It was encouraging to see Editor Mike Brown’s headline on the front page recently that the news about the Bitcoin operation may just be the first of many to utilize the vast Alcoa land holdings.
While Rockdale isn’t singing “Happy Days Are Here Again” just yet, it was encouraging and any investment will undoubtedly bring a spark to Milam County coffers.
This month’s Texas Monthly magazine has a great article about small Texas towns and how some of them are seeing a renaissance of sorts.
The article describes several small towns that are on the rebound, whose little economic engines are being greased by the power of young entrepreneurs.
These job creators are the “Gen-X” generation and younger who are tired of the rat race and ridiculous expense of living in Texas’ biggest cities.
To live in Austin in relative comfort, at least a six-figure income is needed. I know that’s hard on my old musician buddies who still make their living there.
So, with families in tow, some are eyeing these great small towns to start businesses that add their own amenities people look for in the cities.
The startup costs and building leases are far less. To quote the article: “Who needs a teeming metropolis when you can re-create the best parts of it at a fraction of the price and about half the stress?”
And like the craft beer craze has given beer drinkers options beyond the “Bud-Miller-Coors” triumvirate, these young business people have raised the expectations of what a small town can offer. (Witness Texas Beer Co. and all the downtown investment in downtown Taylor.)
The article mentions a couple of Austin “ex-pats” who earned good money, but spent it all paying bills in Austin.
They moved to nearby Lockhart and started a hip pizza joint.
Another couple began a brewery in Brenham, which has seen a pickup in its downtown businesses, again hosted by smart, young and brave investors and businesspeople.
Christine and I stopped there on a return trip from Houston recently and were pleasantly surprised by the hustle and bustle on a Saturday afternoon. Ice cream shops, of course, nice cafes, antique shops, artistic murals and plenty of shopping make for a very strollable downtown.
The article points out how “Fixer Upper” stars Chip and Joanna Gaines have managed to make Waco and its surrounding small towns a realistic option for living other than Austin, Houston, Dallas.
Many couples see the prices of pre-fixer-upper homes and think “why kill ourselves paying rent in Austin, when we could have the home of our dreams in a small town?”
And they are bringing their artisan eyes and talents with them and going into business.
I certainly admire those in Rockdale who have stuck it out through all the job loss and opened new businesses here.
Some lost their jobs at the plant and hung their shingle in their hometown. That takes guts. Others are building their brands; meat shops in Rockdale and Thorndale; ag operations like 44 Farms; Apache Pass; the variety of retail shops here in downtown Rockdale; and our neighbors Perry & Perry Builders, who are growing fearlessly and steadily.
I hope the recent good news will only encourage more. We still have a very walkable downtown with some cool buildings.
They just need some TLC (which, of course, takes a little cha-ching).
Successful small towns remain walkable and create their own “micro-economies,” the Texas Monthly article stated.
As we look toward a revitalized future, we salute those who are bringing fresh energy, enthusiasm and entrepreneurship.
We are no longer, as the old Saturday Evening Post once proclaimed, “The Town Where It Rains Money.”
But with optimism and people power, we can have a vibrant next few decades.
-kec-
Email me at kencooke@rockdalereporter.com if you have comments or suggestions. Thanks for reading.
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