"In small towns it is really close knit. You know everyone and everyone knows you."
-- Vicki Valentine, a 30-year employee of a frame shop in Milton.

"It's a really safe place to live. The community is really intertwined."
-- Rebecca Preston, 21, an English major at Marshall who has lived in Milton her entire life. Preston, who works with horses in Milton, said the community offers a safe alternative to bigger cities.

"I come here because of the American Legion Post. The place is safe and the people are nice."
-- Earl Stepp, 68, a resident of Hurricane who says he spends a large portion of his time in Milton due to the facilities and people in the town.

"I've moved to some other places. But each time, I have ended up back in Milton. I really enjoy cycling and Milton Is a great place to do that. The community is really active and really close. You walk down the street and people wave at you."
-- Herbert Smith, 63, was born in Milton and has lived there on and off for his entire life.

"There is a really strong sense of community here. I have raised my children here and lived here myself for a long time. West Virginia is small town, and Milton lives up to that."
-- Cameron Ernst, who has worked at City Hall for eight years, says Milton is an all-around great place.

"People think it's trite and boring. Each time there is a parade or event, you really get to see how close the people here are. You don't get that in a city."
-- Randy Rutledge, the storm water coordinator in Milton, says the town he works in defies common stereotypes about rural villages.

"We lived in Atlanta for a while and I really didn't like it. When I got a job offer here, I jumped on it....There is so much to do here. There's places like Blenko and the park that really define the community. One other thing I like about Milton is that everything is relatively close that I want to do -- you can just walk."
-- Georgina Doss, a librarian at the Milton Branch Library, is a resident of Malcom Springs. She said Milton offers a lot of heritage and entertainment.

"When you're growing up, you're like, 'I can't wait to get out of this place. When I got older, I really began to appreciate the heritage and the people of the town a lot more. I lived in Columbus for a while and came back with a different type of gratitude."
-- Lynn Blackwood, a public service assistant in Milton, says she now more fully appreciates her native community.