Their jobs were based in industries which no longer exist or which have been automated into requiring far fewer workers. Similarly, you have the problem that a

Their jobs were based in industries which no longer exist or which have been automated into requiring far fewer workers. Similarly, you have the problem that a lot of people lived there by necessity rather than by choice. There are absolutely people who enjoy a rural lifestyle. But there's plenty of rural places not particularly enjoyable to anyone over other rural places with better scenery, less difficulty to getting to a store, etc. They have/had a town because at one time, there was a farm, or a factory, or whatever there that needed people and it the next closest town was too far of a commute for the time period.