**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** RURAL AMERICAN COMMUNITIES HAVE FACED SIGNIFICANT POPULATION DECLINE IN RECENT DECADES. THIS PROJECT EXPLORES THE HISTORICAL FACTORS SUPPORTING POPULATION GROWTH AND PLACEMAKING IN THESE AREAS. IT SPECIFICALLYSTUDIES HOW 1800S ELECTIONS THAT DETERMINED COUNTY SEATS (CAPITALS) FOSTERED DURABLE ECONOMIC AND POPULATION GROWTH. ALTHOUGH HISTORICALLY LOCAL GOVERNMENTS PROVIDED RELATIVELY FEW JOBS, THE STATUS OBTAINED FROM WINNING A COUNTY SEAT GREATLY INCREASED MIGRATION AND TYPICALLY MADE COUNTY SEATS THE LARGEST COMMUNITIES IN THEIR AREA. BY STUDYING ELECTIONS THAT WERE DECIDED BY A SMALL NUMBER OF VOTES AND WERE EFFECTIVELY DECIDED AT RANDOM, THIS STUDY WILL SEPARATE CORRELATION FROM CAUSATION IN THIS IMPORTANT EVENT THAT HAD LONG-TERM IMPLICATIONS FOR WHERE PEOPLE RESIDE TODAY.THE LONGER-TERM GOAL FOR THIS PROJECT IS TO USE THESE ANALYSES TO INFORM POLICYMAKERS AND THE PUBLIC ABOUT THESOURCES OF COMMUNITY GROWTH AND RESILIENCE OVER VERY LONG PERIODS OF 100+ YEARS.