ABSTRACT
Edwin N. Thomas, "Some Comments on the Functional Bases for Small Iowa Towns", Iowa Business Digest. The chapter examines the functional bases for small southern Illinois towns and compares results with those of similar studies in other areas. In order that coherent analysis made of the functional bases of small southern Illinois towns, mass of data collected by field work has been summarized for each urban place in terms of establishments, functions, and functional units; concepts are borrowed directly from Thomas Iowa study. Thirty-one small towns were selected as a sample of small urban places. Data on central-place functions performed in each of the 31 towns were obtained through field work, rather than from secondary sources. The relationship between the number of establishments and population size in the small towns of southern Illinois is very close. The close positive correlation indicates that, even in areas where towns are generally declining, the number of establishments is quite responsive to population change.
