18 Small Towns That Changed America

Favorable winds allowed this 3,473-person town to be the site of the first flight by a powered airplane on December 17, 1903. The historic flight, piloted by Orville Wright with Wilbur beside him, lasted 12 seconds and took the brothers 120 feet through the air.

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A chance discovery in Coloma may have sparked the California gold rush, but America's first major gold rush started years before in this now 6,437-person town in the Peach State. According to Preserve America, it all began when deer hunter Benjamin Parks serendipitously tripped over a rock and realized it was gold!

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This quaint town of 15,052, now lined with well-preserved buildings and antique charms, once served as the capital of the first English colony in America. Though the town lost considerable political clout after Richmond became the new capital prior to the Revolutionary War, the historic district of Colonial Williamsburg gives tourists a glimpse of the town's past glory.

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Astoria served both as a winter stopover for the pioneering Lewis & Clark Expedition and the site of Fort Astoria, a trading post that started the fur trade in Oregon. The establishment of the trading post made this tiny town the first American settlement west of the Rockies, according to the Thomas Jefferson Foundation.

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Malibu's neighbor to the north has built a reputation as the tech center of America, but this carefree California town also made a valuable contribution to science when a local laboratory invented lasers in 1960. The light-emitting devices have been used in applications from cinema projectors and light shows to manufacturing and medical procedures.

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Following the skirmish at Lexington, English Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith led the British forces to this small town, where he was met by colonists who forced the British to retreat. Among the witnesses of the Battle of Concord was William Emerson Sr., the grandfather of essayist and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson, whose poem "Concord Hymn" immortalized the victorious colonists and their famous "shot heard round the world."

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Gonzales has been dubbed the "Lexington of Texas" because, much like Lexington and Concord, it saw the first military engagements of the Texas Revolution, a conflict that eventually led to Texas's being annexed as our nation's 28th state. The 7,660-person town has memorialized the battle site with stone and bronze statues, including the "Come and Take It" monument, which celebrates the colonists' retort when the Mexicans demanded the return of their canons.

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American cities might look very different today had it not been for William Levitt, the founder of what is now a 51,881-person bedroom community on Long Island. By designing a planned community with affordable housing, neighborhood schools, and safe, tree-lined streets, Levitt established the concept of the mass-produced suburb, forever changing the lifestyles of the nation's suburbanites.

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The bar has more than earned its place in the modern American city, but, according to Sheboygan Press, one of the earliest examples of this center of community and conviviality stands in this New England town of 24,779. The White Horse Tavern, in operation since 1673, long before America gained its independence, was once frequented by colonists, British soldiers, and pirates alike. Its designation as a National Historic Landmark honors its cultural impact.

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Even those who don't believe in UFOs would have difficulty denying Roswell's role in turning an interest in flying saucers into an iconic part of Americana. Extraterrestrial-themed edifices in the 48,184-person town, like the flying saucer-shaped McDonald's, keep the alien legacy alive for the next generation of Roswell residents and visitors.

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Not sure when winter will end? The answer is addressed every year by a weather-predicting groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil, who, every February 2, emerges from his burrow to predict either another six weeks of winter or the early arrival of spring, depending on whether or not he sees his shadow. Unusual as the cultural institution may seem, it's a tradition that's as American as apple pie, and one that's been observed in the 5,814-person town since 1887.

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Discover and admire beautiful and innovative home architecture, from grand Victorians to quaint cabins and all the styles in between. Take a look at the latest images and inspiration!