 As the mill was idled during that period, Henry Ford created other work for residents by establishing a cooperative farm east of town.As an additional measure, the company store adjusted its food prices and donated clothing and shoes to employees and their families.Ford also used the town as a model for his theories on self-reliance and education; he established a vocational school in his summer home (to be used during the school year), and also opened four one-room elementary and intermediate schools in September 1935.