Population (2010) 2,521 Introduction Known for bald eagles and the Grumpy Old Men movies, Wabasha is a pleasant river town and an enjoyable place to kick back and watch the world float by. Wabasha is also among the few towns where the riverfront is undisturbed by railroad tracks, so
Population (2010) 27,592 Introduction Winona is an interesting blend of influences: blue-collar traditions mix with lively college campuses and a rich cultural scene. The city is now making plans to spruce up a neglected riverfront, to create something more befitting a city that is knee-deep in river history.
Population (2010) 688 Introduction The sign welcoming you to Potosi says “World’s Longest Main Street.” Maybe I’m over-thinking this, but I haven’t been able to figure out what this claim actually means. Robert Ripley (Ripley’s Believe It or Not) once said that Potosi “was the smallest town with the
Population (2010) 3,429 Introduction The oldest city in northern Illinois, Galena was more populous than Chicago at one time and has the infrastructure for a city three times its current population. It has a compact center of well-preserved 19th-century commercial buildings tucked into a narrow river valley; terraces race
Population (2010) 3,062 Introduction Popular with bikers, not just the manually-propelled type but also of the Harley variety, Savanna is a little rough around the edges after a couple decades of job losses. Don’t let the peeling paint deter you from getting to know what some locals call the
Population (2010) 26,885 Introduction The first time I drove through Clinton, I noted “some towns look like they struggled from the very beginning; Clinton is one of those towns.” Appearances can be deceiving, though, as I learned. Driving through, you don’t get a sense of the city’s well-to-do past.
