“The first thing to go is the jobs. The plant that employs 30 percent of the town shuts down. Everyone knows it’s coming but it still feels like it happens overnight. The other plant on the other side of town goes next. Textile jobs move overseas. Then the people disappear, long-time residents migrate to other towns for work, and the shops wither away. The ice cream store, the mechanic, the drug store ... they all close one by one, replaced by vacancy signs.”
