The town in question is likely the setting of Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery," which was first published in The New Yorker on June 28, 1948. The story takes place in a small, unnamed village in rural America on the day of its annual lottery. The lottery is a tradition that involves selecting a random member of the community to be stoned to death as a sacrifice for a good harvest. The story explores themes of tradition, mob mentality, and the dangers of blindly following rituals without questioning their purpose or morality.
