Editing Crockett, California (section)

==="Sugar Town"===
In 1906, an agricultural cooperative of Hawaiian sugar cane growers bought an existing beet sugar factory, refitted the facility, built additional structures for their refining needs, eventually turning Crockett into a [[company town]] for the [[California and Hawaiian Sugar Company]] (better known as C&H).<ref name=CGN /> The cane was grown in Hawaii and delivered by ship to Crockett, where the C&H refinery turned it into a variety of finished products.<ref name="Hayes">[https://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/a-small-towns-sweet-sorrow/Content?oid=1067600 Hayes, Kerri. "A Small Town's Sweet Sorrow ." ''East Bay Express''. May 15, 2002.] Accessed July 16, 2002.</ref>

C & H soon became a dominant force in Crockett, which has been called a "[[company town]]."{{efn|One source wrote that Crockett was sometimes called, "Sugar Town."<ref name="Hayes"/>}} By the 1920s, the company employed about 95 percent of the residents. Employment peaked at 2,500 just before WWII broke out.<ref name="Hayes"/> C & H helped its employees obtain land and bank loans so that they could build houses. Company architects worked on designing the houses. The company funded many school and civic programs.<ref name="Hayes"/>

In March and April 1938, Crockett experienced a labor strike at the C&H plant, climaxing in a riot.  This was prior to the merger of the AFL and CIO national unions.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mero |first1=William |title=Sugar Wars and the Bloody Streets of Crockett {{!}} CCCHS Essays |url=http://www.cocohistory.com/essays-sugarwars.html |website=www.cocohistory.com |access-date=June 15, 2020}}</ref>