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Lost Americana

The abandoning of rural America

Farmers make up 90% of the work force in America, or about 3.6 million out of 4 million people.

Over 23 million people worked on at least one of the 4 million farms in America. Roughly 50% of the population.

Between 1900 & 1950 the country averaged 31 million people a year working as farmers, on a record high 6.5 million farms (1920).

By 1980 there were only 6 million farmers on 2.5 million farms in the U.S. 3% of the total population

The number of farmers fell below 3 million, on just over 2 million farms. The only time there was less, was when the total population was about 3 million.

In just over a generation a population the size of New York, Chicago, & Los Angeles combined (30 million) was "Lost". Very little data was collected on where they all went.

For first time in history the U.S. Census showed the rural population of America shrank.

Lost Americana isn't about saving old buildings, or preserving a way of life...

It's about what happens when 30 million people leave.
And the ruins they leave behind.