This creative project has provided an example of a community participatory planning process in a small town setting. In this study the process specified by The Small Town Planning Handbook by Daniels, Keller And Lapping (1988) was compared to and supplemented by other contemporary small town and general planning literature. The specified process was designed to be a self help means for a small town to plan and subsequently compile an abbreviated town plan ("Miniplan"). The process was then applied to the Town of Lynn, Indiana as a case study. This study includes discussion and analysis of the study process as it occurred and resulted in several lessons learned. The most significant conclusion is that small towns cannot entirely plan on a self help basis. A visiting planner (eg. circuit rider or consultant) or a trained facilitator is necessary to guide the process. The resulting town planning study document (plan) is appended to this study for reference. / Department of Urban Planning