A
town which is founded and maintained by a single
company, built around or nearby said company's
plant or
mine, where most of the town's
residents are employed. The location of the town is usually chosen based on the proximity to
natural resources (
coal,
pasture land, etc) which are mined or used as raw material for the products manufactured by the plant. All
facilities (
stores,
schools,
hospitals, frequently
churches) are owned by the company and therefore the remaining residents of such a town are company
employees in one way or another. The town's name is often identical to or based on the name of the company.
Company towns are usually associated with approximately the 19th century up to the mid-20th century. Most have been either abandoned when the company closed down or moved its business elsewhere, or developed into larger cities, losing their company-based identities. Still extant example: Hershey, Pennsylvania