Our town - Prudence

It is the Spring of 1992.

In New Jersey is a small town called Prudence.
It is surrounded by dense forests around the town and the scenic Lake Hubberd, popular for nature trails and freshwater fishing.

Economy
Prudence is a bit of a "hidden gem" for camping and fishing. As well as the forests, there is some great freshwater fishing (if you know where to go). The busy seasons are Spring and Summer, which tends to get very quiet in the off-seasons. The economy of Prudence did thrive on tourists (camping and fishing and eating the famous Prudence Pride Pecan Pie) but it is stagnating. Living in Prudence is tranquil and peaceful, but the town offers few opportunities to advance economically, and none of the entertainment and amenities of the bigger city. Young people leaving for college rarely return to Prudence, and the town's population is slowly aging.

Landmarks
Washington Park: Hosts the grand finale of the Jersey Minstrels’ annual parade on the bandstands.

The Ulysses S. Grant Public High School: Home of the Gators. The mascot has a big goofy set of jaws, and a swishy stuffed tail that gets stepped on very often, and a yellow t-shirt with burgundy letters that say Gators.

Masonic lodge: Lodge where the Prudence Business Advancement Association resides.

Community centre: Built in 1988, it's a large, decorated warehouse of a building, mostly an open space with adjoining kitchen, office and storeroom, about twice the size the town needs, the original plan was to attract large conferences or conventions and bring more money to the town, but Prudence isn't on the radar for that kind of event. Even when the largest parties are held it feels like it's half empty, and it adds an aura of desolation to any event held there.

Surrounding area
New Jersey.

Pecan orchards: Where the pecan for the Pecan Pie is farmed, site of (victims found of) murders in the 60s.

Forests Dense and primeval, it envelops Prudence from all sides. Children enjoy playing on its outskirts, and numerous scenic nature trails weave between the wild trees. However, it is probably unwise to venture too far inside, especially alone or after dark.

The town closest to us is named Williamswood. It's about twenty minutes drive up north, and is somewhat smaller than Prudence. There is a friendly sort of rivalry between the two towns; Williamswood have their own kind of Pecan pie which they claim is in every way superior to Prudence Pride. They have their own marching band, county fairs - and a website that boasts they are the town from which it is best to explore the region's natural attractions - which is very fancy in the spring of 1992, considering that the first website ever went live in August 1991.

The abandoned bauxite mine outside of town, near the scenic Lake Hubberd. It's blocked off but the local teens like to party inside. Last year's post-Homecoming Rocky Rave is still talked about. Emily Carter Morgensen, the Orchard Killer was was cornered in a bauxite mine and killed by gunfire.

Traditions and organisations
The Jersey Minstrels, a marching band that rehearse all year for the 4th July performance, when they always parade down the streets, with grand finale at the Bandstand in Washington Park. Their hit is a brass arrangement of Thriller by M. Jackson, to which all kids like to dance doing zombie moves.

Winters End Fayre, it serves as a final gathering before tourist season starts. A chance to dress up and bring along displays or stalls of local talent and crafts before the tourist season starts.

The Prudence Business Advancement Association has been around for a long time. They're a Masonic lodge with all the associated secrecy, but their also a powerful lobby group within the town.

The Knitting Circle: The knitting circle are a loose affiliation of mostly older women in the town, they meet weekly to knit, catch up, arrange charity knits for local organisations and according to local jokes decide on the future of the town.

Town history
1700s
Did Brittish soldied bury the The Hessians' gold treasure near town?

Early 1960s
Emily Carter Morgensen, the Orchard Killer. In the early 60s, the state, even then Martin was shocked by a series of murders. The victims were strung up from pecan trees that grow in the area's orchards. After an extensive manhunt, she was cornered in a bauxite mine and killed in it by gunfire.

1988
Community centre was opened.

"A few years ago"
What happened to the wife of Mr. Ashby?

Rumors
The middle school librarian, Evelyn, used to be filthy rich, but she lost her fortune gambling it all in Reno. They say she only kept a large diamond, that she hides at home.

Mr. Ashby, an ornery old man who lives by himself in a small log cabin on the outskirts of town. His young wife went missing a few years ago, and the (never substantiated) rumors are that he chopped her up with his wood-axe and hid her body after discovering she had an affair.

There's a really old rumor that a unit of retreating British soldiers buried some looted gold in or around the town in the 1700's. Locals refer to it as The Hessians' gold. Only the very gullible actually believe this is true, but a little bit of revolutionary history is always good for bringing in the tourists.

Porous rock formations underneath the town will one day collapse and the whole town will sink away. It's just one new mining tunnel or earthquake away from happening. Oh, did you feel that?

The school gym hall has a ghost, allegedly it used to have underfloor storage that you could lift up and store equipment in. A kid named Ambrose Parks was locked or got stuck in there just before spring break and they found his body after someone heard tapping on the floor. The underfloor storage has been sealed off/filled in now, but sometimes you still hear tapping on the gym floors...

NPCs

Mr. Ashby, an ornery old man who lives by himself in a small log cabin on the outskirts of town. His young wife went missing a few years ago, and the (never substantiated) rumors are that he chopped her up with his wood-axe and hid her body after discovering she had an affair.

Drive time DJ. The radio station in town operates on a shoe string budget, kept afloat primarily by grants and repetitive commercials. Wildcat is the one bright light, a humorous man that serves as the celebrity in a population to small to have proper ones.

One of the town's wealthiest residents with plenty of interests in the local economy and deep roots in the town that stretch back generations. He is the president of the PBAA, and also the "Worshipful Master" of the lodge. Foote is a WASP, in his sixties and always nattily dressed, albeit in out-of-date fashion.


Clyde, the town tramp. Clyde is in his sixties (but a vagrant's life makes him look older - or ancient, as our kids would say).
He is a free spirit who wants to live without the rigid conventions of a job, a family and a set of rules. He is harmless, and fairly well liked. He gets by with people's donations - sometimes a cigarette, others a hot dog, or an old jacket for the cold nights.
People know he is good-natured, and kids like him for his wacky stories. He has spiky white hair, a wrinkled, sun-baked face, and he is missing every other tooth. He usually wears threadbare overalls and a faded baseball cap that reads Bud's Tyres.

The middle school librarian, Evelyn, used to be filthy rich, but she lost her fortune gambling it all in Reno. They say she only kept a large diamond, that she hides at home.

Chief Montgomery (‘Monty’) Tidwell. Him, and his handful of deputies, comprise Prudence's police department. Monty is a laidback Chief of police; the small town is relatively quiet and peaceful, and most of his job consists of writing tickets for parking violation (when he can’t find the owner and ask him to move his car), DUIs, and settling disputes over rose bushes crossing property lines. Don’t get on his bad side, however; if he can’t get troublemakers to see reason, he’s not above driving them way outside of town in the back of his patrol car and letting them walk back in the dead of night, or roughing them up till he’s sure they ‘got the message’. Everything to keep his beloved town from degenerating like the much more densely populated urban centers across the US.

One of the local GPs, with a paediatric specialty - so she's the one who sees all the kids. She's young (mid 20s?), speaks with a foreign accent no-one can quite place (German? Dutch? eastern Europe?) and hands out sweets to her visitors.