Hard Times:
The Great Depression in a Company Town
What happened to Company Towns during the Great Depression?
The story of Potlatch, Idaho may help us understand.
Potlatch, ID
Located in north-central Idaho, the small town of Potlatch lies on the banks of the Palouse River, surrounded by masses of white pine forest. However, Potltatch is no ordinary rural community, as it has spent most of its history as a "company town," meaning that the town itself was founded and owned by one company for the purpose of housing and maintaining its workers. This was the Potlatch Lumber Company, who owned huge tracts of forestland, vast networks of railroad, and 5 mill sites - one of which was the Potlatch Mill.
"Get a hold of an old cow tail" : a philosophy for hard times
If a town relied solely on one economic force, how did they fare during the worst economic downturn in history? Were they better off living in a company town than most Americans, or worse? Turns out, the answer is not clearly defined, and it depends on who you talk to. Here, we listen to the voices of those who lived through it themselves.