Wellsville native reflects on learning and growing up in small town America
By Laurie Gostley Hackett
Growing up in Wellsville, New York was a unique experience – it was the kind of town where everybody knew everybody, and you couldn’t really get away with much because someone’s cousin, neighbor, or teacher was sure to mention it to your parents before you even made it home. At the time, I didn’t realize how special that was. It wasn’t just that people knew one another — it was that they cared about one another.
We had a big family as did most of our friends, and we had a blast together. Kids shared everything then — banana bikes from Western Auto, backyard sleepouts, ice skating at Bradley’s pond, and the excitement of midget league football games. I remember how the scent of pine from Lunn Lumber drifted down Brooklyn Avenue, how walking to the Elmhurst for ice cream was such a treat, and how much we loved the sound of the announcer’s voice at softball games at Tullar field. In Wellsville, community wasn’t something you joined, it was something you lived.
When a childhood friend was in a traumatic car accident, neighbors joined in to put together a fundraising carnival. When the Wellsville High School band marched in the Memorial Day parade, the whole town seemed to turn out. When someone passed away, the American Legion volunteers showed up in uniform and the ladies auxiliary quickly organized a mercy meal. And when there was a fire in our family’s home, volunteer firefighters from all over town showed up in minutes to help battle the blaze and save our house. In those moments, the message was clear: we were all in this together.
Years later, I see how those experiences shaped everything about who I became. I now work in community relations, building partnerships that strengthen neighborhoods, support nonprofits, and bring people together around shared purpose. I serve on boards, volunteer with the blood center, and work closely with our Chamber of Commerce — and every time I do, I realize I’m just continuing the same lessons I learned growing up in Wellsville.
Back then, we didn’t call it “volunteerism” or “corporate social responsibility.” We just called it being a good neighbor. If someone needed help, you helped. If older adults at the nursing home could use cheering up at Christmastime, Uncle Jack arrived as Santa Claus. If there was a cleanup day at the library or the post office, you grabbed a rake. If the YMCA needed a sponsor or the community center needed a fundraiser, the Lions and Kiwanis clubs found a way. If you were “Miss Garden Club” for the country fair and had to sell $1 tickets, every person on your street bought one. All of it taught me the fundamentals of community leadership: empathy, accountability, and the power of showing up.
Leaving a small town doesn’t mean leaving its values behind. It means carrying them with you — into your workplace, your city, and every new circle you join. Those of us who grew up in places like Wellsville know that true community isn’t measured by size or zip code; it’s measured by connection, trust, and generosity.
So, whether you’re reading this from a small town or a big city, whether you’re back home on Farnum Street or halfway around the world, I hope you’ll keep building community wherever you are. Call your neighbor. Volunteer for a cause. Cheer for someone else’s kid. The world could use a little more of what we all learned in Wellsville.
—-
Laurie Gostley Hackett is the Director of Corporate Relations at Air Products, a global industrial gas company. She is a graduate of Wellsville High School, SUNY Oswego, and Miami University. She currently serves as Chair of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, which is the 6th largest chamber in the United States. She also hosts an award-winning podcast that recently won Best Series from the Pennsylvania Broadcasting Association. You can reach her at Laurieghackett@gmail.com.
