Richvale: A Legacy of Courage, Dedication, and Perseverance

Once a month, the Richvale Booster Club convenes at the Richvale Café, a gathering place owned by the locals. They talk, eat breakfast and guess the weight of a watermelon (winner take all). If you find this more comforting than quaint, you’re bound to enjoy the Richvale Writing Group’s chronicles—294 pages on how an isolated railroad siding grew into an agricultural hub. As implied by the subtitle, this is hardly a dispassionate account. Dennis Lindberg describes a café setback thusly: “Our tax-exempt status was challenged by the Internal Revenue Service. We had not made any money, we were nonprofit, so unfortunately we had no money with which to make charitable contributions. Does that make any sense? You be the judge! At least that was what the mean little lady from the IRS told us …” First-person prose is to be expected in an autobiography, and that’s what this is: a town’s autobiography. If you love local history, check Amazon.com or stop by the Richvale Café to get a hearty helping.