Excerpt from The Diary of Albert Smythe, dated June 1875:
Benjamin was not far from the truth when he spoke, over dinner, of the worms of Wormtown. It is a sight, Amelia. The ground shimmers and turns so that, awaking at dawn, I imagine myself returned to the swaying bunks of the Elizabeth, that this interlude in the west has been but a dream. It is a nightmare, in fact. It is damned place and damned people that call it home.
The place is damned for the worms and blessed for them. At a mile’s distance one sees the prairie rise and thinks of Benjamin’s pastoral hill. It is more a heap, in fact. The worms churn the land and the prairie wrinkles at Wormtown. The earth is airy and soft and I’ll confess my astonishment at how the wide world’s crops are born of the dirt here, neighbors to each other in this place and in this place alone.
The people are damned for their love of the worms. They make pets of them, claim to recognize one among the tangle. They breed them. They eat them. They worry over contraptions to frighten birds. The worm-song lulls them to sleep: skin on earth, ever-shifting. A frightful noise.
There are no floors in Wormtown, Amelia. The toes of its people are as roots, binding them to the place with unholy fervor. I mean to make a prompt return and thank God for thick boots in the meanwhile.
Excerpt from Autumn from the Wayside (2021 Edition): Worm City, Utah:
With the completion of the Worm City Overpass, the industrial base of Worm City is now off-limits to vehicles without a permit. Elliot-Smythe and Regus Foods have subsequently placed their once-popular factory tours on an indefinite hiatus. Those hoping to learn more about the founding of Worm City and the agricultural possibilities offered by its unique biome would do well to visit The Museum of the Worm, located in the heart of downtown and funded through a partnership of Regus Foods and the state of Utah.
Squeamish visitors to the towering metropolis will be glad to learn that the area’s worms are largely confined within the city’s unique system of soil pipes and nutrient basins, emerging only in public gardens and parks and audible only to those who venture to press their ears to the infrastructure.
Travelers drawn by the worms will find numerous opportunities to satisfy their curiosity and, perhaps, indulge in local customs. Relax in a worm bath at Wiggle Room and treat yourself to dinner at Spice, which offers a menu of western cuisine supplemented by Annelida-based protein. Worm City hosts a weekend craft market in the summer months. Offerings include everything from desktop worm farms and wax-worm candles to resin jewelry and worm-inspired art.
A word of caution: the early development of Worm City pushed many local species to the brink of extinction. The trade of live worm specimens is highly regulated and outward vehicles are subject to inspection. Hefty fines and possible jail-time await those who engage in the illegal trade of endangered worms.