9 Questions
What were some of the remote locations where company towns were often established in the 1890s?
railroad construction sites, lumber camps, turpentine camps, or coal mines
What amenities were constructed in company towns to encourage healthy communities and productive workers?
Churches, schools, libraries, and other amenities
What were some of the services believed to be negative influences that were prohibited in company towns?
Saloons or other places or services believed to be negative influences were prohibited
How did some companies prevent workers from leaving for other jobs or to buy from other, independent merchants?
The remoteness and lack of transportation prevented workers from leaving for other jobs or to buy from other, independent merchants
What were some of the methods companies used to control the finances of their employees in company towns?
Some cases, companies paid employees with a scrip that was only good at company stores.
Describe the impact of lack of transportation on workers in company towns in relation to their ability to leave for other jobs or buy from independent merchants.
The lack of transportation prevented workers from leaving for other jobs or buying from independent merchants, trapping them in the company towns and limiting their economic options.
Explain how companies paid employees and controlled their spending in company towns.
Some companies paid employees with scrip that was only valid at company stores, preventing them from spending money elsewhere. This lack of external competition led to exorbitant housing costs and groceries in company towns, trapping workers in a cycle of debt and dependence on the company.
How were laborers housed in company towns, and what excuses were given for these living conditions?
Laborers in company towns were often housed in fenced-in or guarded areas, with the excuse that they were being 'protected' from unscrupulous traveling salesmen. In the South, free laborers and convict laborers were often housed together in the same spaces, leading to equally terrible mistreatment.
What were some of the negative implications of company towns on the living and working conditions of the laborers?
Company towns led to exorbitant housing costs and groceries, large debts for the workers, limited economic options due to lack of transportation, and mistreatment of laborers, especially in the case of free and convict laborers being housed together.
Test your knowledge of company towns in the late 19th century with this quiz. Explore the development of company-owned communities in remote locations, their impact on workers, and the concept of paternalism in labor relations.
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