Mount Vernon’s history will come vividly back to life this spring as the Public Library of Mount Vernon and Knox County, in partnership with the Knox Memorial Theater, hosts a special free screening of Small Town, USA.
The event will take place on Wednesday, April 8, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Knox Memorial Theater, offering the community a rare chance to see newly restored archival films that captured Mount Vernon during the final years of World War II.
In 1944, the U.S. State Department selected Mount Vernon as the setting for a series of short films designed to showcase the “American way of life” to audiences around the world. At the time, the government sought to highlight communities that embodied national ideals—hard work, civic pride, family life, and small‑town cooperation. Mount Vernon was chosen as an “All‑American Town,” and its residents became the stars of the project.
What makes these films especially compelling is their authenticity. No actors were hired; instead, everyday Mount Vernon residents appeared as themselves—at home, at work, in local shops, parks, and gathering places. The footage offers an intimate look at the rhythms of daily life in the 1940s, capturing both the ordinary and the aspirational. The films premiered at the Knox Memorial Theater in 1946, and now, 80 years later, they will return to the same stage in newly digitized, high‑resolution format, some restored for the very first time.
The evening will explore not only the films themselves but also the broader context in which they were created. These pieces were, in many ways, patriotic propaganda—crafted to present an idealized version of American life during a time of global conflict. The event invites attendees to reflect on how Mount Vernon once saw itself, how it wished to be seen, and how those images compare to the community today.
Following the screening, guests will have the opportunity to discuss the films, their historical significance, and the stories they preserve. For longtime residents, the footage may reveal familiar names, places, or family connections. For newer community members, it offers a window into the city’s past and the values that shaped it.
This free screening is open to all and promises a memorable evening of history, nostalgia, and civic reflection, an invitation to "glimpse Mount Vernon as it once was—or at least how it aspired to be," the Library stated.
