[ thunder rumbles ] [ bird caws ] im jamie colby in tucson, arizona. Wagon trains used to pass right through here on their way to california during the gold rush, and one of the roughandready pioneers who helped settle this area left behind a very strange inheritance. Im here to get the skinny on it. My names jock taylor. In 2009, i inherited a wooden trunk full of family heirlooms going back more than a century. Now im told i could pocket a small fortune. I meet jock, a 60yearold electrical engineer, at his home here in tucson. Hi, im jamie. Im jock. I heard you have something very unusual from your greatgreat grandfather. I certainly do. Come on in. Jock shows me that inheritance an old trunk thats been passed down through the family for more than a century. The trunk contained the family bible, a very ornate saddle blanket, a pair of old jeans jeans . Who keeps jeans . Theyve been in the trunk for so long, i dont think that my mother really knew what else to do with them. According to family lore, all the items in the trunk, including the jeans, once belonged to this man, jocks greatgreat grandfather, Solomon Warner, one of tucsons original pioneers. Very distinguished. Old solomons story, and the story of those dungarees, begins far from tucson in upstate new york, where hes born in 1811. As a young man, he heads west, in search of adventure and wealth. A lot of farm boys or smalltown boys in new york couldnt wait to get away from home. Jim turner has written several books on the history of arizona and its important pioneers like Solomon Warner. He worked on steamboats in the 1830s, and then he went to the gold rush. After that, he went to south america, looking for gold there. But the gold thing doesnt pan out. Solomon returns to america in 1853, still searching for a way to strike it rich. The following year, the United States completes the Gadsden Purchase from mexico, adding nearly 30,000 square miles, including tucson, along our southern border. Solomon sees a new frontier to be conquered. What makes pioneer status . The willing to risk. Theres a saying, the cowards didnt come, and so you had to be brave to come out to the frontier. A big, powerful man, 61 2 tall, solomon hauls 13 mules loaded with merchandise into the New Territory and opens a general store in tucson, then just a small town of less than 1,000 people. He was the first to sell American Goods in tucson. Who were his customers . The butterfield stage came through tucson, and whatever you wanted, you had to buy it from Solomon Warner. As the town grows, so do warners riches, but his business interests are interrupted when civil war breaks out in 1861. Tucson was under the confederacy and captain Sherod Hunter asked all of the citizens to swear an oath to the confederacy. What about Solomon Warner . Was he game . He wouldnt do it, and when he wouldnt do it, they confiscated all of his goods. Solomon retreats to mexico, then returns to tucson after the war to reclaim his store. But another kind of bloodshed breaks out along his trade routes. This is, after all, the wild, wild west. Was that an easy thing to do in those days, getting goods back and forth . It was dangerous. Several times, he had been shot by arrows from indians when he was bringing dry goods back and forth. Sounds like a hollywood character in the making. It was amazing that not only did he survive apache attacks, he lived to be 89. When solomon dies in 1899, tucsons in mourning. There was a great ceremony because he was a revered citizen at that time. After solomons death, his son, john, packs up some of his fathers belongings into a trunk that bears the family name, and over the years, the cedar chest gets handed down through the generations. John Solomon Warner, when he passed away, it went to his only daughter, josefina, and then everything that she had went to my mother, elva. Why has the family held on to it . Its an heirloom. My mother always used it for storing ancient family relics. She was very proud of it. The trunk stays in elvas living room until she passes away in 2009. Then her son jock, one of four heirs, moves the crate to his home and takes an inventory of its contents, including those old blue jeans. Whatd they look like . They were very weird jeans. They didnt have belt loops, and they only had one pocket on the back. They looked like a pair of old blue jeans that had been washed once and then folded and put away. Werent they worn out . They are in likenew condition. Like brandnew . Like brandnew. And on the back of those spotless jeans, a famous marking. They had the leather patch on the back that said levis on them. Thats right levis, the most iconic blue jeans of all time. Did you just take the jeans out of the trunk and try them on . Actually, theyre way too big for me. They come up almost to my chest. Jock assumes jeans that big probably belonged to old solomon. But he cant say for sure what went into and came out of that chest in the 110 years since his greatgreat grandpas death. Any proof of purchase . Not that i know of. A picture of him wearing them . No. You sure its not just family lore . I dont know. What could they be worth . A bundle, says this prospector, who actually mines for ancient blue jeans. True vintage denim can be worth thousands of dollars. For a reason you might not expect. All the earlier jeans that they had went up in smoke. Thats next. But first, our strange inheritance quiz question. The answer after the break. I switched to miralax for my constipation. Stimulant laxatives forcefully stimulate the nerves in your colon. Miralax works with the water in your body to unblock your system naturally. And it doesnt cause bloating, cramping, gas, or sudden urgency. Miralax. Look for the pink cap. But allstate actually helps you drive safely. With drivewise. It lets you know when you go too fast. And brake too hard. With feedback to help you drive safer. Giving you the power to actually lower your cost. Unfortunately, it cant do anything about that. Now that you know the truth. Are you in good hands . Most people think a button is just a button. That a speaker is just a speaker. Or that the journey cant be the destination. Most people havent driven a lincoln. Discover the lincoln approach to craftsmanship at the lincoln summer invitation. Right now, get 0 apr on all 2019 lincoln vehicles plus no payments for up to 90 days. Only at your lincoln dealer. [ wind howls ] so, whats the bestselling bluejean brand after levis . Its a, wrangler. The original cowboy brand has been outfitting rodeo stars and stars on rodeo drive since 1904. In 2009, jock taylor inherits a wooden trunk thats been in the family for over a century. It was purchased by his greatgreat grandfather, Solomon Warner, who founded the First American store here in tucson back in 1853. He had that pioneer spirit. He saw the opportunity here, and he could see that the city had potential to grow. Inside that trunk is a pair of vintage levis blue jeans. So, they were pretty ratty . No, they actually were very wellpreserved. Its cedar, and it protected the jeans very well. If theyre indeed solomons from way back when, the jeans are also a remarkably wellpreserved relic of a completely different pioneer success story. Mike harris, author of jeans of the old west, knows all about that. How did this whole levi boom start . Well, in 1870, jacob davis, who was a tailor in reno, nevada, he was approached by a woman who was married to a woodcutter. Turns out that her woodcutter husband constantly rips through his pants pocket. Its a common problem. Whether concealing a pistol or hauling heavy gold nuggets, the weak pockets just cant handle the stress. So jacob davis gets the idea. He saw the rivets on his workbench, and he decided to put those in the pocket corners. Adding rivets to pockets its one of those seatofthepants innovations that make america great. The result . Stronger dungarees that can stand up to the tough work thrown at them by the miners and laborers of the day. And after about a year, he was getting so many orders, he couldnt fill them. Davis, who needs capital and manpower, goes into business with wealthy San Francisco merchant levi strauss. On may 20, 1873, american blue jeans are born. A pair costs about a buck. Levis markets their denim overalls as the uniform of the working class. Who bought them at the time . Miners in the west, farmers, mechanics anybody that did hard labor would have bought levis back then. Thats because workers love how tough and durable the pants are, as this pair from 1890 proves. From the 1800s . I mean, they feel like they could be right now. They really could withstand a lot. Absolutely. So it was all about strength . It was all about strength. Now, heres something really important to remember in this strange inheritance tale. In 1906, the epic San Francisco earthquake devastates the levis headquarters. Their building, it was completely leveled. Along with all of levis records and inventory. The first 30 years of the companys history gone. Of course, for the next century and more, the company thrives. Indeed, the pants it manufactures become an american icon. Think about it. Is there anything the world loves more about america than blue jeans . Theyre right up there with blockbuster movies, fastfood burgers, and rock n roll. So you probably arent surprised theres a demand for vintage jeans. But i bet you would be surprised how far some people will go to meet that demand. True vintage denim can be worth thousands of dollars, and finding any levis pre1900 is a massive rarity. Thats the holy grail. Thats what were all looking for. Brit eaton is a modernday prospector who scours old west barns, ghost towns, and mining sites not for precious metals, but antique overalls. My gold is what the gold miners were wearing while they were seeking their gold. In order to be a great denim hunter, you have to be ruthless, relentless, and rugged. Ive rappelled into pits, ive killed rattlesnakes to get by. There are so many potential dangers. Exploring abandoned mineshafts can be treacherous, but often worth the risk. Finding things in mines is the equivalent of biggame hunting. You find a time capsule just sitting there in the middle of nowhere. The feeling of seeking something is a true american sort of pioneer feeling. Youre literally filling a gap in in history. And thats a good way to pose the question facing our heir, jock taylor. Does his strange inheritance fill a gap in history, or are they closer to the jeans that fill the gap at the mall . They were in such great shape that i thought, why are they showing me new jeans . Stay tuned for p. S. I. Pants seam investigation next. Heres another quiz question for you. The answer when we return. All right brad, once again i have revolutionized the songwriting process. Oh, here we go. I know i cant play an instrument, but this. This is my forte. Obviously, for auto insurance, weve got the wheel route. Obviously. Retirement, were going with a longterm play. Makes sense. Pet insurance, wait, let me guess. Flea flicker. Yes howd you know . Studying my playbook . Yeah, actually. [ wind howls ] so, who said, i had holes in my jeans well before it was fashionable . Its b, kenny rogers, who knew when to fold them. A cedar box inherited by jock taylor of tucson, arizona, contains a cache of old family heirlooms that he assumes have been sitting in the trunk since his greatgreat grandfather Solomon Warner passed away in 1899. Including this curious item a pair of seemingly neverworn levis jeans. How many years do you think those jeans may have been in that trunk . In excess of 110 years. So jock and his wife, pat, take the levis to a traveling appraisal show here in town with high expectations. They walk up to the table of daniel buck soules, owner of daniel buck auctions. They had a pillowcase, and i had no idea what they had. And when they pulled out these jeans, they were in such great shape that i thought, why are they showing me new jeans . So, you were suspicious at first . Oh, absolutely. But it wasnt until i really started looking at them that i went, okay, these are a little bit better than i think they are. Just how much better . Daniels detective work begins with the obvious these belong in the bigandtall department waist, 44, length, 37. He had to be 66, 68. He was a mountain of a man. Next, he examines the leather tag. Does this identify the jean in some way . It does. They started adding this around 1886, but they still use that. Even to today, its still there. That sets the base. The jeans are no older than 1886, but they could have been made any time after that. So daniel turns his attention to those famous pocket rivets. One of the problems they actually had was the placement of the rivets. If you were a cowboy and on a saddle, the outside rivets would wear on saddles. What you find is they had to cover these with cloth at one point. Those covered rivets first appear in 1937, but jocks are exposed, meaning the overalls are at least older than world war ii. Daniel searches the waistline for more clues. Theres no belt loops. Theres no belt loops because of the fact at this time, they only had suspenders, and it wasnt until 1922 that they actually added the belt loops. Were back to the roaring twenties, and the pockets reveal one more thread to the story. When levis first started manufacturing jeans, you had the two front pockets and the single back pocket, and this other pocket, which is for change or a pocket watch. And it wasnt until around 1901 they added the fifth pocket in the back. Which is missing on jocks jeans. So now weve narrowed it down to that 15year window between 86 and 01. Finally, daniel spots a stamp on the inside of the pocket that helps age the overalls all the way to 1893. Jeans historian mike harris is amazed. How unique is this pair . To find an 1893 pair of levi very scarce. This could be one of two examples known, so its very rare. If one shows up, then its quite valuable. And to find an 1893 pair inperfectcondition . Unheard of. So how much cash could jock expect for his strange inheritance . Size really does matter when it comes to vintage levis. Find out next. Whats your strange inheritance story . Wed love to tell it. Send me an email or go to our website, strangeinheritance. Com. Limu emu doug what do all these people have in common, limu . [ paper rustling ] exactly, nothing. Theyre completely different people, thats why they need customized Car Insurance from liberty mutual. Theyll only pay for what they need [ gargling ] [ coins hitting the desk ] yes, and they could save a ton. Youve done it again, limu. Only pay for what you need. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Who used expedia to book the Vacation Rental which led to the discovery that sometimes a little down time can lift you right up. Expedia. Everything you need to go. Now back to strange inheritance. Jock taylor is one of four heirs to inherit this pair of antique levis jeans, authenticated by Daniel Soules to be from 1893. So, what are they worth . 10,000 . Keep going. 20,000 . And more. The reasons not just that there are vintage bluejean collectors around the world. Its also because of the levistrauss company itself, whose headquarters were destroyed in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, along with the archives of their early denim. Are they trying to get these historic jeans back . They actually are. So when a good pair of jeans do come on the market, they are out there trying to purchase them. The last pair of blue jeans that sold from the 1880s, its my understanding that levis paid six figures for them. A hundred thou for an old pair of jeans . Jock reaches out to levis. They said that they were probably the oldest unworn pair of levis they had ever seen. And jock says they offer him 50,000 for them. Its a lot of dough, but the familys expecting more. They discuss it, then turn down the offer. If levi strauss is valuing a rippedup, torn pair thats maybe a year or two older at 100,000, i would think that a pair thats never been worn from the same era would be at least worth that much. So jock tells auctioneer Daniel Soules to set a date to sell greatgreat grandpas pants to the highest bidder. Its a risk, thats true, but when you consider that its the only unworn pair of blue jeans of that era, i think, yeah, its a oneofakind item. I think the most they could possibly get from a collector is 40,000. Denim hunter brit eaton believes jock and his family are thinking too big for their britches. The vintage denim market is incredibly volatile. I think if levi strauss is willing to pay 50,000 for them, take the money and run. Is he right . November 5, 2016 is the date were to find out. Then, just before the levis go up on the block, daniel postpones the sale due to technical glitches. A few days later, hes talking to a buyer from japan, but the jeans are not a good fit. At 44 waist and 37 length, the jeans were too big for them. They were planning on purchasing them to wear. So that deal fell through. It was very depressing. Size really does matter when it comes to vintage levis. If its either too little or too big, its going to be harder to establish a value, or just not as valuable. Levis would not comment on any negotiations with jock, but we do know he has at least one sizable offer very much on the table. Theres absolutely a market for jocks levis. I personally would be willing to pay 35,000 for them. Ill make that mark in blood right now if you want. What would ol Solomon Warner do . Jocks pretty sure his greatgreat granddaddy would tell him to sit tight. Hes positive the frontier merchant is somewhere off in the sunset, grinning. For him to know that his jeans that he left after his passing were worth 50,000, i think he would think the world has gone crazy. Now, thats some tailormade close from an heir not only left big shoes to fill, but a big pair of pants to boot. Everybody has a pair of their favorite supercomfortable, wornout jeans, right . These are mine. I cant believe im wearing them on a shoot, but i wonder what old levi strauss would think of Clothing Stores selling preripped denim, often at two or three times the cost of a pristine pair. Whats up with kids these days too lazy to wear out their own jeans . Im jamie colby. Thanks for watching strange inheritance. And remember you cant take it with you. Talk about getting the keys to the city. They walk around like they own the place. Sounds like youre the unofficial mayor of this town. Well, thats one of my hats. Guess what . They do. Your dad bought the whole neighborhood . Yes. The whole town. It is a real community. Very closeknit. I was told i was born here, but i was too young to remember. They never thought theyd live to see this day. Makes me sad. I dont want to have to move. When is the last time you got a listing for a whole town . Never. Will the heirs take the cash and let the bulldozers in . If you did sell, where would those people go . [ door creaks ] [ wind howls ] [ thunder rumbles ] [ bird caws ] im jamie colby in western pennsylvania, turning into the village of reduction. Im here because a viewer wrote me to say this whole place is his strange inheritance. My name is David Stawovy. When my parents passed away, my siblings and i inherited a town. Hi, david. Im jamie colby. Hello, jamie. Welcome to the town of reduction. You wrote me you inherited a town . This is it . This is part of it. David and his three siblings inheritance encompasses 75 acres of hills, farmland, and forest nestled along the youghiogheny river. The town, population 60, stretches out along reduction road, which leads into reduction circle, and an area called the village, a collection of 19 houses. And the house right in front of me is the house that my father decided to purchase, and thats where i lived when i was one year old. He wanted only one, but the people that was selling it asked him if he wanted to buy them all. So he ended up buying them all. Your dad bought the whole neighborhood . Yes, the whole town in 1948. But davids ahead of our story. It starts some 40 years before his dad became king of this hill. At the turn of the century, the town is owned by the American Reduction Company, which runs a bustling plant that recycles and reduces garbage shipped in from nearby pittsburgh. And the factory was directly behind you, down over the hill. They only had to walk down a set of steps, and they were at work. Reduction was what was known as a company town, one of more than 2,000 communities wholly owned by one corporation or another that pop up across america in the late 1800s. You load sixteen tons what do you get . Another day older and deeper in debt a numberone hit, sixteen tons by Tennessee Ernie Ford makes Company Towns sound like woeful places to live. I owe my soul to the Company Store but that song topped the charts in 1955, long after almost all the Company Towns closed, and their story is more nuance than old tennessee ernie is letting on. History professor ed meena. Who did it benefit more the company or the employees . The company had a steady force of workers at their disposal, but it gave the workers an opportunity to find their own life and their own future. Company towns make it possible for workers to take the jobs in the new postcivil War Industries located near Natural Resources like coal, lumber, iron, and oil. It was you came on the railroad, dropped off, went to work. Were the people that lived in these Company Towns proud to work for the company, or is it a little indentured servitude . A little bit of both. The company was run for profit, and the workers, in many instances, were very expendable, but some of the Company Towns were a little bit better, and workers were given the opportunity to have some leisure time. There were activities, religious instruction, athletics. Reduction, p. A. , comes to life in 1910 with the opening of the american reduction plant. Its known as the town that garbage built. All the garbage from pittsburgh, and they brought it out, and they ran it through a processing plant, and they separated the copper, aluminum, or whatever metals. They made soap. They made fertilizer. And how many workers did reduction need that it made sense for them to build a company town . Well, i think at their heyday, they had 400 People Living in reduction. They had three shifts. It worked 24 7. In 1920, davids grandparents, polish immigrants valentine and johanna stawovy, settle near reduction and start a dairy farm to supply milk, eggs, cheese, and produce to reduction. They become its Company Store. Is that the farm . Yes, this is a shot of my grandfather and my grandmother and all the siblings. How big was this farm . He bought like 100 acres, and then he bought another 100 acres. He bought up a lot of different farms. Thats a substantial dairy farm. Well, he had four sons, and his daughter worked there, and so he had his own workforce. One member of that workforce, davids father, john stawovy. Born in 1922, he grows up milking cows, working the fields, and attending school with the rest of the reduction kids at this oneroom schoolhouse. By then, American Workers are starting to enjoy the economic advances that will bring the era of Company Towns to a close rising worker incomes, massproduced cars, widely available home financing. They get a taste of a better life. Oh, absolutely. Workers have a higher standard of living because of their union contracts. They actually get paid time off. They get a little bit of a pension. In 1936, a larger garbage plant opens in pittsburgh. American reduction closes the plant here, and reduction becomes a ghost town. When reduction closed, what happened to the People Living in those houses . People were devastated. That was their livelihood. The stawovy family dairy, nevertheless, thrives. In 1948, davids father is newly married and looking for a starter home. He approaches the American Reduction Company to purchase one of the houses in the old neighborhood. He said, whats the price . , and he gave him the price, and then he said to my father, instead of buying one, why dont you buy them all . How much . 10,000. Did he have the money . No. He borrowed it. He saw it as an investment . Oh, yes. Davids parents rent out the 18 vacant homes and move into this 600squarefoot house just like the others. Here they start a family. David is born in 1949, followed by sisters jacque, cheryl, and brother jan. It was very closeknit, and, as i recall, it was very happy. Jacque recalls a childhood spent playing with the other kids in the village. We loved to iceskate on the pond that was right next to the dairy. Before we went iceskating, we would go into the dairy and get hot chocolate. Time stands still in good ways and, well, not so good ways. All the houses had outhouses. They didnt have indoor plumbing. Once a year, they had to be cleaned, and my father would have me going out with him and hold the flashlight when he would do his duty. We would do whatever he asked us to do. Whether it be painting, scrubbing, we all had a hand in it. The kids grow up, move away, and begin their own careers. For the next six decades, with support from their mother, dad runs the old company town from top to bottom. My dad did it for years all by himself, and he was incredible. But when the landlord, town engineer, and public works chief needs to retire from office, his son david is about to find out that being lord of the manor isnt all its cracked up to be. You get a call 2, 3, 4 oclock in the morning. Its my responsibility. Heres a strange inheritance quiz question. The answer after the break. Keep it down there. I have a system. Keith used to be great to roadtrip with. But since he bought his house. Are you going 45 . Uh, yes. 55 is a suggestion. Its kind of like driving with his dad. What a sign, huh . Terry, can you take a selfie of me . Take a selfie of you . Yeah. Can you make it look like im holding it . He did show us how to bundle home and auto at progressive. Com and save a bunch of money. Oh, a plaque. He later navigated northward, leaving. Progressive cant protect you from becoming your parents. But we can protect your home and auto when you bundle with us. So, a strike begun at what company town led to the creation of labor day . Its b. In 1894, after their wages were cut in half, workers at the pullman railcar company in illinois walked out, leading to a nationwide strike. In response, president Grover Cleveland approved the federal holiday of labor day. Hard to believe this beautiful western pennsylvania hamlet is known as the town that garbage built, but its true. The village of reduction dates back to 1910, a company town of the american reduction plant, trash processor for nearby pittsburgh. The plant closes in the 30s, but local dairy farmer john stawovy buys the whole spread in 1948 and runs the town, home to about 60 people. I was told i was born here, but i was too young to remember. Walter willie klorczyk grew up in reduction in the 1950s. What was it like living here . Well, it was country. Youre exposed to all kinds of animals and bugs and stuff, and you get used to living in the country. Were the neighbors close . Very close. I mean, close enough where you couldnt do anything wrong without coming home and finding out that everybody knew about it. For willie, reduction will always hold a little piece of childhood magic. There was never a streetlight here, and i remember one time we laid down and looked up at the sky, and realized theres more than just a few stars up there. For the next 60 years into the early 2000s, john stawovy and his wife, amelia, not only run the town, but maintain its characteristic charm. When the people would come to pay the rent, it was like a friend arrived. Sometimes my mother would invite them in to have tea or coffee or feed them. They were all very kind to my parents. But when their father enters his 80s and begins to suffer from dementia, david, now a retired schoolteacher, finds himself more involved with all the daytoday duties. Was there some point when your dad got ill and you realized youd have to take over all of the responsibility . I was there with my father, helped him throughout all the years, and now, for the last five years, i had to really take care of him. In 2014, davids father dies of heart failure. Two years later, his mom passes away. Davids named executor of the estate. My father chose me. Its an honor that my dad thought that much of me for me to be responsible enough to take care of his family. Whats in his will i will do. Whether i agree with it or not, i will do what my father asked, and thats i feel its an honor. For david, its also an honor to keep the town running just as his parents did for more than 60 years. Sounds like youre the unofficial mayor of this town. Well, thats one of my hats one of them. What other things do you have to do . Sewage officer, plumber, electrician you know, i do it all, whatever needs done. Do you have the expertise to do all that . I do probably 98 of the work myself, and my family helps, also. One of the worst things we had recently, one of the main waterlines broke in the middle of the road. Davids not the only Family Member on the clock. Since i retired, its kind of my job now. My husband and i do the bookwork, and we make all the deposits. I do all of the leases. For their work, the siblings earn hourly wages. Then at the end of the year, each typically receives an additional 15,000, profit from the rental income. Dont you think you should be making more money for all this . 15,000 is not a lot of money, but its something. Im happy with that. David and his siblings are happy about something else, too the community that theyve helped to perpetuate. Tightknit . Oh, yeah. What kind of things do they do for each other . Well, like sometimes when they have to leave, theyll watch their children or theyll say, pick up my child when they get off the bus till i get off work. Kate and larry blasko have lived in reduction for two years. You came and looked at it. Came and looked at it, and we said, we want to rent it. And why not . These homes are perfect for a couple of emptynesters. Look at this kitchen, okay . I could totally make magic here. You got the sink, you got a beautiful stove, you have this huge refrigerator it all fits and if you want to have breakfast in the house . Right here. You got a whole seating arrangement, storage. Isnt it darling . Its such a cute house. You guys like living here . We love it. Love it. Whats the best part . Just being alone and the wildlife and quiet. Quiet. What are you missing . Nothing. Traffic. Yeah. Missing traffic. Its a pretty friendly and quiet little town, but maybe not for much longer. When is the last time you got a listing for a whole town . Never. Whats david asking . Heres another quiz question for you. The answer when we return. Too many people in pain settle for a restless nights sleep. Theres a better choice. Aleve pm. The only one to combine a safe sleep aid and the 12hour painrelieving strength of aleve. That dares to last into the morning. So you feel refreshed. Aleve pm. Theres a better choice. We like drip coffee, layovers and waiting on hold. What we dont like is relying on fancy technology for help. Snail mail we were invited to a y2k party. Uh, didnt that happen, like, 20 years ago . Oh, look, karolyn, weve got a mathematician on our hands check it out now you can schedule a callback or reschedule an appointment, even on nights and weekends. Todays xfinity service. Simple. Easy. Awesome. Id rather not. So, what old company town has been transformed into a fivestar resort . Its kohler, wisconsin. Founded in 1900 on the grounds of the kohler plumbing fixture plant, the town now boasts a hotel, water spa, and championship golf course. After inheriting the old company town of reduction, pennsylvania, from their parents in 2016, retired schoolteacher David Stawovy and his siblings have been busy keeping the town up and running. But heavy are the heads that share the town. So as they reach retirement age, they decide to put the entire village up for sale. What was it that finally made you say, out . My wife and i want to travel. My sisters want to travel. Youre tied down. Youre never at peace. When is the last time you got a listing for a whole town . Never. [ both laugh ] Debbie Dattalo is the listing agent. Whats david asking . 1. 5. 1. 5. . Million. Is that a good price . I believe its a fair price, and everythings negotiable. How would you describe this property . Its unbelievable land, and the history of it, i think, is even more amazing. What do Properties Around here sell for . The market is growing, so my expectations are only going up because of the growth that will be happening in the next couple of years here. If the heirs get their asking price, split four ways, theyd each receive 375k. Wheres the value where were standing right now, in these houses, in the river, the neighborhood . I believe its the land. This is very difficult to find this amount of land in a parcel like this. Other than what it is right now, what could this property become . I think it could be a housing development. I still have in my mind that it could be a recreational space. News travels fast in a small town, so its no secret to the residents that their time in reduction, p. A. , could be dwindling away. Makes me sad. I dont want to have to move. Its a decision the residents may be forced to make sooner than theyd like. I did have an offer already. Whats your strange inheritance story . Wed love to tell it. Send me an email or go to our website, strangeinheritance. Com. [ dogs barking ] what about him . Lets do it. [ sniffing ] come on. This summer, add a new member to the family. Hurry into the mercedesbenz summer event today for exceptional offers. Lease the glc 300 suv for just 419 a month at the mercedesbenz summer event. Going on now. That i won the best of i casweepstakes it. And i get to be in this geico commercial . Lets do the eyebrows first, just tease it a little. Slather it all over, dont hold back. Well, the squirrels followed me all the way out to california and theres a very strange badger staring at me. No, i cant believe how easy it was to save hundreds of dollars on my Car Insurance with geico. Uhhuh, wheres the camel . Mr. Big shots got his own trailer. Wheeeeeee believe it geico could save you 15 or more on Car Insurance. The Doctors Office might mejust for a shot. O but why go back there when you can stay home with neulasta® onpro . Strong chemo can put you at risk of serious infection. In a key study neulasta® reduced the risk of infection from 17 to 1 a 94 decrease. Neulasta® onpro is designed to deliver neulasta® the day after chemo and is used by most patients today. Neulasta® is for certain Cancer Patients receiving strong chemotherapy. Do not take neulasta® if youre allergic to it or Neupogen Filgrastim . An incomplete dose could increase infection risk. Ruptured spleen, sometimes fatal as well as serious lung problems allergic reactions, kidney injuries and capillary leak syndrome have occurred. Report abdominal or shoulder tip pain, trouble breathing or allergic reactions to your doctor right away. In patients with sickle cell disorders, serious, sometimes fatal crises can occur. The most common side effect is bone and muscle ache. If youd rather be home ask your doctor about neulasta® onpro. Pay no more than 5 per dose with copay card. Now back to strange inheritance. David stawovy and his three siblings have just put up for sale the tiny former company town, reduction, p. A. , that their family has owned and run for 70 years. While theyre excited about the prospect of selling, theyre uncomfortable with the thought of uprooting the towns 60 residents. Why do you care so much . I just like people, thats all. I try to give them a good you know, its a reasonable place to live. I try to give that to them. If you did sell, where would those people go . Well, i promised them if i sold that i would give them one year to find a place to live. Not everybodys going to agree. They may want to take possession and tear them down immediately. I know, but i told them. I made a promise. Im a man of my word. I dont want to have to move. You know that he is looking for a buyer, but only a buyer that would be willing to let people stay here for a period of time . Yes. That seems pretty unusual in america. Well, it is. Everybodys after that buck. Youre right. I give him a lot of respect for that. Were hoping that someone will come along and run it just the way we did and maybe even make it better. Just a month after putting the town on the market in october 2016, david gets a call from a prospective buyer. What would they do with the property . Theres a big mound thats a high point where you could see for miles. He wanted to build a mansion up on top of it. Ooh. The offer comes in at 800,000, well below the 1. 5 million asking price. But the real dealbreaker for the family is that reduction would be reduced to nothing. Whats it like to have a client whos a little bit hesitant to sell . I think my business is about emotions, and sometimes people are emotionally tied to their real estate, and i understand that. This property is still important to them, and i think that will be important when we find the right buyer to know the love that went into the houses and also the people that lived here. Walking around reduction, i realize that while houses, roads, street signs, and water mains can put a town on the map, its people that make it a community, like larry, kate, and willie, and all the others whove lived in these brick houses and populated the old company town with plain old good company. Its no wonder that even with big money on the table, david and his siblings say theyre determined not to let the people of reduction down. Where are you going to find somebody that will buy this property and treat these people with the respect that you have . I hope theres somebody out there. Whats the upside for them . To want to take care of people and for the love of man. Remember how the stawovy family dairy provided the residents and workers of reduction with food and supplies . Well, it turns out there was one popular farm product old grandpa valentine sold on the side moonshine. David tells me his gramps ran a secret still right on the farm even did a little time behind bars when he was caught. Of course, after a long day in the garbage factory, i can understand the workers in the old company town wanting a little cocktail. Im jamie colby. Thanks for watching strange inheritance. And remember you cant take it with you. Harvey levin the objects People Choose to keep in their home define who they are. This is. Okay, are we starting . Im harvey levin. This is the story of one of the most successful tv personalities and music producers in history, simon cowell. But before he became a household name, simon had his fair share of failures that left him flat broke. Its gotta be a little humiliating at 30 years old to fail so hard. But he would bounce back in a big way, producing a slew of shows and then conquering television with american idol. What do you think of katy perry doing idol . Good luck. laughs harvey his personal life somewhat turbulent. An affair with a married woman would lead to his greatest joy,