Vernon. 1 City (1990 pop. 152), Los Angeles co., S Calif., industrial suburb 2 mi (3.2 km) S of downtown Los Angeles; founded and inc. 1905. Vernon has a workforce (c.44,000) that hugely exceeds its few residents. Its industries include meatpacking, fashion design and garment making, film production, electronics, and waste recycling. Founded by two ranchers as an “industrial city,” Vernon was long a major meat-processing center and formerly had significant steel, automobile, and other heavy industries.
2 Town (1990 pop. 29,841), Tolland co., N Conn.; settled c.1726, inc. 1808. Manufactures include electronic components and silk screens. Vernon merged with Rockville in 1965 and is closely associated with the nearby towns of Ellington and Tolland in the greater Hartford area. Rockville General Hospital is the largest employer.
3 City (1990 pop. 12,001), seat of Wilbarger co., N Tex., near the Okla. line; inc. 1890. Cotton, wheat and alfalfa are grown and cattle and hogs are raised. There is meat processing, oil and gas production, and the manufacture of helicopters and oil field equipment. Originally named Eagle Flats, Vernon is headquarters for the 500,000-acre (202,300-hectare) W. T. Waggoner Ranch. The city was founded in 1880 on the cattle trail to Dodge City; it has since become a highway center.
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