industrial location analysis of linton, indiana - 1955

8/7/2019 Industrial Location Analysis of Linton, Indiana - 1955

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Bureau ofBusiness ResearchSchool of Business

IndianaBusiness Information Bulletin

Number 24

Industrial LocationAnalysis

ofLinton, Indiana

I ND IANA UNIVER ITY BLOOMINGTON


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BUREAU OF BUSINESS RESEARCHSchool of BusinessIndiana University

SCHUYLER F. OTTESON, DirectorWALLACE O. YODER, Associate Director

JOHN P. LEWIS, Business EconomistNANCY R. AUSTER, Editor

RICHARD W. GRAVES, StatisticianRENEE W. PAUDLER, Assistant Editor

STEPHEN PARANKA, Research AssociateTHOMAS W. SHENK, Research Assistant

MARTHA F . FALLER, SecretaryLAVERNE M. HAYES, Secretary

)Indiana Business InformationBulletinNumber 24

I N D U S T R I A L L O C A T I O N ANAL YS I SOF

L I N T O N , I NDI ANA

byw. GEORGE PINNELL, D. B. A.Assis tant Professor of Real EstateTAYLOR W. MELOAN, D. B.A.Associate Professor of Marketing

CHARLES H. SPENCER, D. B. A.Assis tant Professor of Accounting

A Publication of theB,ureau of Business Research

School of BusinessIndiana University Bloomington


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Copyright 1955by the

Foundation fo r Economic and Business Studies

Price : $1. 00

2

FOREWORD

This study involving an industrial location analysis of Linton,Indiana, wa s a joint effort by the School of Business of IndianaUniversity, Industries fo r Linton, Inc . , and the Greater LintonClub. I t wa s undertaken at the request of the Linton organizations,and they provided the required funds through the Foundation fo rEconomic an d Business Studies.

Dr . W. George Pinnell , Assistant Dean of the School of Business ,directed the study, and he wa s ably assisted by Dr . Charles H. Spenceran d Dr . Taylor W. Meloan. A number of the citizens of Linton wereextremely helpful in th e collection of data and in the preparation ofthis final report. Special mention should be made of Mr. GeorgeGreene, Mr. Vance Sappenfield, and Mr . Jack Kennedy .

Th e results of the study ar e of primary interes t to the people ofLinton, Indiana. However, as a case study, this report may alsohave values for other cities which ar e interested in th e analysis oftheir potential fo r industrial development and economic growth.

3

Arthur M. Weimer, DeanSchool of BusinessIndiana University


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PREFACE

A report of this type should answer three fundamental questions:l. Why was the report undertaken? 2. What approach or point ofview ha s been followed? 3. What value does th e completed reporthave?

l. Th e report wa s undertaken at th e request of a group of inter-ested citizens of Linton. This group was concerned with the problemof obtaining new industry fo r th e community in order to augmentpresent sources of employment an d income.

2. Consistently, th e point of view ha s been that of a f i rm screeningth e community as a possible site for a new plant. Generalities havebeen held to a minimum. Objectivity has been given paramountposition in th e analysis.

3. I t is hoped that th e report will serve th e essentia l function ofscreening Linton as a possible site fo r a plant location. Preparationof th e report wa s conducted along li ne s laid down by industry forsurveys of communities under consideration fo r plant locations.Thus, the report should save industry money an d t ime.

Secondly, the report wi ll serve th e community by pointing ou tareas of strength and we a kness. In addition, it will provide anobjective basis for future p lanning an d action .

No re p or t of th i s type i s an en d in itself; it mere ly serves a s ameans toward an end. In th is case , th e en d is to provide in dustrywith a location wh ic h wi ll meet the lon g range objectiv e of m in i -m iz ing costs an d max im izing p ro fi t s a nd to p r ovide t he com muni tywi th a s ourc e of em p loy m e nt a nd in come whi c h wi ll ma intai n a nacceptable economic pos it ion.

These two p os i tions ar e no t antithetic al. In an ex panding e c on -om y, new plants a re constantly being built . Selection of a goodsite will r e su"lt in be tt e r prof i ts to th e f i rm, mo r e in com e to thecommunity, and mo re products at lowe r cost to the public.

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T

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

Section PageI. Summary 9

II. The Setting 12The Economic Setting. 12Th e Physical Setting 12

III. Th e Peop le . 16More Women Than Men. 17Youn g or Old. 17Nativity 19Education 19Size of Labor Force. 19Sex of Labor Force 19

IV . Th e Economy in 1955. 20Types of Industry 20Summary. 23

V. Th e L abor Force in 1955. 24Available Labor . 24Sex of th e Labor For ce 25What Type s of Skills

ar e Available . 25Characterist ics of Labor . 26Labor Organi zation s 26Turnover Rates & Absenteeism 26Wage Rates 27

\ VI, Indus tr ial Sites. 28General Description 28Location Map 29

VII. Fuel , Power , an d Water . 33Coal . 33Ga s 37Electricity. 38Water . 39

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8 Ind i ana Bus iness Information Bulletin

VIII. Transportation . .Motor Freight .Rail Freight . .Air Freight . .Passenger Service.

IX. Th e Urban Plant . . .Governmental OrganizationsCity & Township FinancesPolice & Fire Protect ion.Sewers an d Sanitation.Streets. . . . . . . . . . .Municipal Utilities. . . . .Hospital Facili t ies & ServicesSchools . . . .. . . .Nonpublic Schools. . . . . . .P r ivate Kindergartens . . . .Community Financial Faci li tiesOther Financi ng .Housing . . . . . . . . . .. . .Churches . . . . . . . . . . . .Civi c & Fraternal OrganizationsComme r cial & Service Facilities.Cultural Facili t ies . .Recr e a ti ona l Fac ilitie sSummary . . . . . . .

X . Retailing an d WholesalingShopping Faci li ie s . . .'Retail Trading Area . .Ne a r by Ma jo r Shopping Cente rsWholesale Faci litie s. . . . . . .Ne a r by Major Whole sa le Ce nters .

Appendix A .Appendix B .

414146484849495051525353535456565657575959595960626363666868697 071

SECTION 1S U M M A R Y

T his -re por t i s ',an an a ly si s of the desirabili ty of Li nt on , In di a na,fo r in dustr ia l plant lo cation purposes . Th e salient findings of anIndiana University research gr oup abou t this topic ar e presen tedbelow.

The Setting. Linton, a city of 6,096 people, is in th e southwesternpart of the state. Th e city ha s an undeveloped economic potentialresulting from a long, gradual decline of th e area 's major industry,coal mining, which ha s produced a substantial labor surplus. Se epages 12-15.

Th e People. Approximately 97 per cent of Linton's population isnative white. In 1950, approximately 48 per cent of Linton's population was male while in Greene County the division between sexeswa s equal. The median educational level is no t significantly different from the national average. Se e pages 16-19.

The Economy. Agriculture accounts for 20.6 per cent of totalemployment; retail trade, 14.6 per cent; mining, 14.2 pe r cent; an dmanufacturing, 10.6 per cent. Other classifications account fo rth e balance. With the exception of public administration an d construction, no industry employs as much as 5 per cent of the totalla bor force. Th e major co mpeti tor s for loca l labor are: sevencoal mining companies; three construction firms; tw o clay productsmanufacturing companies ; an d one each manufactur ing blankets,rugs, women's l ingeri e , an d fractiona l horsep ower mo tors . Onlyon e ind u s tr ial f irm an d. two regu la r ly em p loy m ore th an 100pe rs on s. See pages 20-2 3.

Th e L ab or F orce. Bec a us e of th e s ca r ci ty of s uit abl e e m ploymentoppo r tunities, the pe r centage of L in ton's populat ion in the laborfo r ce is s ign ificantly 'lower than th e national average. I t is estimatedth a t a potential labo r pool of 13,000 exists in th e area. This supply ,c oupled with the lower living costs of a smal l community, wouldresul t in favor.able labor costs for industrial concerns locating th e r e .Se e pages 24- 27.

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10 Indiana Business Information Bulletin

Industrial Sites. There ar e numerous industrial locations available in the Linton area requiring a minimum of site preparation.They are serviced by adequate transportation, gas, water, sewagedisposal, and electric power facilities. See pages 28-32.

Fuel , Power, and Water. Coal is present in the Linton area inabnost unlimited quantities. Unfortunately, it is unsuitable fo rcoking. The city owns and operates its own distribution systemsfo r gas , electricity, an d water . Currently, there is no waitinglist of customers desir ing ga s service . Ga s an d water rates arebelow those of private utilities. Ample water exists for potentialindustrial expansion. An y large user could contract directly withprivate utilities for its power. Se e pages 33-40.

Transportation. Motor freight f irms serving th e Linton areaca n provide satisfactory service to potential industrial customers.Th e area is served by branches of th e Illinois-Central Railroad;the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, an d Pacific Railroad ; and th ePennsylvania Railroad. Linton ha s a small airfield which ca naccommodate private planes, an d it is close to larger ci tie s servedby th e major comme rcial airl ines . Se e pages 41-48 .

Th e Urban Plant. Th e survey discloses no lack of se rvice s orfacilities commonly expected in a city of this size. I t appears tobe in excellent financial condition and ha s a reasonable propertyta x rate . Police an d fire protection ar e adequate. Th e sewer systemreaches more than 75 pe r cent of al l city residents, and the dis-posal plant is operating at 50 pe r cent of it s capacity. An adequate,short- term general hospital is located within th e city . A well-conceivedschool expansion program is in process . Tw o banks provide fi -nancial services to the community . Housing facilities, includingbuilding sites, appear adequate an d reasonably pr iced. Linton has21 churche s an d is repre sented by the usual civic an d fraternalorganizations. Culturally, th e city ha s a complete l ibrary, a dailynewspaper, an d a radio station. Linton probably has as large anarea pe r capita se t aside for parks an d playgrounds as any city inthe United States. Th e city has demonstrated an impressivelycooperative attitude toward industry. See pages .49-62.

Retailing and Wholesaling. Since Linton is the largest city inGreene County, trade from several smaller surrounding communities gravitates toward it. As a result , it s shopping facilities ar ecomplete fo r a city of its size . Residents find adequate stocks ofgoods needed to carryon their daily living. Several larger cities,close to Linton, provide more extensive shopping facilities.

Linton, Indiana 11

Within recent years, three national or regional retail chains haveenlarged, modernized, or opened ne w s tores in Linton. This isindicative of the faith of their managements in the city's future.There ar e 11 w ~ o l e s a l e r s in th e city. In addition, retailers ma yorder merchandlse from several nearby major wholesale centers.Se e pages .63-71.


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SECTION 2TH E SETT ING

Th e Economic SettingAlthough th e northern par t of Indiana ha s enjoyed rather extensiveindustrial development, the southern section of the state has placed

major rel iance on agr icul ture an d mining. Evansville, located inth e extreme southwest corner of Indiana about 72 miles south ofLinton, is a notable exception with a highly developed indus tr ialcomplex. With this lone exception, southern Indiana ha s no counterpar t fo r th e indus tr ial ci t ies of Gary , South Bend , an d Fort Wayne. '

The components of the economic base of southern Indiana a re no tth e type which produce large ci t ies . Hence, the area is dotted withsmal l communit ies which serve as trading centers fo r th e surroundmgru ra l a reas an d which occasionally have on e or a few small indust r ies . Most of th e counties contiguous to Greene County in whichLinton is located may be descr ibed in this manner .

Despite fluctuations, th e general trend of th e economy in th eLinton area has been a long gradual decline. Employment opportunities have become scarce, an d income levels have declined inreal t e rms . This situation coupled with some immobility of laboran d an apparent loyalty to the "home town" ha s produced a definitelabor surplus in the area, even during per iods when a tight l abor: ..' . t f I ment opportunihesmarket ha s existed nationally. Th e pauci y 0 em p oy .plus lower living cos ts have resul ted in labor cos ts to local industrybelow that found in industrialized urban areas. This point is ex plored in grea te r detail on pages 24-25.

Th e Physical SettingLinton is located in th e southwestern part of Indiana only a fewmiles from th e theoret ical center of the nation's population.

Indianapolis, th e largest city an d state capital , is located about70 air l ine miles to th e northeas t ; Chicago, 185 miles north;St . Louis, 176 mi:les southwest; Louisville, 92 miles southeast;and Cincinnati , 14 0 miles to th e east. Approximately on e third ofth e nation's population resides within a 500-mile radius of Linton .

12

Linton, Indiana

Th e city's geographical position in the nation an d in th e state isshown in Figures 1 an d 2.

13

Greene county, in which Linton is located, is divided by th eWest Fork of the White River. Th e section of the county east ofthe r iver is character ized by broken hills which range between1,200 and 1,300 feet above th e surrounding terrain . In the Lintonarea, the terrain west of the r iver is characterized by the broadflat val leys of th e Wabash lowland . The divides between th e s t reamsin this section 'ar e low and general ly flat. Within the corporatel imits of Linton, th e maximum variat ion in elevation is approximately 50 feet, ranging from 500 to 550 feet above se a level.

Th e lowest point in th e area is Goose Pond. This semimarsh isapproximatel y two miles southwest of th e city an d ha s an elevationof 410 feet above se a level. No flood hazard is presented to possible indus tr ial areas, however, since drainage is to th e south an da 'higher level of land separates th e tw o areas.

Du e to shaft mining activity, some underm ining exists. However,there is ample land with geographical an d topographical featuressuitable fo r both light an d heavy industry. This point is discussedspecifically in th e section on industrial. sites , page 28.


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{fJr..lE-


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SECTION 3THE PEO PLE

Reflecting th e economic situation which ha s prevai le d fo r almost50 years, Linton general ly ha s failed to match th e economic growth ofof th e n ~ t i o n . With the exception of th e 1930-4 0 census period, population has decreased every period since 1910. Greene County ha sdeclined each census period since 1910. In contras t , th e natio"n asa whole ha s near ly doubled it s population in th e same 50 years, asshown in Table 1.

TABLE 1POPULATION CHANGES IN LINTON, GREENE COUNTY,

AND THE UNITED STATES, 1900-50Per Cent Greene Per Cent United Per Ce ntYear Linton Change* County Change * States Change *

1950 5, 973 - 4. 8 27,886 - 11. 0 150,697,0001940 6,263 23.2 31,330 - 0 . 5 131,669,0001930 5, 085 - 13 . 2 31,481 -14.4 122 , 775,0001920 5,856 - 0. 8 36,770 - 0.2 105,711,0001910 5,906 92.3 36,873 29.2 91 , 972,0001900 3,071 28,530 75 ,995 ,000

* From previous ce nsu sSource : Bureau of th e Census , Census of Population, 1950(Washington, D. C. : Government Print ing Office, 1952I"\Tol. II,Par t 14.

A private census conducted in 1954 se t th e population of Lintonat 6,096. 1 Thus, in th e four years since th e last national ce nsus,the population of Linton has apparently increased slightly .

1. Linton City Directory (Chillicothe, Ohio : Mullin-KilleCompany, 1954). 16

14 .57.2

16.114.921.0

Linton, Indiana 17

More Wom e n than Me nIn 19 50, th e mal e population of Linton was 48.1 pe r cent of th e

total population and in Greene County 50 pe r ce nt . Th i s rat io isquite s im i lar to the national pat tern in wh ich males represent 49.7~ e r cent of the total population . Among Indiana metropolitan areasm 1950, South B e nd had the highest proportion of males with 50.6p e r ce nt , an d Indianapoli s the low e st with 48 . 1 pe r c en t .

T able 2 ~ r e s e n t s th e portion of t he total population in vario us ag egr oupmgs m Lmton, Greene County, and th e United States. T hedata revea l cer tai n s ignificant di ffere nce s between th e L inton areaa n d th e United States. Firs t , there ar e relative ly fewer person sin the sc h ool age (5- 19) group than th e national average. Since the" d 5" .un e r group 1S also lower, th1s t rend ma y be expected to continue.Second, there is a much higher percentage of th e total population inth e older ag e groups (60 an d over). In Linton, 20 per cent of th etotal population was over 60 years of ag e in 1950; an d almost 18pe r cent were in th e same ag e group in Greene County. By contras t ,th e national average is jus t over 12 per cent, an d for Indiana slightlymore than 13 pe r cent. Third, in the ag e group from 40 t6 59 years,th e local area is only slightl y higher t han th e rest of Indiana a nd th enational average. Th e large propor t ion of the total popu lation i n theo ld er ag e groups, however , i s d irec tl y re fl ected in th e a ge groupfrom whi ch t he m a j or it y of m al e fac to ry labor is dra wn - fr o m 20to 40. In th e Linton - Gre e ne Coun ty a rea , onl y 25 pe r c en t of th eto ta l po pu lation is be twe en 20 an d 4 0, compared w it h m or e than30 pe r ce nt na tionally. Were employ m e nt oppo r tunitie s in th e Lintonar ea r e adily a vailable (which they a re no t) this would result in as hortage of s uitable labor . As a matter of fact, th e exodus of families in this ag e group has no t assumed th e proportions which mightnormally be expected. .


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Linton, Indiana 19

NativityApproximately 97 per cent of the Linton population ar e native white.

Of th e abnost 6,100 persons in the city, only 186 were foreign-bornan d there were no Negroes o r other minority races present. InGreene County, only 2 per cent of the population ar e foreign-born.

EducationThe median numb er of school years completed by Linton residentsis 8.8 years , compared with a national figure of 9.0 years. In part ,

the lower figure may be explained by the relatively large number ofolder people in the area who attained less schooling than is prevalenttoday. Industrial establishments in the area rate th e educationalachievement of th e labor force as more than satisfactory. A moredetailed treatment of educational facilities begins on page 54.

Size of Labor ForceReflecting th e scarcity of suitable employment opportunities and th epopulation concentration In th e older ag e brackets , the Linton labor

force is only 38.6 per cent of th e total population. In contrast, th enational average including rura l as well as urban areas is 39.5 percent. Among midwest metropolitan areas , th e labor force runs froma high of 45.2 per cent in Chicago to a lo w of 39.9 per cent in TerreHaute. In Greene County, th e labor force makes up only 34.7 per centof th e total population.

Sex of th e Labor Force In 1950, more than 74 per cent of the Linton labor force. was male

an d in Greene County more than 81 per cent. This relationship ofmale to female labor was much higher than the average found in te nmidwest metropolitan areas. I t wa s also well above the Indiana an dUnited States averages. Since 1950 additional employment opportunities fo r women have become available while male employment,principally in bituminous coal mining, ha s been reduced. Thus, th eratio in 1955 is probably much closer to th e national average.


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SECTION 4THE ECONOMY IN 1955

Perhaps al l th e objective facts whi ch ca n be mustered do no t of fse t personal opinions an d im p r e s s ions. Ju st such a ra t ionale dictatesth e inclusion of the autho r s ' ge ne ra l im p re ss ions .

Th e research team p reparing this report a ll had the same f i rs timpress ion: Linton wa s ready fo r some type of indus tr ial development.Th e obvious surp lu s of labor wa s brought ou t quickly in discussions.A tour of th e community r evealed an almost total absence of ne wconstr uction, a sign of a static economy. Yet the community ha dmanaged to operate a hi ghly acceptab l e urban plant with surpluses ofwater , electr ici ty, an d municipal services an d faci li t ies for ne wc ommerc ia l and indu s tr ia l users. Th e highway sy s te m an d threerailroads gave promise of good t ranspor tat ion. Th e city ha d severalsites fo r indus tr ial deve lopment, an d land values were much lo werthan in many indus tr ia l areas. Th e remainder of the report will bebased on th e facts as th e research team discovered them. Eachsection will be documented in every possible way.

Types of IndustryTh e Census Bureau 's distribution of employment by type of industry

fo r Greene County in 1950 is shown in Table 3. Th e most importanttypes of indus try in th e area were agr icul ture with 20.6 per cent ofth e total emp loyment, retail t rade with 14.6 pe r cent, mining with14 . 2 pe 'r cent, an d manufacturing with 10.6 pe r cent , With the ex -ception of em ployment in public administration (7.4 per cent) andconstruction (5.8 per cent ) no other type of industry employed asm uch as 5 pe r cent of th e total labor force ,

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Linton, Indiana

TABLE 3EMPLOYMENT IN GREENE COUNTY, 1950

Total EmployedAgricultureFores t ry & FisheriesMiningConstructionManufacturing

Furni ture, Lumber &Wood ProductsPr imary Metal IndustryFabricated Metal IndustryMachinery , except ElectricalMotor Vehicles & Equip -. mentElectrical Equipment &

SuppliesTransportation Equipment

except Motor VehiclesOther Durable GoodsFood an d Kindred ProductsTe x tile Mill ProductsApparel & Other Fabricated

Textile ProductsPrinting, Publishing &

Allied IndustriesChemicals an d Allied ProductsOther Nondurable GoodsNo t Spec ified Manufacturing

Railroads & Railway ExpressServices

Trucking Service & WarehousingOther Transportatio:1TelecommunicationsUtili t ies & Sanitary Services

19509,1471,881

71 ,29 553597126 7

22244126

1243

109106811265701011

19621 7

6085

149

21

Per. Centof

Total100. 0

20 . 6.114.2

5. 810.6

2.9.2.2.4. 2

1. 3

1.2

1.2.9.1.7. 7.1.1

2. 12 . 4

.6

.81. 6


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Wholesale TradeFood &Dairy Products

Stores & Milk RetailEating & Drinking PlacesOther Related TradeFinance, Insurance & Real

EstateBusiness ServicesRepair ServicesPrivate HouseholdsHotels & Lodging PlacesOther Personal ServicesEnter tainment & Recreation

ServicesMedical & Other Health ServicesEducational Services , GovernmentalEducational Services , PrivateOther Professional & Related

ServicesPublic AdministrationIndustry No t Reported

156314298737168

1820615830

19669

146253

4311768016 9

1.73.43.28. 01. 8

.22.21.7

.32.1

.71.62.7

.41.37. 41. 8

Source: Bureau of " he Census, 1950 Census of Population(Washington, D. C.: Government Print ing Office, 1952), Vol. II ,Part 14 , p. 11 5

From firms reporting to th e Indiana Employment Security Divisionin 1955, the major competitors for local labor were :

1. Seven coal companies. Tw o employed approximately 20 0 meneach while th e others were quite small. Aggregate employmentwa s less than 500 persons . Th e payrolls of th e mining f irms con-stituted more than 30 pe r cent of the total income from f irms re -porting to th e Indiana Employment Security Division in GreeneCounty in th e second quarter of 1954.

2. Three construction firms. Each wa s of moderate s ize. To -gether they accounted for about 5 pe r cent of the total payroll, asdefined in 1 above.

3. Tw o f irms manufacturing tile an d clay products. Employ-ment in the two f irms exceeded 100 persons. Together they paidabout 7 pe r cent of th e payroll .

Linton, Indiana 23

4. Three firms, on e each manufacturing women's lingerie ,blankets, an d rugs . Aggregate employment wa s in excess of 150persons , an d payrolls were 2. 3 pe r cent of the total.

5. Th e General Electric plant manufacturing fractional horse-power motors . This plant deserves special mention since it isth e newest (1952) an d largest (about 300 employees) indus tr ial firmin th e area. In the opinion of th e research team, it represents aneffective guide fo r an y indus tr ial f i rms which might locate in th earea. Hence th e experience of th e General Electric plant ha s beendescr ibed thoroughly . In th e second quarter of 1954, when employ-ment in this plant wa s averaging about 230 employees, th e plantac co unted fo r slightly less than 13 pe r cent of th e total payrol l ofrepor t ing f irms in Greene County.

SummaryOnly on e industrial firm an d two mines in Greene County employ

more than 10 0 persons . Six f irms employ between 50 an d 100persons . Th e 70 remaining f irms which report to the IndianaEmployment Security Division have fewer than 50 employees.

Industrial f irms in th e county, including -mining ' f irms, employed1,100 persons , an d total employment for reporting f irms wa sslightly below 2,000 persons. Even after adjustments fo r nonreportingf i rms an d for agriculture, it would seem that approximately 3,300persons are ei ther unemployed or are commuting to jobs outsideth e county.


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SECTION 5THE LABOR FORCE IN 1955

Available LaborMost commercial an d indus tr ial f irms make formal reports to

the Indiana Employment Security Division for ei ther th e Ol d Ag ean d Survivors Insurance fund (social security) or unemploymentcompensation funds . Through these two sources , total workers incovered employment in Greene County were es t imated at slightlymore than 2,500 persons in late 1954. Employment in th e countyno t covered by either of th e two agencies wa s es t imated from censusreports at 3,300 persons .

Thus, if no population growth ha s occurred during th e pas t fouryears (a realis t ic assumption in view of th e 1954 census of population in Linton), there a re at least 3,300 persons unemployed orcommuting to work outside the county. This is 36 per cent of th etotal labor force or almost 12 pe r cent of th e total population. Ex cluding cer tain contiguous counties which ar e better prepared tomeet th e needs of their population with respect to employmento p p o r ~ u n i t i e s , there is a population of 100,100 persons within easycommuting distance in an economic situation quite s imi la r to thatwhich exis ts in the Linton-Greene County area. Therefore, th eestimate of th e potential labor pool in th e Linton area is 13,000persons . Some 5,000 persons in the 13,000 total would have a timean d distance advantage over most workers in metropolitan areas,an d al l would be in easy driving distance.

While unemployment in th e area ha s become chronic an d appearsabnormally high, it is obvious that al l the 13,000 persons ar e no timmediately available fo r work. Interviews with M r . Lewis Goble,Manager of th e Linton office of th e IESD, suggest that a considerablenumber of persons are no t listed as unemployed ei ther becausethey have exhausted unemployment benefits or because the s carc it yof employment opportunities prevents them from becoming a partof the labor force. A much larger contingent, however, are actuallyemployed bu t mus t commute to their jobs . These distances havebeen found to be quite high, ranging from 30 to 15 0 miles an d probablya v e ~ a g i n g in excess of 50 miles each way. For example, a largeportion of th e female labor force travels 45 miles to Bloomington,

24

Linton, Indiana 25

Indiana, to work in electronic plants located in that city. Malelabor commutes regular ly to Ter re Haute, Crane Naval AmmunitionDepo t at Crane, Indiana, an d Indianapolis.

Exper ience at local indus tr ial plants indicates that th e workersar e aware t h ~ t c ~ m m u t i n g cos ts t ime and money. Literal ly hundreds of apphcatlOns fo r work ar e from applicants wh o present lyreside in th e Linton area an d commute elsewhere to work. Th e lossin time, th e c o ~ t of t ravel , an d some cases maintenance of two res-idences could be eliminated by employment neare r th e workers homeA t th e present t ime these savings ar e being passed along to em ployers in th e L i ~ t o n ar e.a. Th e present supply an d anticipated f u t ~ r e d e m a n ~ of labor coupled with th e' lower '-living cos ts in a small com~ u n i t y mean that labor costs in th e Linton-Greene County area wili,m th e foreseeable future, continue below s imi la r costs in othermore indus tr ial ized areas.

.I n addition, high schools in an acceptable commuting radius ofLmton a re presently graduating more than 500 students pe r year .About 40 0 of these students may be counted as net additions to th elabor force. While the young me n face a per iod of military service,they ar e present ly offset to a large extent by returning veterans .

Th e proof of these estimates is available. In tw o years of operation, on e firm has built up a fi le of work applications of almost4,000 persons--i ts present employment is about 300. Surveys fo ravailable labor for various organizations has le d Mr . Goble toes t imate that more than 1,000 workers could be provided in tw oweeks time. Th e availability of labor could be demonstrated inother ways but it seems unnecessary to dwell fur ther orr',this point.

Sex of th e Labor Force-- - - - - - - - - -As pointed ou t earlier , th e labor force in the Linton area ispredominantly male . Thus, of the 13,000 persons in th e potentiallabor pool, some 10,000 would be male an d approximately 3,000female. While this es t imate is based on an 80:20 rat io betweenmale an d female labor, the actual applications at a representat ivef irm are about 90: 10.

What Types c.:! Skills Ar e AvailableSince coal mining ha s long predominated in th e area, there is a


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preponderance of skills suited fo r heavy industry. Experienc e hasshown that while some training period must be expected fo r lightindustry, maintenance workers an d operators of heavy equipmentar e readily available. Th e smaller supply of skilled personnel fo rl ight industry has been overcome to some extent in th e la s t tw o orthree years, partially fr om local industrial training an d pa r t ia llyfrom t r aining obtained by cOIJ?muters from industrial f irms outsideth e area. There have been no fo r mal training facilities in the areaalthough new school facilities may r emedy this deficiency. Unskilledlabor is readily available, an d exper ience indicates that local labo rmay be quickly trained to operate efficiently in a modern industrialorganization.

Characterist ics of LaborTh e labor force is almost entirely native white with an urban back-ground . However, .as pointed out ear l ier , th e urban areas are smallra ther than large; an d whatever philosophy might ' be ,associated with

small communit ies carr ies over into the labor forc 'e. Local employersreport no i l l i teracy an d easy comprehension of written an d oralinstructions.

Labor OrganizationsWith th e exception of mining, there is no extensive industrial

ization; therefore, there ar e ' no local labor union offices. Of course,officers of local unions ar e available, principally the United MineWorkers of America an d the International Union of ElectricalWorkers . With one exception, labor-management relations havebeen good . No apparent elements of labor unrest exis t , an d labor -management relations in early 1955 we r e judged excellent by ther esearch team.

Turnover Rates an d AbsenteeismLabor turnover ra tes are extremely low. This probably reflects

the supply-demand relationship but labor turnover is not, an d prob -ably will no t become, a problem. For much th e same reason, ab -senteeism is very low. Workers, once trained, may be expectedto continue in their positions for some time .

Linton, Indiana 27

Spec ific wage rates have not been incorporated as a part of thisreport primarily because they ar e seldom ti me ly . Howeve r , re la-tive wa ge rates along with the availability of labor is on e of thestronges t factor s in favor of industrial development in th e Lintonarea . In fa i r nes s to al l parties , this s ta te m e nt requir es elaborati on .

Wa ge r at es in the Linton ar e a fo r al l types of e mploy me n t ar ebe l ow ex i s ting ra tes in com mu n it ie s w it h more dynami c s ou rces ofin come and em ploym ent. Industr ia l es ta bl i s hme n t s in th e areaconsiste nt ly pa y higher ra tes for competing types of la bor tha ncommercial or governmenta l employers . Yet wage rates fo r a lltypes of f irms are lower th an s imilar f irms in in dustr ia li ze d citiesbu t about equal to f irms in communit ies of a similar type and size.Part of the di fference may be traced to a heavy s u r pl us of lab or int he area . Th e difference in expend it ure s required to maintain astandar d of living is considerable when compared wi th metropolitanareas. At the same time, labor in th e Linton area is apparentlywil lin g to share with emp loyers the sa vi ng in time and money invo lve d in loca l employment compared with commuting to j ob s ou t-side the area . Th e wage ra te is a vital factor in th e co n tinuedin du strialization of the ar e a . T her e ca n be little do ub t that a waged ifferent ial i s ec onomica lly so un d an d ca n be expected to continue.


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SECTION 6I N D U S T R I A.L S IT E S

General Descr ipt ionThere ar e numerous suitable industrial sites in or adjacent to

th e city of Linton. In general, th e area is quite level, requiring aminimum amount of site preparat ion. Th e soil is a f irm clay, satisfactory for heavy foundations. Underlying th e soil is a layer ofbedrock There is no record of flooding on an y of the listed sites.Drainage appears adequate, so that no problems in controllingrunoff water a re anticipated.

Transportation facilities ar e available at the listed industrialareas. Th e Illinois Central Railroad, running east-west, is closeto al l the properties . Th e Chicago, Milwaukee, Saint Paul an dPacific Railroad runs north- south an d is also within close reach.A branch line of the Pennsylvania Railroad is located nearby an dconnects with the Illinois Central line. Thus, there ar e three ra i l roads that serve this area. Al l suggested sites ar e accessible tostate highways running east-west an d north-south. Suitable accessroads ar e available fo r trucking facilities.

Th e sites are located on the periphery of th e incorporated cityl imits or within these l imits , as shown by Figure 3. Their characteristics ar e presented in Table 4. It appears the most desirablesites are on th e east side of the city. It is believed the whole areaon th e north an d south sides of the Illinois Central tracks betweenLinton and Switz City is satisfactory fo r industrial location. Thenew General Electric Company plant is located on the east side ofth e city. just .outside . th e corporation limits. Sites 1, 2, and 6 ar elocated in the vicinity of the G. E. plant an d comprise some 75 acres.

Sites 3 an d 4 ar e available to the south of the city. These containapproximately 110 acres . Although undermining is present, severalcommercial establishments ar e located in the vicinity. Among thesea re two petroleum bulk stations an d a lumber yard.

To th e north is located Site 5, comprising approximately 20 acres.This land is no t as level as th e others. However, th e rolling char-acter of the topography is no t considered serious enough to increase

28

..:iiiZ0E-:entucky. The city is operating under a 20-year contract with thiscompany. The present allotment to Linton is 2,700,000 cubic feetpe r da y . Linton' s maximum consumption ex perience, pe r newspaper account, ha s reached approximately this figure. During 1955,th e Transmis s io n Corporation proposes to furnish th e city with anallotment of 3,000,000 cubic feet of natura l ga s per day.

There ar e almost 18 miles of ga s distribution lines in the city,easily accessible to all. These line s have ample capacity to handlean y peak distribution load- - s ince 30 pounds of pressu re i s maintained in the l ines. This pressure must be reduced to five ouncesfo r res identia l use.

Currently, there is no waiting l is t of customers applying fo r ga sservice. Applications ar e handled through th e utilities superintendent.However , applicants located outside th e city l imits must have the irrequests fo r service cleared through the city council.Rates for al l users , res identia l an d industr ia l, ar e as follows:

1s t 1,000 cubic feet2nd 1,000 cubic feet3r d 1 ,00 0 cubic feetNext 2,000 cubic feetOver 5,000 cubic feet

Linton

$1. 351.06

.8 0

.5 3 per M.

.4 3 per M.

ComparablePrivate Utility$1.88

1.00.8 0.8 0 per M..7 0 & .6 5 pe r M.

An actual comparison of rates, using th e consumption of th eGenera l Elec tr ic plant, i l lustrates th e s tr iking savings which acompany ma y make in gas bills. G. E. in Linton uses an average of1,000,000 cubic feet of gas per month through th e winter and an averag e of 30 0 , 000 cubic feet per month through th e summer. Th e G. E.bill in Linton is $430 monthly in th e winter an d $130 monthly in th e


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summer. I f this ga s were supplied by a private utility s erving th esame genera l area , th e monthly bill would be $671 during the winteran d $216 during th e summer . Also, th e private utility might be in aless favorable position to supply th e ga s to an industrial concern.

Electr ic i tyThe Linton Electric Utility Department purchases power f rom th e

Public Service Company of Indiana . In spite of the fact that sizablesums ar e transferred yearly from the Electr ic Utility to th e citygenera l fund, th e electric rates compare favorably with those ofprivate utilities, as shown by Table 7.

TABLE 7ELECTRIC POWER RATES, LINTON AREA

(per KWH)

City of LintonA Rate B RateKilowatt-Hours Re sidential Commercia l Small Power R. E. M. C.

Fi r s t 30 .06 .06 .05 .075Next 50 .0 4 .05 . 05 .0 5Next 20 .03 .05 .05 .05Next 100 .0 3 .05 .05 .03Next 300 . 02 .05 .04 .03Next 500 . 02 .04 .035 .03Next 500 . 02 .04 .035 .025Next 500 .02 .03 .025 .025Next 1,000 .02 .03 .025 .02Next 2,000 .02 .025 . 025 .02Next 1,000 .02 .025 .025 .0175Over 6,000 .02 .025 . 02 .0175

Source: Schedule of Rates, Charges, Rules an d Regulations ofth e Municipal Light an d Pow e r Co., Linton, Indiana, effectiveSeptember 1, 1946

Linton, Indiana 39

Both inside an d outside th e city l imits , electric utilities have ratesfo r large power users ' based on such factors as load an d usage, which ar elo wer pe r KWH than the above schedules. A la rge customer wouldbe permit ted to contract directly with the private utility fo r it s power,in th e same manner as General Electric is permitted to do.

WaterTh e municipally owned an d operated waterworks secure waterfrom three deep wells lo cated about eight miles southeast of th e

city. These wells are locat ed in gravel- an d sand-bearing areasofbcittom land near th e West Fork of th e White River. Water is beingpumped from two of these wells, with the third on a stand-by basis.Th e capacity of these wells is 1,200,000 gallons of water each 24hours . Th e water is pumped through ten-inch mains from th e wellsto th e substation three miles from town. A twelve-inch main car-r ies the water into Linton . The capacity of th e purification plantis reported to be in excess of the pumping capacity of the wells.Actually, l i t t le t rea tment is necessary, and the bill for chlorineamounts to only $50 per year . Samples of th e water ar e submittedby th e city to th e State Board of Health each week, and th e chemicalanalysis report of th e Board of Health is available to any ne w plantinteres ted in Linton as a site.

Th e water plant of Linton is completely adequate fo r current an dprospective needs . Currently, th e average monthly consumption is11,000,000 gallons to 2 ,100 metered customers , with a maximumconsumption of 16,000,000 gallons fo r th e sum m e r months. Thiscompares with the 36,000,000 gallons pe r month capacity of the wells.

Th e latest available examination of Linton's water by th e IndianaState Board of Health showed the following analysis :

-Color 0 Chlorides - Cl 0Sediment 0 Fluorides - FI 0Turbidity 0.1 Nitrate - N03-N 0pH 8 . 3 S0 4 63Alkalinity - Mo 0 Sodium 9Total Hardness 210 Potass ium 1Total Iron - Fe 0


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Rates for water used by residential, commercia l , an d industrialusers is shown in Table 8.

Firs tNextNextNextNextNext

TABLE 8LINTON WATER RATES

Gallons15,000 gallons45,000 gallons60,000 gallons60 , 000 gallons

120,000 gallons300,000 gallons

Rates. $.56 pe r thousand gallons

.38 pe r thousand gallons

. 30 pe r thousand gallons




I t should be noted here that Linton, in comparison with other citiesin th e Middle West, is extremely fortunate in the adequacy of it swater supply. Because of th e existence of hundreds of "strip pits"in th e Linton area, the water table is higher than in most midwestern communities. Any plant requiring large quantities of waterwould be well advised to investigate th e possibilities of the Lintonarea.

SECTION 8TRANSPORTATION

Motor FreightManufacturers an d merchants report that they ar e well satisfied

with available motor freight facilities. They link Linton to otherIndiana cities an d to the Chicago an d St. Louis transcontinentalgateways where long- haul shipments can be routed to an d from al lparts of th e United States

Four intrastate truck lines serve Linton. They are: Bloomington,Bedford, an d Indianapolis Motor Freight, Inc. ; Indianapolis andSouthern Motor Express, Inc.; Reintjes Truck Service; an d theWabash Valley Coach Company. Th e interstate trucking firmsserving Linton are: Commercia l Motor Freight, Inc.; HayesFreight Lines, Inc. ; an d th e Motor Freight Corp9ration.

Three route maps for f i rms whose trucks pick up an d deliver inLinton are shown in Figures 4 an d 5. They are: Bloomington,Bedford , an d Indianapolis Motor Freight, Inc. with general officesin Bloomington; Motor Freight Corporation whose home office isin Terre Haute ; an d Commercia l Motor Freight , In c . , whosecentral office is in Indianapolis. These carriers ar e able to provideovernight service to Chicago . Common carr iers serving Lintonalso provide one-day service to St . Louis an d to terr i tor ia l gatewayssuch as Indianapolis and Columbus, Ohio.

A large industrial shipper in Linton reports that his goods generally reach the West Coast five days after leaving Chicago . Officialsof this firm state that th e Eastern Motor Express, Inc. of TerreHaute provides excellent service to th e Eastern part of the UnitedStates. To reach th e Southwest from th e St. Louis gateway, thisfirm uses Strickland Transporta t ion Company of Dallas, '1;'exas.Route maps for these firms are shown in Figures 6 an d 7. Undoubtedly, these ar e no t the only common carriers who provideprompt service to th e areas enumerated above. Rather , th e firmscited ar e illustrative of th e carriers used by selected Linton ship- .pers.

41


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TABLE 4INDUSTRIAL SITE CHARACTERISTICS - LINTON AREA

APPROXIMATE PROXIMITYSITE DISTANCE FROM LOCATION APPROX. TOPO- SOIL FLOODING TOCENTER OF ACREAGE GRAPHY HISTORY RAILROADCITY

1 1 mile east County 11 Level Clay No record Adjacentof occurence to north2 1 mile east County 40 Level Clay No record Adjacent

of occurence to north3 1/2 mile south City 80 L ev el Clay No record Adjacent

of occurence to north4 1/2 mile south City 30 Level Clay No record Adjacent to

of occurence north & south5 1 1/2 miles north County 20 Rolling Clay No record Approx.

of occurence 1 mile south

6 1 mile east County 26 Level Clay No record Approx .of occurence 1/8 mile south7 1/8 mile south- City 1/2 Le vel Clay No record Approx.east of occurence 1/8 mile south

TABLE 4 (continued)INDUSTRIAL SITE CHARACTERISTICS - LINTON AREA

UTILITIESSITE PROXIMITY UNDER- PRESENT USE ADJACENT

TO HIGHWAy MINING GAS WATER SEWER EL. POWER PROPERTY1 Accessible to No City City City City or Small packing G. E. plant

N-S and E-W Public Service plant and farms2 Accessible to No City City City City or Farming G. E. plant

N- S an d E-W Public Service and farmsSome commer -3 Accessible to Ye s City City City City or cial in north Commercial an d

N- S an d E-W Public Service portion light industry

4 Accessible to No City City City City or Idle Commercial an dN-S and E-W Public Service light industry

5 Accessible to No City City No City or Farming ResidentialN-S an d E-W Public Service an d farming

6 Accessible to No City City City City or Farming G. E. plant,N-S an d E-W Public Service farming &residential

7 Accessible to No City City City City or ElementaryN- S and E-W Public Service school Commercial


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Figure 6ROUTE MA P FOR EASTERN MOTOR EXPRESS, INC

."" ,",,,; : , : : :::" ' ,CR unl et 11 l ut RO I IU D' 0 0 n o . AU' ' ' C' ' ' 'O'''" t OlU S' 0 H OY ,,, 10 . . .. , 1 0 .."' [ o,,[ DI., . ' OI . U


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Rail FreightAs indicated in th e section on industrial sites, branch lines of

three railroads serve Linton. They are th e Illinois-Central; th eChicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul an d Pacific; and the Pennsylvania.Th e first tw o l ines pass through the corpora te city l imits as shownby Figure 3 on page 29 . Their freight offices ar e both located onFirs t Street. Th e Pennsylvania Railroad S freight office is locateda short distance from th e city on State Road 59 South.

Fi rms shipping or receiving such heavy, bulky commodi t ies ascoal, steel, scrap metal, lumber, an d gra in us e the available rai lfacilities. With these exceptions, th e railroads ar e no t extensivelyused by Linton's manufac turers or middlemen.

Th e Ill inois -C e ntral Railroad operates two local trains an d tw othrough t ra ins which pass through Linton daily. The local trainsopera te between Indianapolis an d Pales t ine , Illinois. Th e othertw o trains ru n between Indianapolis an d Effingham, Ill inois. Onlycarload lots may be received by or unloaded from them. Theirroute is shown in Figure 8.

Th e Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Pa ul an d Pa c ific opera tes a nightlytrain passing through Linton on it s wa y from Westport. Indiana toChicago, as shown in Figure 9. With these exceptions, t ra ins dono t arrive an d depart on a regular schedulp.. According to a la rgeindustr ia l shipper in Linton, rai l deliveries ar e generally slow.This source believes that th e railroads have shown little interest ineffecting improvements , probably due to insufficient rai l freightoriginating or terminating in Linton to justify more regular serviceat this t ime.

A la rge Linton lumber dea ler reports that all three railroadsprovide for truck delivery of goods from the train to the door ofrece iving f irms. Th e Pennsylvania Railroad operates it s ow n t rucksfo r this purpose while the other tw o roads have contrac t a rrangementswith local transfer companies.

One industrial shipper sends part of hi s output by truck to suchmajor rai l centers as Chicago, St. Louis, or Indianapolis. Thereit is consolidated in pool cars by freight forwarders for long-haulrai l shipment. With respect to speed an d cost, this arrangementcompares very favorably with motor freight . Al l interviewed shippers us e paper rates rather than negotiated ones for their motor

0)Q)MSo.....

coQ)..,.....rx.

....:Ip..E-


26/39


an d rail freight shipments. SEC T IO N 9

Air FreightLinton ha s a small airfield which ca n accommodate private

planes . General Electric Company ha s contracted fo r a plane onstand-by basis in case parts or supplies should be needed in anemergency. Terre Haute and Indianapolis, of course, have largeairports which ar e used by the major commercial airlines. Ai rfreight shipments ca n be brought quickly to Linton from either ofthese cities.

Passenger ServiceIntracity Transportation. Linton does not have intracity s treetrailway or bu s lines. However, because of wide automobile owner

ship and th e convenient location of retail stores to residential areasof th e city, they do no t appear necessary. A local taxi serviceoperates four vehicles within the city an d in the immediate vicinity.

Intercity Transportation. Although Linton lacks passenger ra i l road service, tw o bu s l ines link the city with other parts of the state.One of these operates two daily southbound buses between TerreHaute and Washington, Indiana, thereby connecting Linton with 11other intervening towns. Tw o daily northbound buses, originatingin Washington, stop at the same towns. Th e other bu s company ha sfour daily southbound runs an d four northbound ones connectingLinton with Vincennes and Indianapo.lis. These buses link Lintonwith 23 intervening communities.

As previously stated, Terre Haute and Indianapolis have majorairports . Since good highways link Linton with these two cities,residents of th e city ca n easily make ai r travel connections.

TH E URBAN PLANT

Modern cities provide th e facilities which allow la rge numbers ofpeople to live in relatively small areas . This factor permits amaximum degree of efficiency in th e processes of production an ddistribution . Stated another way , cities provide th e machinery bywhich la rge masses of capital resources ma y be concentrated effectively in one location . Th e facilities found in the modern city--thestreets, hospitals, schools , utilities, transportation systems, cultural and recreational opportunities, and the many other servicesprovided by or through cities--make possible the nation's high levelof productivity . Any company seeking a ne w plant location will at temptto find that location which lends i tself to th e most happy and effectivecombination of productive resources.

This section is designed to isolate and examine the facilities andservices found in or provided by the city of Linton, Indiana, fromthe point of view of their adequacy and desirability fo r any companyseeking a new plant location.

Governmental Organiza tionLinton is organized as a fifth- class city under th e laws of th e State

of Indiana. It s chief governing body is a city council of five persons,elected by popular vote ea ch four years. Th e administrative headof th e city government is the mayor, chosen by popular vote eachfour years. Other city officials include: clerk-treasurer , electedeach four years, and such appointive officials as city engineer, an dutilities superintendent. Al l offices of th e city governrpent includingth e utilities office and police an d f i re depar tments are housed in onebuilding, City Hall.

In the performance of certain of it s functions, th e city is combinedor consolidated with Stockton Township, within the boundaries ofwhich Linton is located. Elective officials of Stockton Township ar eth e township trustee, th e three member township advisory board,and th e township assessor.

49


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City and Township Finan c e sFrom an y point of view , th e finan c ia l ability of a gi ve n go ver n -m e ntal unit is important. Th e ta x ba se for Lint on is $ 3 ,558, 910;

th e t ax base for Stoc kt on Township outside th e ci ty is $2,073 ,80 5 .Th es e figures a r e ba se d upon as s esse d val ua ti ons of pe rs ona l p r op -e r ty and real estate ; th ey ar e e s t imate d to be s lightly les s than onethird of pr e s en t m ar ke t or sa le s value s of such property.

Th e 1955 ta x ra te s , pe r $100 of as s e ss e d val ua tion of property ,fo r th e two gove rn m ental units a re as follows :

State RateCounty Ra teTownship RateSchool RateCorporation Rate

Total . . . . .

Linton Sto c kton Township$0 . 15

1.080 .262 .891. 00.$5 . 38

$0.151.080.382.89

$4.50

Some additional re venue is rais e d by th e le vy of an annual poll ta xupon males between the ages of 21 an d 50 . Th e 1955 poll ta x ra t eis th e same for both governmental units- - $4. 50 .

Ta x rates in Linton benefit from the profits made by th e municipallyowned el e c tr ic utility . In 1954, $57,000 was transferred to the c it y 'sgenera l fund ; an d on February 8, 1955, th e ci ty c oun c il transferred$6 '1,000 to th e genera l fund. An extra $1. 71 per $100 of as s e ss e dvaluation would have to be added to th e ta x rate to raise that amountthrough property taxation.

Th e annual report fo r 1954 disc loses expenditures for sele c teddepartments as follows:

Police $27,610Fire 31,972Stree t 40,543Parks 9,051Sewage . 10,115

Linton, Indiana 51

T ota l re c eipts fr om a ll s ou rces i n cl ud in g ut i li ties totale d $8 09,624;to ta l di s bu rs em e n ts to ta le d $ 76 7 ,4 65. T he s e figur e s do no t r efl e c tre c eipts or di s bu rse ments of the sc hool corp or ation, bu t th ey ar einfla t e d by $133 , 100 in t r ansfe rs f r om on e fun d t o an ot he r . Also,$2 3 ,000 of th e dis bu rs e m en ts represe nt th e re ti re me nt of bond e dind e b ted nes s during the year .

As of Decembe r 31, 1954, t he ou ts tanding inde b te dn e s s of th e city,not in c luding t he sc hoo l co rpo rati on , is r ep resen t ed by the fo llowingit e m s:

4. 5 pe r cent Sewage Revenu e Bo nd s3 to 3.25 per cent Ga s Works Reve nu e Bonds3 to 3. 5 pe r ce nt Ga s Works Revenu e Bonds4 pe r ce nt St reet I in p r ovement Bo nd s$ 28 , 00048 1, 000182, 000

13,000

I t should be noted that on ly $13,000 represents a claim against ta xrevenues, while th e bonding power of the civil city is tw o pe r ce ntof assessed valuation, or $71,175 . Th e financial aspec t s of th eoperation of t he schoo l co rporation wi ll be discussed on page 54'.

Police an d Fire ProtectionTh e police depar tment is manned by nine regular officers plus on eparking meter patrolman. Th e department operates one patrol ca r

with two-way radio. This car is used throughout each night fo rcruising, which encompasses driving by industr ia l plants as well asretail business establishments and res identia l areas. Another pieceof motive equipment operated by the department is a completely modern, well-equipped first ai d unit, together with a boat trailer fo r waterrescue work. I t is claimed that skilled rescue personnel ca n reachalmost anywhere in th e county within a few minutes . A two-way radiostation is maintained in City Hall, th e operational functions of whicha re shared by the police and f i remen.

Although the Genera l E lectric plant at th e southeast E!dge of townmaintains it s own staff of p lan t guards , an arrangeme nt has be e nworke d out with the police department which en hances t he securi tyof th e plant. The plant gu ards call th e police station each hou r onth e hour t h ro ugho ut th e ni ght. I f the ca ll is no t made, th e policei nvestigate immediately. City official s expresse d th ei r wi llingnes sto make similar arrangem e nt s wi th an y new pl an t de si r ing to l ocat e


28/39


According to a bulletin prepared by the Indiana State Chambe r ofCommerce in Ma y , 1952, Linton ranked favorably with other fifth class cities of Indiana when such cri ter ia as numbe r of police perthousand population , mobile an d other equipment operated, an dnumber of working hours per week per man were used.

Th e fire departm e nt is manned by. eight regular full - t ime men .The equipment consists of one 1,000-gallon American - La Fran cepumper , 1954 model ; on e 500-gallon Mack pumper , 1946 model;and one 500 - gallon podge pumper , 1937 model. Each fire tru c k isequipped with tw o- wa y radio. In addition to protec ting the c it y , thedepartment serves Stockton, Wright, Smith , an d Stafford Townshipson a contrac t basis .

The National Board of F ire Underwriters insurance classifi cationfo r Linton in 1953 wa s class 7. It is expected that, bec au s e of theacquisition of new equipment and the very favorable fire record ofLinton in 1954 , th e city might be granted an even m ore favorablec lassification .

Th e Building Code requires that any new c onstructi on in th e te ncentral blo cks of th e city , r eferred to as th e "Fire Zone , " must beof m a sonry exter ior . Th e business distri c t is inspected each monthto check safety fac tors . Officials report that two industr ia l p lantsin th e Linton area ar e equipped with spr inkler sy s tems : Real Silkan d General Electri c.

Sewers an d SanitationTh e sewer sys tem is a storm and sanitary setup, with slightly morethan 1, 300 conne c t ions at th e present t ime . The se w e r disposal

plant, wh ic h was built about 1938, is operating at approximat e ly onehalf of cap ac it y . Approximately 75 pe r cent of al l c ity reside nce sar e served by the sewer sys tem an d additional areas, includingchoice locations fo r industr ia l plants, a r e easily accessible to th epresent sewer l ines . Th e same rate is charged to al l users , industr ia lor res identia l : $ .6 0 pe r month per ta p .

Garbage is pi c ke d up once a week in th e city . Trash is removedon a biweekly basis . Th e natura l facility of old strip pits is takenadvantage of fo r disposal of garbage an d unburnable trash; this landfill disposal method is commonly regarded as th e most des irablemethod known .

Linton, Indiana 53

Stree tsA full - t ime force of seven m e n maintains th e streets of Linton

that is , 12 m ile s of paved st r e e ts , 9 miles of "black topped" s t r ~ e t s , 4 m i les of streets of a surface quality between gravel an d "black top, "a nd 19 1/2 m il e s of oil an d grave l su rfac e streets . Al l resurfacinga nd widening of st r eet s ar e by contrac t. I t is pl a nned tha t 5 1/2blocks of s tr eet s will be wide n ed in 1955 . Pat c hi ng and street cleaningi s do ne by th e s t re et depa r tm e nt. Th e eq uipmen t of th e d epa r tmentco ns i s t s of: th re e truc ks (plu s one on or der ), a grad er, a F e rgu s ont rac tor , an d a ho t- pat c h patch ing m ac hine .

Th e street depar tment sp en t $4 0 ,5 4 3 in 1954. It s c h ie f r eve nueswere $28,673 f rom gas tax dis tr ibu tion, $9,590 f rom property taxesl evie d , an d $4,780 transferred from th e genera l fund. For 1955, th eproperty tax lev y fo r street purposes is 2 4 ~ per $1 00, which s h oul draise $8,542 fo r th e street department.

Mu ni cipal Utilit iesInformation about res identia l service an d rate.s fo r gas, electricity,

an d water wa s givenin detail on pages 37 -4 0 under th e section headedPower, Fuel, an d Water.

Hospital Facilities an d ServicesLinton an d Greene County ar e served by th e Freeman-Greene

County Hospital, which is centrally located in the city. I t is c lassedas a short-term genera l hospital. A staf f of 22 physicians, al lgenera l p rac t i t ioners, us e th e facilities.Th e Freeman -Greene County Hospital is a m e m be r of the AmericanHospital Association an d th e Indiana Hospital Association a n d i slicense d by the State Board of He a lt h .A persona l inspection by two m e m be rs of th e survey tea m re v e aledthat th e hos pi tal is mo de rn , a tt ra c ti ve , and well eq uippe d . It sfac i l i t ie s include 74 b ed s (e xp a n s ible if ne eded), an e mergencyre ceiving ro om , X-ray an d c linical laboratory r ooms, tw o m a jor

op e rating rooms, one minor surgery room (arranged so that m a jors urgic al operations could be conducted in each simultaneously),ce ntral supply room, and diagnostic room. Th e hospital employed 72


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paid personnel as of June 30, 1954, an d wa s operating on a totalannual budget of approximately $231,000.

SchoolsThe public school system is a completely consolidated operationru n by th e city of Linton an d Stockton Township, in which the city is

located. The administration of this consolidated system is the re sponsibility of a bipartisan board of five trustees- - on e of which is theStockton Township trustee, two ar e appointed by the Linton city council, an d two ar e appointed by the Stockton Township ac;lvisory board.This five - man board appoints th e administrative head of the s c hoo lsystem, th e superintendent of sc,hools.

Th e profess ional an d instructional staff of supe r intendent, directors ,supervisors, principals, teachers, nurses, attendance wo rk e r s, an dsecretar ies numbers approximately 60 persons.At th e present time the physical plant consists of a high school

buildlng, a 1,500 seat gymnasium, a detached music building to th erear of the high school, an d eight elementary school buildings spreadaround th e city an d township. These facilities currently provideapproximately 60 classrooms, evenly distributed between grade an dhigh school. Current facilities include two gy m floors; auditorium;wood an d metal shop; a recently remodeled, steel fence enclosed,lighted athletic field; a baseball field lighted fo r summer recreation;an d a tennis court. The survey team member working on the subjectof schools wa s impressed to se e a trampolin in use in physical educationactivities at th e time he made an unannounced visit . Such facilitiesas city parks, Bo y Scout camp, golf course, an d 4- H building ar eal l available fo r school functions. An extensive grade school modernization an d expansion program is under way, which is describedin detail on page 55.

Enrollment in September, 1954 wa s 1,444. Of this numbe r, 942were in grades on e through seven, an d 502 in high school. Total enrol lment ha s been increasing in th e past several years, but not sharply.Forecas ts fo r th e school year 1955-56 indicate little change in over-al l enrollment figures.

Th e operating budget fo r th e school year 1954-55 is approximately$310,000, or approximately $215 pe r pupil. This figure comparesfavorably with that spent pe r pupil by other school units of s imilarsize in th e state. Of th e total of $310,000, the major share, $173,000,

Linton, Indiana 55

is provided by state su pport, leaving only $137,000 to be providedby the two local tax units, the school city and Stockton Township'.Th e high school curr iculum contains a well-developed, balancedprogram, suitable for many different pupil needs an d interests . In

addition to the usual offerings in general education fields such asEnglish, mathem atics, social studies, physica l ed ucation , an dscience, courses are offered in a wide variety of specialized fieldsStudents may elect either the academic college preparatory courseor preparatory courses in scientific, technical , commercial, an dvocational areas. When the new facilities ar e ready, vocational shopin st ruction will prepare students for careers as machini sts , toolmakers ,diemakers, welders, and sheet metal workers; in short, this instruction will correspond to basic trade school training. In addition to th eregular curr iculum, many extrac urricular activities ar e availab leto the student .

Linton-Stockton High School holds a f i rs t - class comm iss ion grantedby the state . In addition , the high school is a m e m be r of the NorthCentral Association of Secondary Schools and Colleges. I t is expectedthat the new grade school, when completed, will be granted a first class commission.

More than 25 per cent of th e ins truc t ional staff of the school systemnow have either master ' s degrees or five years of college study. Th equality of instruction prevailing in the schools i s indicated by th e re sults of the University of Iowa tests of educational development, whichdisclose Linton's school pupils to be above th e national average.

In the offing ar e plans for th e construction of a ne w school buildingto replace th e eight structures in th e city and township now used asgrade schools. The three units will include a pr imary wing of 14classroom s , an intermediate wing of 14 classrooms, an d a juniorhigh wing of 8 classrooms. On e of t.he 36 classrooms is designedfo r th e special instruction of handicapped or retarded pupils. Thesethree wings will be clustered about a 300-seat cafeteria an d administrative area which includes office s, teachers ' rooms, an d a bookroom. Al l facilities wi ll be on one floor with the exception of th ekitchen, s toreroom, an d furnace room, which wil l be in th e basement.Th e ne w units will be located adjacent to the present high school areaon park land recently deeded to the school c orporatio n by the city.Th e acquisition of this land by th e school corporation provides aunified campus of 40 acres.

It is expected that th e new units will cost $1,000,000 . The pr imaryunit is to be financed by the school corporation with proceeds from


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56 Indiana Business Infarmatian Bulletin

$94,000 .of genera l abligatian bands an d appra ximately $190,000 avail able f ram a cumulative building fund levy . Th e ather units a re ta bec an s tr u c te d by a halding c am p a ny , knawn as th e Lintan- Stacktan Sc ha alBuilding Carpara t ian , with fund s f r am bands and c amman s tac k- - th ecamman s tac k be in g sa Id by th e sc h aa l 's P ar e nt Te a c he r A ssaciati a n .

A news item fr a m the L intan Da i ly Citizen stated that th e present90 cen t bu il din g f und rate shauld be sufficient ta retire al l bands inabaut 30 years , an d that the ta x rate fa r sc haal purpase s shauld natb e chan ge d appreciably because .of th e n e w s chaal. I t wa s fur therstated that th e sale .of the eight e xisting el e m e nt a ry s chaal s s h a ul dprav id e enaugh ma n ey ta eq uip the ne w sc haal. P re s en t pl an s c al lf a r th e sc haal car par a t ian ta furnish t r a n spartatian far all pupilsnat r es iding within a reasanable wa lking distance.

Nanp ublic Sc ha al sA parachial sc haal is maintained by th e Cathalic Church. It is atwa-raam sc haal, cavering grades .one thraugh eight, taught by tw aSisters .of Pravidence O rde r .of St. Mary's .of the Waads, Terre Haute,

Indiana. C urrent enra l lment is 84 pupils. The Church .operates abus ta transpart p upils fram surraunding cammunities. Th e Churchhapes ta en large it s fa c il i t ies, bu t na plans fa r expansian have beendraw n up .

P riva te Kindergar te n sTw a pr ivate well-e q uipped kinde r ga r t en s ar e .ope ra ted by l ice n s e dtea c hers in the ir aw n r e sidence s in the city.

Camm un it y Fina nc ia l F ac il i tiesGe ne ra l banking serv i ces an d fa c i lities a ppear a deq ua te fa r the

Lintan area, which is s erved by twa ba nk s - - Pe aples Trust C a mpanyan d Citizens' Natianal Bank .

Accarding ta it s candensed statement .of December 31, 1954, th ePeaples Trust Campany ha s tatal assets .of almast $9,000,000 . It scapital stack is $150,000; it s surplus , undivided prafits, an d rese rvesta ta l $391,000; an d it s depasits tatal $8,322 , 550. This bank is am e m be r .of th e Federa l Depasi t Insurance Carparatian. Peaples ca npravide a lmast an y type .of banking service thraugh it s extensivecarrespandence arrangements with ather banks. It is reparted that

-Lintan, Indiana 57

70 per cent .of it s tatal laan valume (laans an d discaunts at the end.of 1954 were slightly under $2,000,000) is in hame laans, th e majarpart ian .of which ar e c.onventianal laans at a typical interest rate .ofsi x per cent.

The Citizens' Natianal Bank reparted tatal assets .of $3,568,000as .of D e c ~ m b e r 31, 1954. Capital, surplus , undivided praf i ts , an dreserves tataled appraximately $300,000. Demand depasits amauntedta $1,424,000, an d t ime depasits were $1,243,000. Laans and discaunts aggregated $1,308,000. The Citizens' alsa is in a pasitianta pravide al l the usual banking services .of a bank .of it s size.Other Financing

Financing .of real estate, autamabiles, an d small persanal laansalsa is available thraugh lacal lending agencies. In additian, a lacalrepresenta t ive .of th e Farmers & Mechanics Federal Savings andLaan Assaciatian .of Blaamfield is available ta facilitate hame laanswith that institutian.

HausingEven thaugh it is anticipated that an industry might well be at trac ted

ta th e Lintan area because .of th e availability .of a sizable paal .ofla c al la b or , it is recagnized that a cer ta in minimum number .of famil ie s wauld be braught in by any industr ia l f i rm selecting Lintan asa factary site. Therefare, the survey included th e tapic .of hausingas it relates ta th e passible influx .of campany persannel .

In this respect, th e exper ience .of General Elec tr ic ma y be re viewed as being typical. When th e campany established it s plantin Lintan, General Electr ic braught in 22 men. New hames werecanstructed by 9 families; anather 9 families purchased better-graderes identia l praperties ; and the remaining faur were able ta rentsa t is fac tary living quarters .

Cantacts with real estate men, bankers , and .others familar withth e hausing market in Lintan canfirmed th e impress ian that hausingshauld present little .or na prablem ta a campany seeking ta lacatea plant in th e area. On th e renta l market , $5 0 ta $60 per manth.shauld cammand camfartable apartment facilites. Twa and threebedraam madern hauses shauld be available fa r manthly renta lsbeginning araund $60.


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Local realtors a re very optimistic concerning the probable avail-ability of res identia l propert ies fo r sale at reasonable prices . Inthis regard, a s treet-by-street survey of prospective offerings wa smade in the company of rea l estate men; there seemed to be nothinglacking in varie ty of choice of location or price range.

An investigation of th e facilities available for ne w residential con-struction disclosed no ser ious problems. There seems to be nol imit to th e number of desirable residential building s i tes availableeither within or jus t outside th e city limits. Many lots ar e locatedon th e sewer , with al l utilities available. Prices seem reasonablein comparison with comparable locations in other cities. For ex -ample, a price of $1,000 wa s quoted fo r a 60 x 120 lo t in a desirablelocation on a sewer line . Skilled building contrac tors ar e availablelo ca ll y fo r th e supervision of n ~ w construction. Al l materials ar eavailable locally through a large lumber company. Financing seemsto be as easily available in Linton as in an y other city of comparablesize. Both banks are engaged extensively in th e local rea l esta te'mortgage market . Agents with insurance company contacts a 'realso in th e mortgage field. While there is no saving and loan asso-ciation in th e city, this type service is provided by an agency con-nected with the Farmers & Mechani cs Federal Savings and LoanAssociation of Bloomfield, which is quite active in th e mortgagemarket in th e entire Greene County area.

Th e most ser ious problem to be faced by a home builde r in th eLinton area would seem to be th e total lack of protection throughzoning restrictions . Many cities an d towns, Linton among them,ap pear to have felt little or no need fo r restrictive measures ofthis type and, consequently, have neglected this as p ec t of protectingth e property of the ir citizens until th ey have been faced with th eprospect of "growing pains ." I t is hoped that Li n to n will soon cor rec tthis deficiency.

-Linton, Indiana 59

ChurchesLinton has 21 churches within i ts borders, as follows:

3 Church of God 1 Evangelical an d Reformed2 Baptist 1 Evangel ical United Brethern2 Methodist 1 Jehovah Witnesses1 Apostolic 1 Latter Da y Saints1 Assembly of God 1 Lutheran1 Bible Center 1 Nazarene

Catholic 1 Pilgrim Holiness1 Chris t ian 1 Salvation Army1 Church of Chris t

Civic an d Fra te rna l OrganizationsFive civic or service type organizations are active in Linton:Rotary, Kiwanis, Business an d Profess ional Women's Club, GreaterLinton Club, an d Industries fo r Linton.Fraternal organi za tions include: Masons , Elks , Eagles, Redmen,

Moose, Od d Fellows, Knights of Pythias , American Legion, an dVeterans of Foreign Wars . With th e exception of the Moose and VFW,al l own their facilities which represent substantial investments .

Commercia l an d Service Facili t iesTh e city has six hotels, including a new motel, to serve th e travel-

in g public. There are also several restaurants, some with facilitiesfor serving larger groups.A modern federal building graces one of Linton's streets. In ita re housed, in addition to th e usual posta l facilities, office s fo rInternal Revenue Service, Social Security, an d Civil Service.

Cultural Faci l i t iesLibrary. Linton and Stockton Township ar e fortunate to possessan excellent l ibrary under th e direction of a competent professionall ibrar ian. In 1954, the total number of registered borrowers


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60 Indiana Busine ss Information Bulletin

wa s 1 ,756; th e total number of books owned by the l ib ra ry wa s 23 ,483;total circulation of books fo r th e year wa s 51 ,294. Certain otherfigures ar e pertinent: the book stock per c apita is 2.8 ; the ci rc ulation per capita is 6.4 ; th e total budget fo r the year is $5,430 . 76;th e total e xpenditure pe r c apita is $.69; and 20 pe r cent of the pop ulation are registered borrow e rs . Th e book, referenc e work, an dmagaz in e display s a re attractive an d well arranged . Th e s econdfloor of the l ibrary building ha s facilities for m ee ti ng s of variousc lubs a nd ci v ic groups . Th e r e a re th r ee rooms , one equippe d witha piano and a small s tage.

Ne ws pa pe r . Th e Linton a re a i s se rve d by a daily new sp a pe r, th eLi n ton Da il y Citize n . It s da il y c i rc u lat ion i s ap pr oxima t e ly 6 ,2 50.Examinat ion of cop ies fo r a pproximate ly th re e mo nt hs di s'closesthat the paper i s careful ly edited an d contains a good ba lance oflocal, state, na ti onal, an d international news of al l types .

Radio Station . One local radio station serves th e area : WBTO.This station opera tes f rom 6: 00 a. m. to 6: 00 p. m ., on a frequencyof 1600 kilocycles, with a pow e r of 500 watts. Th e coverage is aradius of 50 miles around the station, which reaches approximately425, 000 persons .

Recreational FacilitiesParks and Playgrounds. Th e city owns three parks an d a golfcourse. They are under th e supervision of a park board made up

of five members , who serve on a voluntary basis an d receive nocompensation fo r the ir services. It ha s been the custom for eachboard m e m be r to assume the responsibility for supervision of onepark, bu t the recent transfer of cer ta in park property to the LintonStockton Township School Corporation ma y result in changing thispolicy.

Humph reys Park is located on th e east edge of town on IndianaHighway 54 . The park consis ts of 22.5 acres an d is li g h ted duringsum m e r evening s , permit t ing more extensive us e of facilities.Picn i c ovens, tabl es , benches , an d sh e lt e rs ar e lo ca te d within t hep ark. Playgr ound eq uip me n t in c lu de s s uc h it em s a s sw in g s, s li des ,ocean waves, and a wa di ng pool. There ar e a ls o fa ci li ties for pl ay in gho rses hoe s an d s huffleboar d . T he band s he ll has bee n u se d re gular lyfo r s um m e r co nc e r t s in th e pa s t and it is ex pec t e d t hat th es e p r ogram swill c on t in ue. Also in th e pa r k a rea a r e li ve s to c k buildings a nd as h ow r in g which a r e us ed ea c h ye a r fo r the annua l 4- H Club show .

Linton, Indiana 61

A Girl Scout hu t is used as an occasional summer meeting place.A concession is operated during th e summer on a private basisunder a lease granted by the city with a profi t shar ing clause . Thereis also a care taker ' s house in th e park .

The Boy Scou t Park an d Conse r vation Park a r e located on a t rac tof land consis ting of approximat e ly 570 a c re s known as Le e- SherardPark . This pa rk prope r ty is lo c ated about a mile an d a half northe a s tof th e ci ty a nd is ac ce s s ib le by county im p r ove d r oa ds. Conse r vationP ar k ha s a nu m be r of s tr ip pe r pond s whe re ' fi s hi ng is popula r . Tw ocl ubh ou ses in the park are owned by t he city an d mainta ine d by th eLinton Conservation C lub and the Women's Sports C lub, respective l y.These ar e available fo r general us e at a nomina l fee. A residenceon th e property is occupied by a caretaker . Boy Scout Park ha s ala rge stripper pond which is well stocked with fish. The care taker 's residence here ha s cer ta in space in it reserved fo r Scoutingactiviti es .

A nine-hole municipal golf course is located on a 96-acre tracttw o miles eas t of th e city on Indiana Highway 54. Season privilegesm ay be purchased on an individual or family basis , or nominalgreens fees are charged in lieu of the annual fee. The clubhouse isbuilt of native stone an d ma y be rented for dinners an d other activities.A golf professional, giving ins truc t ions under special arrangements ,is employed by the city an d is responsible fo r th e greens.

Th e city ha s recently transferred to the Linton-Stockton SchoolCorporation (a s wa s mentioned under th e heading of Schools) a33-acre site, once ' used as a park. Although part of this propertywill be used as a site for a ne w school building, the recrea t ional facili t ies of the park will continue to function as a general community se rv ic e under the supervisio n of th e school athletic director . Tennis courts ,a lighted baseball diamo nd, an d outdoor concrete basketball courtsare used for genera l rec re a tion as we ll as by th e school' s at hl etic team s.

A "T ow n Ha ll T ee n - C ant e en , " which wa s built wit h fund s obtaine dfr o m public donation s, i s a conve ni e nt pl ace for y oung people to goda n c in g , to hold me e ti ngs , or to ha ve pa r ti e s. The or gan izatio n i sgo ver ne d by a s tud ent council ad v is e d by an a dult committ ee . A c ti v it i es of at tending gr oups ar e su p e rvis e d by a ho s tess .

Other Facil i t ie s. Fac i l i t ies fo r ba s e ball, golf, te nnis , fishing,hunting, and boating ab ound in th e Linton region. There ar e approx imate ly 20 st rip pits in the vicinity of Linton, ranging from 5 a c re sto 140 a c re s . Arti c le s on strip pi t fishing in the Linton a r ea have


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62 Indiana.Business Information Bulletin

appeared in such magazines as Outdoor Indiana an d the MidwestFisherman. While there is no swimming pool in town to providean opportunity fo r supervised swimming, Shakamak State Park ,'located approximately twelve miles north, provides such facilities.A great deal of interest in Linton centers around bowling. Within

th e city, many organized teams compete regular ly on good alleys.A movie theater is located on North Main Street in Linton an d adrive- in theater is located about on e mile east of town on IndianaHighway 54 .Two television stations ar e within a 40-mile radius of Linton.A Channel 4 station, Bloomington WTTV , ha s it s s ignal tower nearCloverdale, Indiana; Terre Haute WTHI-T V is a Channel 10 station.Those owning more elaborate re c eiving equipment report being ableto receive programs from th e tw o Indianapolis stations.

SummaryTo su m up the examination of the facilities an d services in Lintonit need only be stated that th e survey team found them entirely ade- 'quate in al l th e important aspects . Th e genera l progressiveness

of th e community, it s spirit of helpfulness, and it s demonstratedcooperative attitude toward industry ar e impress ive .An illustration of Linton's p rogressive spirit ma y be found in arecently completed s treet lighting program. Eighty-seven lamps,costing approximately $35,000, have been installed an d placed inoperation. They greatly "improve th e appearance of the city an dprovide an additional safety factor for the night hours.Th e attitude of th e community toward ~ d u s t r i a l development is asomewhat intangible, bu t nonetheless, vital factor in attracting ne wf i rms to th e area. When a large industr ia l firm moved into the

Linton area a few years ago, th e s treet which connected th e plantwith th e nearest highway was inadequate. Local government officialswere unable to accept th e lowest bi d fo r construction of a ne w s treetou t of current funds. At this point, one local citizen personallytook the bid at the amount that local officials could spend and awardedth e contrac t to th e firm which had been th e low bidder. Later, voluntary contributions from several community leaders l iquidated hi spersonal loss. Such action by th e community is indicative of localfeeling toward ne w industry .

SECTION 10RETAILING AN D WHOLESALING

Shopping Faciliti esTh e retail shopping facilities of Linton ar e lo c ated , primarily ,

on East an d West Vincennes Street, North and South Main Street,an d "A " Street North. Th e area c onsisting of retail s tores exclusivelyan d those partially converted to retail us e is shown in Figure 1O.Th e partially converted blocks ar e occupied by both retail andwholesale firms, an d these are the bl ock s where future retail growthis li ke ly to take place.

Some new construction an d extensive modernization of interiorsan d fronts of many of the older buildings create a generally favorableimpre ss ion of th e "downtown" shopping area. Th e newe st storebuilding is one completed early in 1955 fo r J. C . Penney and Company.The building, which ha s approximately 7,200 square feet of se llingspace, cost more than $125,000. An attractive unit of a regionalapparel chain, Hirsch an d Company of St. Louis, Missouri hasopened in the building formerly" occupied by the Penney Company.In 1953, th e G. C. Murphy Company store, operated by the limitedprice variety chain of McKeesport, Pennsylvania, wa s remodeledand enlarged. These three instances of nationally known retailchains who have enlarged, remodeled, or opened new stores inLinton recently illustrate the faith of their managements in Linton'sfuture .

According to the 1948 Census of Business, Linton ha d 133 retailestablishments. Using the Census classifications of "Kinds ofBusinesses, " th e number an d est imated sales by each classificationar e presented in Table 9.

63


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Figure 10LINTON'S RETAIL SHOPPING CENTER

I :,

11111111111 100 per cent retail_ Less than 100 per cent retail

Source: Linton City Engineer 's Office

Linton, Indiana 65

TABLE 9SELECTED CLASSES OF RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS

IN LINTON

Store Classification Number in Sales in19541 19532

Food Stores 42 $2,208,000Drug Stores 2 233,000Eating & Drinking Places 22 562,000General Merchandise Stores 4 759,000Apparel S tores 12 495,000Home Furnishing Stores 14 655,000Automotive Stores 7 1,558,000Filling Stations 13 635,000Building Material-Hardware 14 784,000

lCompiled from Linton City Directory (Chillicothe, Ohio: Mullin Kille Company, 1954). -2Consumer Markets (Evanston, I ll inois: Standard Rate an d Data

Service, Inc. , 1954) .

Appendix A contains a more detailed breakdown of th e Census ofBusiness classifications showing th e varieties of retail establishmentsin Linton . Of course, the city ha s stores no t enumerated in AppendixA . They ar e categorized as "other" by th e Census of Business an dinclude feed stores, jewelers, l iquor stores, novelty s tores , an dsporting goods outlets. In addition, Linton has numerous serviceestablishments.

Although most retail s tores i n Linton are independently operated,several ar e chain uni

industrial location analysis of linton, indiana - 1955

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