--- Begin Forwarded Message --- Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1998 15:52:27 MST7MDT From: Ken Rockwell <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: Company towns <fwd> In my home county (Contra Costa, SF Bay Area), there's a town called Hercules, after the company which got its start in dynamite and later branched into chemicals. It was a classical company town until the 1970s when they started closing down the old houses as employees left, and at the same time they sold off large surplus acreage to developers. The city retains the company's name, though most residents have no connection with the company. --Ken Rockwell --- End Forwarded Message ---