The TRAVELER'S JOURNAL, September sixth, with a Labor Day appreciation of America's county seats.

Pell City, AL; Wampsville, NY; Muleshoe, Texas; Wenatchee, WA, and 3,065 other American cities and towns serve as the center of their county's civic life.

County seats range in size from major cities to tiny towns, but together, they represent a dot-to-dot map of trade and transportation hubs, and the center of government that most affects people every day, school board and tax assessor, health and road departments. Many county seats have a unique history, a quirky founding, a rise to prominence over a nearby competitor, and sometimes, a decline.

Regardless of their size, county seats usually boost a library, historical museum, and, the inevitable courthouse on the main square, which is often the most imposing structure for miles around. Many court houses are meticulously maintained temples of justice and administration, stately in proportion and reflecting, in style and materials, the time and place of their construction.

A courthouse tour can be revealing. Outside, there are time capsules and cornerstones; Civil War statues and honor rolls for local citizens who served in this century's wars. Courthouse interiors can be distinctive, with marble hallways and exhibits about early area settlers or other artifacts that place a place in time.

Collecting county seats can be a lifelong pursuit for geographically motivated travelers who want to find and feel the real fabric of America.

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