▁lived ▁in ▁the ▁community . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 2 , ▁a ▁new ▁two - story ▁brick ▁school ▁was ▁completed . ▁According ▁to ▁ 1 9 2 0 ▁Census ▁figures , ▁Pur don ▁had ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 3 4 6 . ▁With ▁the ▁coming ▁of ▁school ▁bus es ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 8 , ▁Belle ▁Point , ▁J ester , ▁and ▁Silver ▁City ▁schools ▁were ▁cons olid ated ▁with ▁Pur don . ▁The ▁population ▁began ▁to ▁stead ily ▁decl ine , ▁falling ▁to ▁ 3 0 ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 0 , ▁and ▁ 2 6 2 ▁by ▁ 1 9 4 0 . ▁The ▁decl ine ▁acceler ated ▁after ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁when ▁many ▁residents ▁left ▁he ▁area ▁in ▁search ▁of ▁greater ▁job ▁opportun ities ▁in ▁larger ▁cities . ▁Pur don ' s ▁school ▁was ▁cons olid ated ▁with ▁nearby ▁Daw son ▁in ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁ 1 9 5 9 . ▁As ▁of ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁Pur don ▁recorded ▁ 1 5 1 ▁inhabitants , ▁less ▁than ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁at ▁its ▁peak ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 0 . ▁During ▁the ▁remainder ▁of ▁the ▁tw enti eth ▁century , ▁the ▁population ▁hover ed ▁around ▁ 1 3 3 . ▁Today , ▁most ▁residents ▁travel ▁to ▁either ▁C ors icana ▁or ▁Daw son ▁for ▁gro cer ies , ▁bank ing , ▁do ctors , ▁and ▁employ ment . ▁ ▁On ▁October ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁the ▁fake