Every city I’ve ever lived in has had a place where city employees congregate and equipment is stored. Where did the term come from?
Peace,
mangeorge
I’ve worked as a municipal employee (and now, a county employee), and never heard the term. I’ve never heard of a gathering place for employees, either.
There are city equipment yards, but they serve different purposes; storage of vehicles, supplies, stolen bicycles, you name it. Don’t know of any that was a place to hang out.
I’m not sure why it is called that. However most cities are incorporated under a state charter and calling their equipment storage area the “corporation yard” isn’t farfetched to me.
I searched the term on Yahoo! and found all sorts of cities with sites about their corporation yards.
Yeah, I googled the term and also got a lot of sites as you (David Simmons) mention. But no mention of where the term originates.
I’m really surprised that elmwood has never heard of “corporation yard”. It’s a very common term. At least in CA. Employees don’t “hang out” there as much as they go there to get in their trucks, etc. The maintennance offices and such are often there too.
Oh well. Maybe it comes from the horse and buggy days.
In googling it appears to be an Irish/British term as well and use of the word “corporation yard” dates to at least the 1700’s although it seems to have a different meaning in that context .