Agricola, Florida
Agricola is a former company town in Polk County , Florida that was built in 1907. The town was situated 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) south-west of Bartow and at an elevation of 167 feet. The town was built to house employees of food processing business Swift and Company. The town operated a food processing plant and a phosphate mining operation up until the 1950s. The residents consisted only of the factory workers and their families. The community was self contained and self reliable that contained streets, shops, schools and houses for the workers and their families. The town lasted up until the 1950s when the expansion of the phosphate industry ended the need for providing housing for employees. The town residents were offered a decision to purchase and move their homes. Whatever was not moved was destroyed. After the town was destroyed, the area still operated as a phosphate mine.
Swift and Company
The roots of Swift and Company can be traced back to 1855 when a 16 year old named Gustavus F. Swift established a butchering operation in Eastham, Massachusetts. Its early product of Cape Cod led to its expansion a number of locations including Brighton, MA, Albany, NY, and Buffalo, NY locations, and Chicago. As well as meat processing Swift and Company sold several dairy and other grocery items including Swiftning shortening, Allsweet margarine, Brookfield butter, cheese under the Brookfield, Pauly, the Treasure Cave brands, and Peter Pan peanut butter. Eventually in 1954 Swift started to sell frozen turkeys under the Butterball name and he even championed the refrigerated railroad car.