The Villagers of Nebraska

The townspeople of Taylor are out in force to make you welcome in this charming Nebraska town that sits on the edge of the Sandhills. There's Ralph and Hank (pictured above), two likable-looking fellows that hang around the town's visitor center, formerly an old-time Sinclair filling station.

Just down the street Herbert and Alice are seen walking up to the Pavillion Hotel, two more citizens that represent Taylor's nearly 100 population of plywood people.

The brainchild behind this attention-getting art is Marah Sandoz, a self-trained artist with experience using wood and paint. She hatched the idea of life-sized plywood cutouts depicting people who might have lived in the village between 1890 and 1920, the boom years when Taylor had twice as many people as its current population of less than 200.

The extra miles it takes to reach this town are worth the effort. The bygone era depicted by "The Villagers" does an outstanding job showcasing the charm of small-town America.