Reply #64: Exactly

[bain_sidhe]

Well, we didn't have the "first left after the boulder" But we had a "Rural Route 2" address at the post office for much of my childhood. But we were close enough to "big cities" (our town was about halfway between Flint and Saginaw) so that some people living there worked in the factories. But the bulk of the residents farmed or worked in local businesses. And "local" might be the next town over, rather than our own town.

At least in Michigan, the villages were dotted all over the mid-state area. Each was established about a days walk from the other, but of course, with cars, they were much closer. So, I and both my sisters worked in the next town over in summers.

So, yes, opportunities were limited, but not as much as you imply with your "access" variable.