2002 Blue Roan

The expansion of the railroad and cattle drives in the late 19th century brought many male laborers to the rough town on the frontier. It sparked the related rise of a notorious " red light district," with numerous prostitutes who did business with the men in saloons and brothels, which also featured musical entertainments. As more families settled in the area, they made the culture more stable, creating institutions such as schools and churches. In the late 20th century, structural changes in the railroads meant the loss of many industrial jobs, but the city has held on to a population close to its 1960 peak while developing new bases for the economy. The city is informally known as the "Trailer Capital of the Midwest," due to the high number of trailer manufacturers and dealers in the area.