| This study focuses on the development of Longview, a city in southwest Washington, founded by Long-Bell Timber Company in 1923. It will discuss the reasons behind Longview's development, the ways that Long-Bell's diverse interests and experiences impacted the city's planning and construction, and the influence that Robert A. Long, Long-Bell's founder and chief stockholder, had in the city's realization. In doing so, this study proves that Long-Bell pursued the same paternalistically driven elements of social control that have been traditionally attributed to company towns throughout the Pacific Northwest. The manifestation of those elements, however, was informed by a variety of new social, architectural, and religious movements, new strategies for the control of labor, and new levels of corporate cooperation that have not previously been considered relevant to Pacific Northwest company towns. Thus, Longview provides a vital new stage in our understanding of the trajectory of Pacific Northwest industrial housing. |
