Anderson Redding Case Study

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With economic decline in full effect, the city of Anderson is on track to become a ghost town. Anderson is located in Northern California, 150 miles north of Sacramento, and a 10-minute drive to Redding. The primary source of the problem is in Anderson’s Downtown which is defined as I-5 to 273 and North Street to Balls Ferry (See Reference 1). Nearby attractions include the Sacramento River, Turtle Bay Exploration Park, and the Mt Shasta Mall (Things Web). However, all the main attractions are found in the Redding city. Why did Anderson become a “Bedroom City” to Redding (Kiser)? Some believe that because of the lack of popularity in Anderson, it is very hard to keep a business up and running before it is closed. Most citizens will go to a larger city to shop before they shop in their hometown because the big city will have more variety. Jeff Kiser, …show more content…

Slowly, the population and community grew (History Website). In 1964, the local paper mill opened and started to flourish (Erickson). 200 positions were filled, and everything was running smoothly. Debe Hopkins remembers the specifics of the mill. “You could work there without a college degree, get a good pay, and provide for your family” (Hopkins). When talking to Florence Erickson, a representative at Anderson Historical Society, she gave insight into the Mills long going history. “The Mill had some different owners throughout the years (Simpson Lee being the prominent owner), but because of the amount of debt from the consistent chemical spills, it closed in late 2001 (Erickson). By this time, the mills had over 200 employees. When it closed, over 200 people were now added to the unemployment list. The Mill’s abrupt closing made national news for two entire weeks before the horrific events of 9/11. The economic effects of the closure were devastating. “Even If we were down back then, the big decline was with the mill closing”

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