Paul,
Agreed, although those two small towns I grew up in, Coos Bay and Roseburg, were booming with the timber industry, lots of jobs, great schools, lots of vital community energy.  And Nature.  
Back to those "vigorous values"-- Nothing  demonstrates those values better than a rodeo-- So   on the 4th after attending the wonderful Creswell Parade and Art in the Vinyard we went to  the Eugene Pro Rodeo to watch cowboys desperately try  to hang on to  a huge spinning  bull for about 8 seconds.
It was a great crowd, and just as in the other two venues everyone got along well, even after a few beers.  The announcer  gave a powerful  patriotic talk on the meaning of our flag, which as a Vet I loved-- but then launched in to a vicious attack on our universities, enraged that some student-type  someplace had desecrated our flag in a toilet.   
Turns out he was referring to that disgusting act of Emily Lance, who seems to have had nothing to to with universities.  Now that's culture conflict.