I grew up in a microscopic smudge of a town. Ashkum, IL boasted some 600 residents at the time of the 1970 census, when I first became aware of such things. I'm convinced to this day, however, that those 600 included all the dogs, cats, and otherwise domesticated creatures within the village limits.
Frankly, I always thought the main job of the Village Clerk should be to sit at the edge of town with some chalk and a chalkboard and keep a running tally of exactly how many folks we had at a given time, changing the sign as cars entered or left town.
Since my Mom was the Village Clerk at the time, this idea never received serious consideration.
