A Smithsonian Institute traveling exhibit: Crossroads: Change in Rural America arrived in Brookfield and will be on display beginning Sunday at the Brookfield License Office.
In 1900, nearly 40% of Americans lived in rural areas, but by 2010, less than 18% of the U.S. population lived in rural areas. That means, in just over a century, massive economic and social changes moved millions of Americans into urban areas. Yet, only 10% of the U.S. landmass is considered urban.
The Crossroads: Change in Rural America exhibit offers small towns a chance to look at their own paths, to highlight the changes that affected their fortunes over the past century. It is meant to prompt discussions about what happened when America’s rural population became a minority of the country’s population and the ripple effects that occurred.
The exhibit arrived this week in 16 crates and will be on display at the Brookfield License Office beginning with an Open House on Sunday, from Noon to 2:00 pm. The exhibit will remain on display through March 17th, Monday to Friday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and Saturdays from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.