Uncertain future for town caught in time (Scotia CA)

[T_i_B]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/07/12/wscotia12.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/07/12/ixnews.html

One of the last surviving company towns in America, a 19th century relic where everything from the houses and streets to the churches and school is owned by a single firm, is about to move into the 21st century.

Scotia, a logging community in the redwood forests of northern California, has been owned by the Pacific Lumber Company (Palco) since it was founded in the 1860s. Its 800 residents either work for the company, are retired from it or related to an employee. All live in one of 275 immaculate clapboard homes owned by the firm.

But the era of paternalism is ending as Scotia's debt-burdened landlord prepares to divest itself of many of its assets, including the houses, the town's impressive theatre, the museum and hotel.

Many residents are excited at the prospect of finally owning homes some have lived in for generations. But there are also concerns about exposure to the outside world.

[Igel]

1. Could be worse.

Sparrows Point was a company town, owned by Bethlehem Steel. Originally the employees got paid in scrip. Whole 9 yards: church, post office, schools.

Then in the late 70s the company got tired of owning a town. They disposed of it. They decided to use the land for a last ditch ultra-efficient large blast furnace to try to be competitive.

All the people, mostly retirees, had to move. I drove through it with my father after it was mostly bulldozed, before it was off limits due to new construction. He pointed out his high school, where he grew up, and so on.

[WhiteTara]

2. Scotia is a drab and forbidding

place. Now I know why...company town. Anything will improve it, especially if the outside comes in. It could be really cute, but the stench of tree death hangs like a pall over the place. It needs some real healing cleansing ritual work for anyone to come in and live there.