Planned Company Towns

[amylea]

I'm looking for information on planned company towns such as Pullman IL. Does anyone know of any or perhaps know of any good sources on the subject??Thanks

 

[planasaurus]

You may want to look for something about the coal, logging, and mining towns that were built to house emoyees. I don;t know of any specific information, but there is probably something written about them. In the UP (Upper Michigan), many of the small towns were built by iron mining and logging companies, and they are really quite lovely and well-planned. The Michigan Historical Museum publishes an excellent magazine called Michigan History - you may be able to find some articles there (I think I remember a few).

 

[mike gurnee]

John Reps of Cornell started the field of planning history, with several books describing company and new towns. His works are a good place to start. Specific Pullman info can be found by web search.

 

[Lee Nellis]

Company Towns

Try Allen's Company Towns of the American West.

 

[kms]

Look into Hershey, PA, and Milton Hershey; try this link. Hershey.http://www.hersheypa.com/history/milton_history.html

 

[Jeff]

Check out Bethlehem, PA also.

 

[prudence]

Pullman and Ford

Many moons ago I wrote a 20-page paper comparing the practices of Pullman and Ford...specifically their role in developing housing stock for their employees and controlling the everyday lives of the workers. Remember when it was OK to do that...

When do you need the info by...if I can find the paper I will post the bibliography...

 

[prudence]

Books, books, books...

Went to my university's library website and looked for a few books...

Primary Author(s): Buder, Stanley.
Title: Pullman; an experiment in industrial order and community planning, 1880-1930.
Publication: New York, Oxford University Press, 1967.
Description: Book xii, 263 p. illus., maps, port. 22 cm.

Primary Author(s): Leavitt, Fred.
Title: Pullman, portrait of a landmark community : a photographic essay / by Fred Leavitt ; with a view of historic Pullman by Nancy Miller.
Publication: Chicago : Historic Pullman Foundation, 1981.
Description: Book 79 p. : chiefly ill. ; 23 cm.

Primary Author(s): Vance, Mary A.
Title: Pullman, Illinois : a bibliography / Mary Vance.
Publication: Monticello, Ill. : Vance Bibliographies, 1980.
Description: Book 4 p. ; 28 cm.

Hope it helps.

 

[jmf]

You may want to look at Labrador City, Newfoundland and Labrador, built in the late 50s by the Iron ore Company of Canada. Also, Fermont, Quebec, another iron ore town (Quebec Cartier Mining Company http://www.qcmines.com/pc/www_en/default.html). Fermont was designed by planners, architects, engineers etc and all built under one roof: shopping; schools; hotels; homes etc. When they went back a few years later to do a follow-up study they found the suicide rate was very high. This was attribited to SAD (seasonal affective disorder or sun deprivation) this led to a a redesign of the town. Now you must go outside to get to the schools and certain other areas of the complex are isolated to encourage people to go outside.

I always thought it would be interesting to do some research into these company towns which are also in the north.