The two photos here of the now closed historic and once thriving Dan River Mills in Danville, Virginia depict just one aspect of the decline of traditional American industry over the past several decades. The textile company was incorporated in 1909 and at its peak employed 30,000 people. It was once the largest textile company in the world. After years of fighting to remain a viable company, competition from overseas and other issues eventually caused it to close in 2008. Today, the storied company's sturdy brick facilities, which together look more like a small city planted in the midst of a larger one, are gradually being torn down. Bricks that composed massive walls and foundations are being recovered and stacked on pallets for eventual sale and reuse somewhere, perhaps as a component to a new building.
It's sad to see this decline in person, but there is much more to it than just the buildings going away. So have the people who once worked there. Jobs are no more. And, it's not just Danville, it's almost everywhere in the United States today. Our traditional industries have either gone or are going the way of Dan River Mills.
