Do you remember the excitement of Christmas morning when you were little?

Of course you do.

Who can forget that?

Waking your parents up at an ungodly hour, jumping up and down while

they got themselves ready far too slowly, and then finally, being allowed to run into the living

room where all your presence were waiting. Most of us probably ran straight to the biggest one

and ripped it open fast. After all, when you're a kid, bigger is better,

right? Adulthood, though, means learning that the biggest isn't always the best. The flashiest

isn't always the most fun. The loudest isn't always worth listening to. And sometimes the best

gifts simply come in the smallest packages. And this lesson doesn't just apply to Christmas

presents. Take, for example, where you live. When you're young, you might be drawn to the hustle and

bustle of the city, bright lights, late night dinners, and excitement on every corner. What could be

better, right? But for a lot of us, the big city eventually loses its

glossy appeal. After a certain point, you just want quiet streets and the comfort of a familiar

routine. Of course, living in a small town doesn't mean that our lives are small. It just means

that we value something else now. When most people talk about New York, they're usually talking about

New York City. It's alive and energetic and full of the most interesting people in the world.

But there's just as much beauty to be found in the smaller towns of upstate New York,

even though they don't have quite the same sprawl, they certainly have their own stories to tell,

and for that matter, their own hauntings.

I'm Aaron Mankey, Pelmira, New York ever really had what one may call a heyday.

In 1800, the town had a population of roughly 1,000 people.

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