RIDGWAY, Ill.–Without a doubt, popcorn put this little speck of a town on the map.

Unfortunately, the mapmaker misspelled it — adding an “e” in the middle to make it “Ridgeway.”

And, if that wasn’t enough of an indignity, now the popcorn plant that gave Ridgway its much-cherished title, “Popcorn Capital of the World,” has shut down.

When the Agrilink plant, the town’s biggest employer, closed in late January, everyone’s first concern was the 40 people who were out of work. But right after that, they started to worry about another major issue: What would become of Ridgway’s Popcorn Days, on the second Saturday of September and the most enduring popcorn festival in the statefi

Unless you live or work here — or are paying last respects to someone at Ridgway’s Cox & Son Funeral Home — it is unlikely that you’d ever find yourself in this little place in the southeast corner of the state. “In order to come to Ridgway you have to have a reason,” says longtime Mayor Bob Rider. For almost half a century, Popcorn Days was that reason, the only reason.

What is happening in Ridgway (pop. 1,000) is hardly unique. Throughout the nation the very essence of small towns is disappearing with changes in farming, mining, trade and the like.

The incursion of huge agribusinesses, cheaper foreign labor and a host of other reasons have put an end to jobs and products that gave little places like Ridgway their unique claims to fame, their character, their civic pride.

“This was the World’s Popcorn Capital,” the mayor says ruefully. The town still uses the title but, frankly, “We don’t deserve it,” he says.

The same problems plague other proud places. Take Hoopeston, Ill., (pop. 5,965) and its beloved Sweetcorn Festival. Due east of Bloomington on the Indiana line, Hoopeston two years ago faced the decision on whether to continue the annual Labor Day weekend event after the giant sweet corn canning factory there shut down, putting hundreds out of work.

By unanimous accord, the festival goes on. “This is going to be our 65th annual National Sweetcorn Festival!” says a cheery Jennifer Lisle from Hoopeston’s City Hall.

Similarly, in Arcola, Ill., the Broom Corn Festival continues, although the crop that started it all now is grown in Mexico and Brazil, where labor is cheaper. Now, Arcola imports the stiffened tassels of the specialty corn used for brooms to keep the town’s three broom shops going and for broom sales at what will be the 33rd annual Broom Corn festival Sept. 5-7.

As for popcorn, the entire state of Illinois — not just Ridgway — is now a small player in the tasty world of this snacking delight.

Last year, only 8 percent of popcorn nationwide was planted in Illinois corn, making it No. 4 in the country and well behind the top three states: Nebraska (29 percent), Indiana (26 percent) and Ohio (21 percent).

A few popcorn facts: It’s a specialty product and is grown exclusively for popping, not for eating like traditional corn on the cob. The same popcorn can be used for both regular and microwave popping. Americans eat a total of 17 billion quarts of popped popcorn annually.

And, one final bit of popcorn trivia: Processors say the minimum “expansion ratio” is between 35- and 38-to-1. In plain English, to make the grade, that little kernel must grow to at least 35 times its original size when popped.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page C2.