Independence Day

“Who the heck knows what’s going to happen?”

Mel Berti, Resident of Scotia, California 

Company town: Scotia, California

Back in the day, company towns dotted the Western United States. They sprung up around mines and logging sites, built by the mining and lumber companies to house their workers. Over time, resources were depleted, jobs were eliminated, and the towns closed down. Today, there’s only one company town left in California, and that’s about to change, too.

The residents of Scotia, California (population 800) recently voted to become independent. Their town, which was originally owned by Pacific Lumber Company, was handed off to a group of investors after Pacific Lumber declared bankruptcy in 2007. Even though the company’s gone, the town is not, and the investors have been taking care of it ever since. They want out.

So the investors put it to a vote: the residents of Scotia could become an independent town, or the town would go on the auction block. Seems like a no-brainer, but many of the residents didn’t want their independence. They like the way the company has taken care of them—maintaining public areas and homes (all are rented), keeping the “riff-raff” out, and eliminating the need for politicians. Still, the investors stood firm and held the election last month. In the end, an overwhelming majority of the Scotia residents who voted said yes to independence.

It will take a while for the town to complete its transition to independence, but voters have already selected their first group of representatives to take over governance of the town, and the investors are preparing the houses to be sold to residents, some who have rented their homes for generations. The road to independence might get a little rough for the folks in Scotia—that’s only natural—but they’ve already overcome the biggest roadblock of all: the death of their company. With that behind them, the upcoming challenges should be mere bumps in the road.

Read the articles:

 California’s last company town votes for independence

Old lumber town balks at independence