On Sat, 25 Feb 2006, Doug Henwood wrote:
> Actually CP was a real-estate scheme to take land off the market and raise
> prices. The working class was opposed.
And eminent domain was key. It was used to destroy Seneca Village, perhaps the first solid Northern community of black property holders, integrated with their Irish and German neighbors:
http://projects.ilt.columbia.edu/seneca/start.html
Still Joanna's right -- despite those dastardly origins, it's magnificent.
Michael