Contributors
Meet the writers, researchers, and editorial voices who follow the questions that keep us curious.
Henry Walker
Writer, traveler, and collector of ordinary American stories—small towns, old highways, cafés, fairs, museums, and the people who keep places alive.
Frank Whitaker
A revealing storyteller who follows forgotten facts, historical mysteries, and the unexpected connections hiding in plain sight.
Douglas Sterling
Market reporting focused on what changing numbers mean for regular people, families, and businesses.
Truth Garage
Walter Rosenberg tells the story. Stan Rosenberg checks the facts. Together they investigate claims, context, and the hype around them.
Latest contributor work
The camera that made Dayton larger
In retirement, Bill Franz learned photography—and discovered a larger, more interesting hometown waiting inside the city he already knew.
Small Town America: What a Town Can Carry
A wok, a chili crown, vegetables, books and peaches reveal how communities turn what they have into something others can take home.
The pleasure of being new at something
A shelter dog, a bluebird project and a volunteer assignment open unexpected doors to purpose and enjoyment.
Small Town America: A Second Look
From a rescue reunion to a library’s unusual guests, familiar places have more than one job.
Small Town America: Making Room
Five community efforts widen the invitation, from a costume swap to an affordable home.
Small Town America: Care That Continues
From a Connecticut fundraiser to an Oregon cleanup, five stories ask what it takes to keep showing up.