But more than that, this tiny oasis of commerce, just off Interstate 5 between Tacoma and Olympia, separates two worlds. To the north is historic DuPont, population 600, a quaint and lovingly preserved company town built by explosives manufacturer E.I du Pont de Nemours Co. in 1906. It's easy to be transported back in time by the pretty, pitched-roof cottages, the stone commemorative tablets and the white clapboard Presbyterian Church. Slowly, the two DuPonts are beginning to merge into a 21st-century version of a company town. The community, now with 786 residents, also has drawn a number of families retired from the military, who like the proximity to Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base just to the north, as well as first-time home buyers, singles and families with children.
People here are really friendly.
It's a nice community for walking and jogging. Fabulous big city stuff.