent weather, relatively fertile soil, industrious business leaders, and its proximity to the state capital, Madison. During the early 1900s, when communication by postcards reached its peak, Columbus-area residents were thriving, too.