Modifying sense of place in a federal company town: Sunflower Village, Kansas, 1942 to 1959

Abstract

The federal government built Sunflower Village, Kansas, to house employees of the Sunflower Ordnance Plant and their families during World War II. The community existed in this fashion until 1959 when a private real-estate developer bought the land and buildings. The Village evolved out of many perspectives in urban planning including those of federal ownership, ‘Garden City’ communities, and private company towns. This study examines a modified, or unique, development of sense of place that evolved here due to these varied urban forms and despite evidence of mobility and a short residence. Landscape analysis, archival searches and personal interviews also reveal a distinct difference in the experiences of youth and adults that resulted in varying processes of attachment within the community.

Keywords:

• company towns
• sense of place
• youth geographies

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank James Shortridge at the University of Kansas and Soren Larsen at the University of Missouri for their reviews of this paper and their insights. Appreciation is also due to the anonymous reviewers for the Journal of Cultural Geography and their help with the manuscript. Finally, grateful thanks are due to the interviewees from across the region and the country for their memories and insights. Without them, there would have been no story to tell. Any and all errors are the author's own.