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It wouldn’t have taken long for a censustaker to tally up Van Petten’s population. All they would have had to do is knock on a farmhouse door with one hand and do the head count with the other one — and used just two fingers to do it. For nearly 20 years, and until recently, the population of the Lee County hamlet had been the same: two residents, and Dave and Francis “Babe” Brandon were pretty happy with their exclusive spot on the map. They even had signs on their property proudly proclaiming the population — “Van Petten – Population 2” — two people, two signs. Situated at the crossroads of Van Petten Road and the Union Pacific railway’s Nelson Subdivision line, Van Petten once boasted a general store, grain company and a railroad station — but in the end, one house remained, and it belonged to Dave and Babe. Van Petten had been continuously inhabited since its founding in 1901. It was named for A.G. Van Petten, who owned the land where the town was established. Today, however, its resident count is zero. Babe died on June 8, 2019, at home after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Dave survived her for more than 2 years before he passed away on Oct. 24. She was 87, he was 88. The Brandons enjoyed their unique distinction of being Van Petten’s only residents. The husband and wife would alternate “mayoral responsibilities” with each other; she would take over on her birthday, May 21, and would serve until Dave’s birthday, Nov. 12. The couple may be gone, but they left quite a legacy in Van Petten and Lee County. For two people to be a whole town is something not many people can boast about. Small Town Living pays tribute to Dave and Babe by reprinting an article that appeared in the Dixon Telegraph on Feb. 13, 2010, featuring the couple and the village they loved, written by Tara Becker and photographed by Chris Padgett.
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