By the time I was seven in 1950 the population of Pawnee City had declined from a peak of 2,000 people in 1900 to 1,600. For a seven year old boy the declining population meant nothing compared to the swimming pool across the street and a bicycle to explore the town all the way out to Soapstone just South of the city dump.
Life was largely free range with the whole town ready to report any of my mi…