I recently returned from a short visit with my daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren. They live in a tiny town in a tiny county (population: 7,000) whose claim to fame is that they have no traffic lights. Or big box stores. Or fast food franchises.

Shannon and Dave bought an old house, built in 1910, which they are in the process of renovating. The house is about three blocks from town. Arek and Aimee, (10 and 8) can ride their bikes anywhere in town: to the little grocery store, to the fishing pond, to school, to the bakery, to their friend’s houses.

One weekend they went to a neighboring ranch to help with branding. Other weekends find them snowmobiling in the national forest, or up skiing/snowboarding at the small volunteer run ski slope, or camping, or hunting for morels.

The economy in their small town is what we would consider bad. It’s never been a great economy there – no industry to speak of. The largest employers are the forest service (my son-in-law is a wild land fire fighter), the school system and the hospital.

But, and here is my reason for rambling on…entrepreneurship is alive and well in Wallowa County (northeastern corner of Oregon if you are curious). Most of Shannon and Dave’s friends, if not employed by the forest service or hospital, own their own businesses. The restaurants are family owned and run. The hardware store is family owned and run. The coffee shop (Gypsy Java – if you are ever in Enterprise, you must stop in!) is owned by two friends. There’s a micro-brewery/restaurant called Terminal Gravity that serves up delicious brews and delectable gourmet meals.

At TG’s, regulars have their own beer glasses – all made by local glass artists. No plastic cups – regulars purchase their glasses and the brewery washes them and puts them on the shelf for next time.

Which leads me to my next point. Because of the lack of big box stores and fast food franchises, artists, crafters, restaurateurs and other small businesses thrive. You need soap? You want to give a gift? You don’t run into Walmart. You wander into BeeCrowBee in Joseph (an up and coming arts destination one town away from Enterprise) and purchase some lovely locally made soap or lotion. Or you saunter through To Zion and find one-of-a-kind locally created jewelry. 

Such is life in a tiny town in a tiny county, 90 minutes away from the nearest Starbuck’s. And life is good.