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September 2013

One of the purposes of this website is to look closer at the lives, beliefs and practices of the Koreshans. In the two decades that I have been here, I’ve found a lot of misconceptions and historical fallacies. One of the things I’ve found about the Koreshans is that they sometimes (and Cyrus Teed in particular) tended to overrate themselves. Let me be clear in saying that I am not intending to be overly critical. The Koreshans did, in fact, bring a great deal of culture and learning to southwest Florida. Their beliefs were very well “worked out”. But in attempting to convince others of the truth of their beliefs and the strong character of their leader, they sometimes resorted to false claims and (in the case of Dr. Teed), in my opinion, even “made up” words. With all that in mind here is a piece from the “American Eagle”, written in 1973 by Hedwig Michel. She began a series called “The Koreshan Unity Settlement” which was intended to be a kind of history of the movement with most of it taken from original writings. Part One, which was published in the June 1973 edition of the “American Eagle” was a piece written by Laurence (Laurie) Bubbett. It began with an introduction written by Hedwig Michel.

Established in Chicago with groups who joined from New York State and California the Koreshan Unity moved to Florida in 1893-94. They established numerous stations on Florida’s Gulf Coast, stretching from James City west to the south of Naples, at Gordons Pass, with main headquarters at Estero Island and the mainland of Estero. Mound Key, Big and Little Hickory Island served as farming, fishing and hunting areas. Sawmills in Estero and on Estero Island activated their industrial boat and house building projects. The Guiding Star Publishing House remained, as in Chicago, the center of their communal work. Once. established more industries were added, the tropical nursery, a mechanical workshop, laundry, bakeshop, cannery, hat and dress making, sculpture, music and the arts were practiced. A general store and post office were of benefit to the community.

A New Jersey corporation with the certificate to do business in Florida the Koreshans were taxpayers for more than seventy years in Florida, never having received any financial support other than from their members and friends of their religious fraternal commonwealth. Their modest way of living was made possible through their devotion to the cause their leader, Dr. Cyrus Read Teed — KORESH — taught: “In The Name Of Humanity” they were building for future generations.

The following biographical sketch was written by one of the staunch believers in Koreshan Universology. Laurence Bubbett, raised and trained in the Estero Pioneer University, for many years editor of the religious weekly, The Flaming Sword, and leader in the movement, was the son of the incorporators James and Evelyn Bubbett. He knew Koresh from earliest childhood. He carried the Koreshan work through critical years into the recognition of the pioneers’ endurance.

KORESH and his followers built their own monument which now is named as The Koreshan Unity Settlement among the Significant Sites and Properties in the Florida Bicentennial Trail.

Like the Koreshans before her Hedwig seemed to be saying that Estero was the center of the earth, and of course for the Koreshans, it was. The so-called “Pioneer University” was simply the schooling that members received from other members of the Unity. This is not to say that these teachings were elemetary. One look at the Koreshan Library of books shows that the Koresahns were very learned and I’m sure that the knowledge they taught was, in many cases, very academic.

Here is the article written by Laurie Bubbett

[Excerpt from The American Eagle – Vol.53 No.98 June 1973]

By Laurence W. Bubbett
President of the Koreshan Unity (1948-1960) and aide to the Koreshan Geodetic Staff that projected a mechanical straight line beside the water’s surface of the Gulf of Mexico at Naples, Fla., in 1897.

Cyrus Read Teed was born on October 18, 1839, near Trout Creek in a small settlement called Teedsville, in Tompkins township, Delaware County, N.Y. He was the second son of eight children of Jesse and Sarah Ann Tuttle Teed. His father, Jesse Teed, was a successful country doctor. ((1))

Cyrus R. Teed was descended through his mother from a John Read, who came to America from England in 1630 and settled in Rehoboth, Mass. At the age of eleven Cyrus quit school to help provide for the fast growing family. His parents were of the Baptist faith, and as Cyrus grew older his friends urged him to study for the ministry because of his natural oratorical ability. But Cyrus decided to become a physician and in 1859 commenced the study of medicine with his uncle, Dr. Samuel F. Teed, in Utica, N.Y. In 1858 Cyrus Teed married Miss Fidelia Rowe of Meredith, N.Y., to which union one son was born, Douglas Arthur Teed, who later attained distinction as an artist and portrait painter, in 1862 Cyrus moved with his family to New York City to complete his medical education, but as the Civil War was raging at that, time Cyrus, instead of continuing his medical studies, joined the Union Army, volunteering as a private. Because of his medical knowledge he was assigned to field hospital service and later became attached to the staff of a Gen. Woodford as assistant physician and surgeon. ((2)) At the close of the war, ((3)) he resumed the study of medicine at New York Eclectic Medical College. He graduated in 1868 and commenced practice in Utica, N.Y.

Being of a deeply religious, philanthropic and investigative turn of mind Dr. Teed sought wider means of alleviating the ills of humanity than mere medical science could afford and so consecrated his life to that end. His intense research in the realm of metaphysics resulted in a spiritual awakening or divine “illumumination” as he termed it, in the autumn of 1869. This “illumination” was the revelation of the mysteries of life and death, of the form and character of the universe of the relation of man to God and man’s ultimate destiny in God. It was the revelation of universal knowledge. Like all prophets and seers, however, Dr. Teed found few who were immediately receptive to his strange and revolutionary teachings, although they were based on the Bible, which he declared was written in the language of symbolism, and he held Jesus Christ to be the Son of God and his standard. Therefore his zeal in putting forth his doctrine resulted in antagonism which was detrimental to his medical practice almost wherever he went.

In September 1886 Dr. Teed was invited to address a convention of the National Association of Mental Science in Chicago, Ill. At this convention he made such a deep impression by his eloquence and magnetic personality that he was subsequently elected to the presidency of the Association. This favorable reception in Chicago induced Dr. Teed to settle there, and in October 1886 he incorporated “The College of life” under the Saws of the State of Illinois.

In December 1886 Dr. Teed published the first issue of a monthly periodical called “The Guiding Star,” which was devoted to presenting his doctrine to the world — the attainment of immortality in the flesh. “The Guiding Star” was con-tinued until May 1889. This was followed by another magazine entitled “The Flaming Sword,” the first issue of which appeared November 30, 1889. This latter publication was continued until fire destroyed the Community’s printing plant at Estero, Florida, in February 1949.

In September 1888 Dr. Teed founded in Chicago, at 2 and 4 College Place and Cottage Grove Avenue, the institution that became known as the Koreshan Unity, a home for followers who accepted his doctrine. Here was practiced a form of communal life based upon that of the early Christians. In 1894 a branch of the Community was established at Estero, Florida, to where the entire Chicago group was moved in 1903. [Credit is due C. J. Rahn, whose compilation of biographical data was drawn upon.]

  1. There is no evidence that Jesse Teed ws ever a country doctor. At one time he did run his own company, the “Teed Water Works”[↩]
  2. Although Teed was attached to Brigade Headquarters, there is no record of him acting as a physician and/or surgeon, nor as an assistant. He remained an enlisted man – see Civil War Records[↩]
  3. Teed was actually discharged on 16 October 1863. He served about 14 months. The war did no end until May 1865.[↩]

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— September 2, 2013 at 11:18 am

August 2013

This month we take a little closer look at Douglas Arthur Teed, the only son of Dr. Cyrus Teed (Koresh). Here is part of the article from Wikipedia

Douglas Arthur Teed was born on February 21, 1860 to Fidelia M. Rowe and Cyrus R. Teed, in New Hartford, New York. At age nine, his father left the family to develop a religious sect called ‘Koreshanity’ after experiencing what he claimed was a divine vision.

… There was an awakening in the Teed household hinging on dogmatic opinions, mysticism, and the exotic. The family did not buy into the new lifestyle, however, and eventually the family lost Cyrus to the religious fervor which consumed him. Dr. Teed persisted in his beliefs, neglecting his duties at home, and eventually settled a communal colony called ‘The Koreshan Unity’. He later incorporated the colony as Estero, FL.

The American Eagle of August 1973 reports that letters from Cyrus Teed indicated affection for his wife and child, and in spite of criticism, Delia accepted him as the messianic personality of the age. However, Douglas and his mother never converted. Due to ill health, she and Douglas moved in with her sister in Binghamton, New York. They remained there until Delia’s death in 1885.

The reference to the American Eagle refers to Claude Rahn’s “A Brief Outline of the Life of Cyrus R. Teed”, however, this biography is, to put it kindly, propoganda. ((1)) So, it is unclear whether or not Teed remained in contact with his wife and son.

However, there was contact at some point Douglas Arthur eventually visited his father in Estero, but even that part of his relationship with his father isn’t totally clear. This excerpt from the Wikipedia article on Douglas Arthur tells of his reunion, of sorts, with Cyrus.

Douglas did seek out his father later in life. In 1905, he visited the Koreshan Unity. An article in the Fort Myers Press expressed gratitude of southern Florida receiving such a distinguished painter, and suggested the possibility of Teed remaining in Florida to paint. There are numerous accounts in the communal paper espousing the talents of the artist son of Koresh. A special hall was built to house 27 of his works, which Teed painted especially for the commune. The people of the Unity were flattered by Teed’s interpretation of Estero, and the uncharted surrounding Florida land. Many of these works were painted in an egg-tempera and have faded quite badly. Only a few oil paintings retain the artist’s original intent.

One such painting, “Tropical Dawn”, was presented to a member of the Unity, Victoria Gratia, at her birthday celebration in April 1905.

It seemed the relationship between father and son was a healthy one. Douglas even dedicated a poem to his father for his birthday (known to the Unity as “The Solar Festival”) on October 18, 1905, entitled, The Lost Muse. However, in 1907 Douglas sued the Koreshan Unity for overdue payment, citing the paintings which hung in the Art Hall. In 1908, a full settlement was made out of court between Douglas and the Unity. That same year his father died.

In a letter to Cyrus, dated May 10, 1907, Douglas Arthur wrote from Winter Park: ((2))

Dear Father,
I have read your letter of May 5th and though its general tone does not differ materially from that of some thirty and odd others of yours on file in my desk, dating as far back as February 25, 1899, it still contains matter of interest.

This letter dealt with the fact that Cyrus was apparently paying for Douglas Arthur’s groceries, which were being supplied by “Heitman’s grocery, in Fort Myers. It seems that Cyrus made light of Douglas Arthur’s complaints to Heitman’s, and so Douglas Arthur fires back by quoting a letter that Cyrus sent him on February 23, 1900, which Douglas Arthur quotes:

My Dear Arthur,
I have now some mines (gold and copper) exclusivley in my possession and absolutely under my control destined to change the official status of the Bureau of Equitable Commerce – They are estimated to exceed seven millions in value. It has afforded me great pleasure to be able to donate to your interests from this source and I have accordingly registered two claims (For Douglas Arthur AND his wife??) at the County Clerk’s Office in Jeff. Co. Col. (Jefferson County Colorado) in your name. From expert estimates these two claims can be safely rated at $25,000.

So, can we call this an early version of spam? Why would Cyrus Teed want to make his own son think that he had such an investment?

By the beginning of May 1907 the suit was settled and Douglas Arthur apparently agreed to a settlement of cash. ((3)) In another letter, dated October 31st 1908, Douglas Arthur has just returned to Winter Park and he writes to Cyrus telling him that he was sorry to hear that Cyrus was ill, but he goes on to say in the letter that he is expecting to receive more of the agreed settlement.

It is unclear what happened after Cyrus died in December 1908. It is doubtful that Douglas Arthur ever came this way again.

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Last month we featured what we called “Oddities” – The fact that there are a lot of interesting things to look at inside the Historic Site Settlement. Some things appear to be a little “odd” Here’s another one of them: (Click on the image for a larger view)

This tree, located near the Art Hall has a strange kind of alien look, as though it is walking forward, preparing to reach out to grab you.

This tree, located near the Art Hall has a strange kind of alien look, as though it is walking forward, preparing to reach out to grab you.

  1. For example, Rahn states while talking about Teed’s visit to his cousin, Myron Baldwin: “Dr Teed was impulsed to visit his cousin, Myron Baldwin living nearby, between whom there was a strong bond of attachment and understanding. As he entered a building where Myron was employed on construction work the latter went forward to meet him, intuitively aware of his com1ng and he beheld him surrounded by a brilliant halo of supernatural light. At once he became cognizant of his messianic investure, and then and there he was prompted to bestow a blessing upon Cyrus after the manner of John the Baptist’s blessing of Christ. [Rahn, p.21-22][↩]
  2. This letter is part of a collection located in the FGCU Archives. We obtained a photocopy.[↩]
  3. $500 by July 1, 1907, $500 by September 1, 1907, $835 by January 1, 1908 and $665 by March 1, 1908. Douglas Arthur also offered to accept “…the baby grand piano I saw at your place.” which obviously was not accepted since it remains in the Art Hall to this day.[↩]

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— August 1, 2013 at 12:46 am

July 2013

I know that we have, on numerous occasions, reprinted the “Community Current Events” column that appeared in the Flaming Sword from 1916 on. The monthly column opens for us a different and interesting way of looking at life in the Unity. You can walk through the grounds of the Historic Site, but there is no one present. You can’t hear the ‘sounds’ of communal living. The noise from the kitchen, or the power plant.

Reading the “CCE” makes it all come alive somehow. With the traffic and the road construction on US-41, it is hard, sometimes, to picture what it really looked like and felt like 80 years ago. No air conditioning, little traffic on the dusty road. The country in the midst of the great depression. All these things are hard to imagine.

With that in mind, take a look at the August 1933 column, which described the events of July 1933 and picture yourself present.

ON SUNDAY, June 25, Mr. Steven Gotch of Osprey was a visitor here. He attended the Sunday evening services in the Art Hall and on Monday returned to Osprey. Sister Etta Silverfriend, Mrs. Edith Lueders, and Brothers Henry Silverfriend, Frank Wilson and David Richards motored to Tampa and St. Petersburg, June 27, returning the following evening. Miss Meta Monsees spent a week-end at the Unity, returning to Fort Myers Sunday night after religious services. Mr. W. Paul Phillips, a nurseryman of Orlando, was here collecting rare plants. He was greatly pleased with the many rare and beautiful specimens in the Unity gardens. Mrs. Fred McConnell and son Duane of Tampa arrived here on Saturday, July 1, remaining until the 4th. They were’ entertained with a beach party held at Bonita Beach. On the 4th, Mrs. Edith Lueders and Brother Henry Silverfriend accompanied Mr. and Mrs. George Hosmer to Fort Myers to the picnic on Sanibel Island. It was a large affair and was very much enjoyed by the many guests. Sister Adah Price and Miss Bertie Boomer left by bus for Chicago on the 5th to attend the World’s Fair. Sister Adah is visiting her sister, Mrs. A. M. White, who lives in Chicago. Brother George Hunt is assisting in the post office in Sister Adah’s absence. Brother John Grier is staying in Fort Myers at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Carlton Case, while she, Mr. Case, and the children are in Chicago attending the fair. Mr. Elmer Hough of Fort Myers was a dinner guest at the Unity on the 12th. Mrs. Edith Trebell, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wetland, and Brother Claude Rahn motored to Oneco on the 12th. They obtained from Reasoner Brothers’ Nursery some rare fruit and nut plants and ornamental shrubs. Mr. John H. Davis, instructor of botany at Presbyterian College, Clinton, South Carolina, visited here on the 13th and inspected the Unity gardens. The sad news has been received from Baltimore of the death, after a long illness, of Mr. Henry N, Rahn.** father of Brothers Claude and Frank Rahn, in his seventy-fifth year. Mr. Rahn was a staunch Koreshan and earnestly endeavored to further the Cause in his native city of Baltimore since accepting Koreshanity in 1895. Meetings were frequently held at his house to discuss the doctrine; and whenever KORESH visited Baltimore he was a welcome guest .at the hospitable home of Mr. and Mrs. Rahn. Mr. Rahn is survived by his wife, five sons and a daughter. Brother Alien Andrews returned home on the 9th from the North, after attending the exposition in Chicago and visiting with relatives in Philadelphia and Washington, D. C. He also visited Niagara Falls, crossing to the Canadian side and viewing them from there. Brother Allen was very enthusiastic about his trip, having found it thoroughly enjoyable. Mrs. James Newcomb and daughter, Margaret, of LaBelle were visitors here on the 8th. Mrs. Newcomb was here again on the 14th. She has since left for Jacksonville for a short visit with her son, Edward Koester. From there she will go by steamer to New Jersey to spend the rest of the summer with another son, Julius Koester. Sisters Rose Gilbert and Vesta Newcomb and Brothers Allen Andrews and David Richards motored to LaBelle on the 16th to visit friends. Miss Genevieve Bisbing of Fort Myers spent several days here, arriving on Tuesday the 18th and returning on Sunday. Brother William McCready is not very well at this writing and is confined to his room. We hope that he will soon recover and be up and about again. Wade Stephens, son of Sister Cora Stephens, is in Tampa at present writing, visiting with relatives for two weeks. He expects-to see his brother Mace, who lives in Ocala, before his return. The Unity gardens are now bright with their summer beauty, after the refreshing rains.. Flowers are in bloom all over the place, presenting a gorgeous spectacle. The brilliantly colored hibiscus blossoms are particularly attractive. Mr. and Mrs. Frank S. Lewis of Everglades have visited us several times during the past month. Mrs. Edith Lueders spent the week-end with Miss Lydia Pierce in Fort Myers. Mrs. John C. Home spent two days at the Unity after visiting for two weeks in Tampa. Sister Emily Bessemer was the over-night guest of Miss Lydia Pierce. Brothers Theodore Naeselius and Claude Rahn made a trip to Everglades with the truck on the 26th, taking with them some Cajeput trees and beautiful crotons which will be used for town beautification purposes. The Unity nurseries are becoming well known for their splendid collection of exotic and native plants. We were pleased to have visit us Mrs. Lovelle Ahrano and son Mark, who motored here from Tampa on the 26th. They returned the following day. The visit was much too brief, but we hope to see them again soon. Brother Daniel McNamara has been busily engaged in doing some extensive gardening, preparing ground for fall planting. With Brother Mac on the job, we have good reason to expect an abundance of fresh garden vegetables this winter.

Mention is made in the article of the death of Henry N. Rahn in July of 1933. According to the information we have, Henry Rahn and his wife had five sons and a daughter. We know of four of the sons and the daughter. A search found that Henry Rahn was buried in his hometown of Baltimore, in a suburb called “Brooklyn Park” Here is a listing of the graves under the name of Rahn…

Rahn, Arthur L., b. 1884, d. 1884, [MG]
Rahn, Ella Ida Jane Yingling “Jennie”, b. 10 Jan 1862, d. 15 Jun 1945, [MG]
Rahn, Frank Raymond Holbrook, b. 23 May 1893, d. 20 Dec 1936, [MG]
Rahn, Henry Nicholas, b. 20 Aug 1858, d. 11 Jul 1933, [MG]
Rahn, Russell E., b. 1889, d. 1890, [MG]
Rahn, Viola E., b. 1882, d. 1883, [MG]

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Oddities:

There are a lot of interesting things to look at inside the Historic Site Settlement.  Some things appear to be a little “odd” Here’s one of them:

This tree, with a hole through it, sits along the Estero River, near Bamboo Landing. The "Legend" says that Gustave Damkohler tied his boat up to this tree. Old wives tale? Click To Enlarge...

This tree, with a hole through it, sits along the Estero River, near Bamboo Landing. The “Legend” says that Gustave Damkohler tied his boat up to this tree. Old wives tale? Click To Enlarge…

Click to enlarge…

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— July 1, 2013 at 12:07 am

June 2013 – Lazy days of summer…

As the rainy season sets in, here is how community events were described in June of 1936 – 77 years ago.

From the “Community Current Events” column – The Flaming Sword, June 1936

AFTER a visit of several months at the Unity, Leroy H. Bubbett left by train for his home in Chicago, much improved in health. A dry spell lasting several months left the surrounding woods in a condition to be easily devastated by fire. For weeks now the night sky has been illuminated by these woods fires. Sister Emily Bessemer, whom we all admired for the excellent work she did as one of our two cooks, left on May 8, to visit with relatives in Washington, D. C., for the summer. Sister Ida Fischer remains as our stand-by as chief cook. Political activity is the order of the day, the primary election for candidates to office in the state and counties being held on June 2. There are fourteen candidates in the race for governor of the state of Florida, which is a record and makes for a pretty hot contest. Mrs. Eleanore Castle, and granddaughter, Dawn, arrived from Chicago, Illinois, May 8, to make their home in Estero, where Mrs. Castle has purchased a home. She and Dawn are welcome additions to the community, and she should find many friends of former years to make her residence here a pleasant one. Brother David Richards left on May 12, for a visit of several weeks with friends in Miami. He was accompanied by Harold Thomas, of Sussex, England, who has been spending the winter at Bonita Springs and is returning to England. It is. with a real sense of loss that we record the passing of Brother Peter Blem, aged 56, on May 12. He had been suffering for some time with a chronic disorder of the digestive tract and put up a brave fight to correct it. It proved to be a losing fight, however. Brother Peter had been a member of the Unity since May, 1913, coming here from California. He was well liked by all who knew him and was unsparing in his work for the community. Brother Peter is survived by a sister in Denmark. He did some creditable work as an artist, as his pictures testify. He joins the host, of those good and faithful followers of KORESH whose names will not be forgotten so soon. Recent visitors were Mrs. A. L. Camphausen and Miss Elin Lindberg, of Fort Myers, Mr. and Mrs. Victor Phillips and daughter, Marie, of Miami; Mrs. James Newcomb and daughter, Olive, of LaBelle; Robert and Lloyd Graham and Dr. and Mrs. Samuel Graham, of Miami; Mrs. Jean Ahrano, of Tampa, and Mrs. and Mrs. Fritz Ahrano and daughter, of Pensacola. Brother Claude Rahn, accompanied by Brother Laurence Bubbett, left for Miami on May 15, where he was to board the train for Baltimore to visit with his mother and relatives for the summer. Brother Laurence Bubbett will remain in Miami for several months to visit with friends there.

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— June 4, 2013 at 8:19 am

Time Marches On…

Cyrus Teed once said that some day Estero will be home to 10 million people. He may have been right, but they aren’t Koreshans…

Time Magazine and Google have partnered to take millions of photographs from the Landsat satellite, animate them and show a timeline from 1984 up to 2012.

Here is how the Estero area looks. You can see tremendous growth, including FGCU showing up out of nowhere. You can see Coconut Point Mall coming forth from what was once called “Sweetwater Ranch”. Closer to home, watch “Pelican Sound” grow and look at the area just east of Estero Bay and wonder what effect that has on the eco system. It is fascinating. The video cycles through three times. Try it yourself at: Timelapse





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— May 9, 2013 at 7:16 pm

Another View (continued) – May 2013

In our last post we showed a panoramic view of the Unity grounds, as taken from the Printing House, located on the southeast corner of what is now US-41 and the Estero River. In this post we would like to show you a few more “new” views of the Unity which were recently donated. It is always exciting, from an archival point of view, to see something like this — a ‘new’ view.

The first is a picture of an orange grove – supposedly belonging to the Koreshans.

Orange Grove

Orange Grove

The location is not given on the photo, but it appears to be opposite the Printing House, just north of the Estero River. It is known that there was a grove located there at one time. We are in possession of a post card showing what was called the Orange Grove Court, a “motel” from the 1940’s or 1950’s on that same plot. We can only assume that this is perhaps and earlier view of the same grove.

A second photo is what appears to be the Koreshan Boat works, or at least nearby:

Boat Works

Boat Works ??

The boat works were located along the south side of the river, just east of the Printing House. It is only speculation that this photo is of the Koreshan boat works since this photo, or anything like it, has never been seen before.

The last photo shows the boat works building and the sawmill as seen from the Printing House. First, take a look at a photo that has been in the collection for some time. This shows the printing house, the boat works and sawmill. This was taken from the Dining Hall. Notice the “Old Store” to the left and the location of what is now US-41.

Printing House as seen from the Dining Hall

Printing House as seen from the Dining Hall

Now compare the photo above with this one:

Boat Works and Saw Mill roof as seen from the Publishing House.

Boat Works and Saw Mill roof as seen from the Publishing House.

You can see the roof of the buildings — the boat works as well as the sawmill — along with what appears to be a smokestack. That smokestack would be the boiler, used to supply steam to the boat works and the sawmill. See the Community Current Events from 1916. This is a view never seen before.

What is even more impressive is this view,is a vew looking east along the Estero River that to my knowledge has also never been seen before, showing a large number of homes and buildings in the distance. (Click on any of the photos for an enlarged version).

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— April 29, 2013 at 12:00 am

Another View

We are always happy to receive donations for the archives. We recently received an envelope containing some pictures and clippings from the granddaughter of Edward Albert Wilhelm Koester Two of the photos showed a view, (taken from the Printing House, which was located on the southeast corner of the intersection of the Estero River and what is now US-41).

The two photos look like they were taken one after the other, so through the ‘miracle’ of modern technology we were able to create a panorama. Here is the photo. click on it to get the full view and effect.

The Koreshan Unity

The Koreshan Unity

The date that the photo was taken is unknown, however, as you can see the “New” Store is not there, and the road is nothing more than a path. There does appear to be an identical photo, albeit not a panorama, in the Reeves Study. It says the photo was taken about 1906.

Notice that behind the store you can see that Damkohler house with a set of steps going down to the river. Beyond that another small building along the Estero River. To the left of the Store is seen the Founder’s Home, with the old surrounding porch and behind it the Dining Hall. On the far left is the Planetary Court.

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— April 10, 2013 at 3:11 pm

April 2013 – Tamiami Trailblazers

Reprint of American Eagle

Reprint of American Eagle
Click for full PDF


April marks the 90th anniversary of the automotive trek across Florida’s Everglades, known as the Tamiami Trailblazers. This group of men, which included four Koreshans — Alfred Christiansen, Frank Lewis, Charles Hunt and Allen Andrews. Frank Lewis kept a diary of sorts. This included a day by day account of the trip.
In 1973, during the 50th anniversary of the crossing, the American Eagle reprinted the April 26, 1928 issue of the newspaper which celebrated the opening of the road. The trip by the Trailblazers was made during the month of April, 1923.

The idea of building a road across the Everglades had been discussed for a long time as part of the overall Tamiami Trail project. At the time, the only cross-Florida road was from Tampa to Daytona Beach. The building of a South Florida highway would certainly help the growth of the area, but when the project encountered delays due to financial problems, many supporters of the road decided to publicize the project by driving across the Everglades in a caravan of Fords. The group thought it would only take a few days, but it took 23 days.

The “Trailblazers” arrived in Miami on April 21, 1923. It should be noted that when the group returned to the west coast of Florida, they returned via Fort Pierce and LaBelle. The trip across Florida totaled about 163 miles. The Florida Historical Quarterly published a good article in 1971 describing the entire event.

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— March 31, 2013 at 12:23 am

March 2013

From the Koreshan Archives:

 —  This month, we want to let you know of a valuable new addition to the archives. It isn’t an “original” document, but a photocopy taken from microfilm. The Clerk of Courts in Lee County was about to dispose of some old microfilm and it so happens that this reel contained documents relating to the suit that Gustave Damkohler filed against the Koreshans in his attempt to have his land returned to him. We first heard about this from the friend of the archives, FGCU Professor Lyn Milner. The folks at the Clerk’s office were kind enough to donate the photocopies.

 —  After donating his land to the Koreshans, Damkohler obviously had a change of heart. In his suit he said he had been mislead by the Koreshans. They eventually settled the suit. The document is 237 pages and is sometimes difficult to read. You will find it in the archives exhibit

The Archives of the Koreshan Unity (excepting the small collection here at the Park) are now housed in the State Archives in Tallahassee. They are being processed and although there is much to be done, they have made great progress. The Florida Memory Project has an exhibit for the Koreshan Unity Collection. Worth reading and seeing online.

Last, but not least, we want to (once again) direct you to some of the archival holding of the New York Times, with regard to the Koreshans. The Times articles concering the Koreshans can be found by going to our Special Page.

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— March 1, 2013 at 5:29 am

Construction

We have featured, in the past, articles about the road construction on US-41, in December 2011 and again in January 2012.

Under Construction

The modern day equivalent of the saga of US-41 continues. The highway that runs in front of the Historic Site has seen a lot of change over the years. From a dirt path, to a two lane highway, a four lane highway and now a six lane highway. The Koreshan Unity lobbied hard for the four laning, despite the presence of the “Historic District”. I doubt that the highways will ever get any bigger than six lanes unless the east side of the highway and all that property, including the present day “College of Life” building are all removed.

The American Eagle, in October 1990 featured an article about the Tamiami Trail Blazers, which included four Koreshans among their ranks. Here is the article:

Construction of Tamiami Trail
Cost Millions in the ’20s;
Put South Florida on the Map
by Sue Roper

The historic Tamiami Trail runs between the Koreshan State Historic Site and the Koreshan Library/Museum at Estero. Most Florida tourists and new residents call it U.S. 41 and in Fort Myers, it’s Cleveland Avenue.
The only U.S. highway between Tampa on Florida’s west coast and Miami on the east coast,

US-41 Today

is best known as U.S. 41, but long-time Floridians call it “The Trail.” It is one of the State’s most important highways and opened up south Florida to thousands of new residents and the tourist industry. Many Florida visitors by-pass it for 1-75, a few miles to the east, to reach “Alligator Alley,” a stark road that cuts a straight path across the Everglades from Naples to Dade County.

Trail Touches Base.
The Trail meanders near the coast from Tampa through busy Bradenton, Sarasota, Punta Gorda — rails end when the Koreshans came to Estero in -1894 — Fort Myers and Naples where it turns sharply east on its way to Miami. Near its final destination the Trail makes a wide bend because, according to legend, it was built from Naples east and Miami west, and the two ends would have bypassed each other. First talked about in 1915 by a Captain J.F. Jaudon of Miami, president of the Chevelier Corporation, owner of vast acreage in northern Monroe County, the road was delayed by World War One.

No Survey Here
Jaudon had proposed a road across the trackless Everglades — haunt of Indians, Bald Eagles, panthers, bears and exotic birds. The thought stirred the imagination — the idea of driving a car where only

The 'New' Store

Indians and U.S. soldiers in the Seminole Wars had trod was a contemporary version of “Wagons, Ho!” Politics and wealthy individuals such as Barron Collier (for whom Collier County is named) entered the picture with visions of cash registers ringing in” their heads. But it wasn’t until April 4, 1923 that a cavalcade of ten cars (nine were Fords) left Estero on their epic journey across the ‘Glades.

Trail Blazers
They called themselves “The Trail Blazers” because the proposed road had been termed the Tamiami Trail since 1917. The adventurers ranged from 15 to 65 years of age and em-ployed two Seminole Indian guides to lead them across the wild Everglades. They started from Tampa and their arrival in Fort Myers on April 3 was duly celebrated. William R. Spear, editor emeritus of The Fort Myers News-Press, was at the time a young reporter for the Fort Myers Tropical News (an early local newspaper) and covered the gala event.

Koreshans Made Trek
On April 4, they picked up four men at Estero. They were: Koreshans Frank S. Lewis

Looking North

(the only Trail Blazer to keep a daily record of their cross-the-Ever-glades odessy), Alfred Christensen, Charles Hunt and Allen Andrews, editor of The American Eagle, the Koreshan newspaper. Lewis and his wife, Anna, later retired to the little white bungalow just north of the Koreshan Library/Museum. Their harrowing journey took much longerthan anticipated, ending April 21 in Miami. The Trail Blazers proved an apt name — although they encountered none of the hazards of the wagon trains crossing the waterless plains and rugged mountains to colonize the American West.

Mud, Bugs and Heat
What they faced, according to Lewis’ diary, published in the April 22 Miami Herald, was mud and mire, fire, heat and bugs, cypress swamps and rough palmetto prairies. They became lost and were reduced to searching for pot- able water and hunting wild game. A survey crew from a lumber camp rescued them and brought supplies and large cans of gasoline. By this time, the trek had attracted the national news media, and later in their trip, a plane sent by the Miami Chamber of Commerce dropped welcome bread and canned goods to the hungry pioneers.

The Miami Herald Reports
But they drove on, braving the swamps and heavy marl until they reached the Miami end of the grade. Finally, according to Miami Herald files, “seven muddy Model T’s chugged down Flagler Street (a major city street) to a reception at the waterfront park. They were singing their theme song to the tune of “Tipperary” — beloved of the British Tommy — but with these words:

Estero River Bridge


‘”Tis a long way to Miami
It’s a long way to go.
It’s a long way to Miami, o’er a trail we did not know.
Goodbye Fort Myers, Estero and
Naples, too.
‘Tis a long way to Miami,
But we went right through!”

Garden Club Celebration
In 1982 Periwinkle Garden Club, Fort Myers, re-enacted a portion of the local celebration. Antique cars paraded down the Trail from the Fort Myers Historical Museum (in the old downtown railroad station) to the just-opened Bell Tower Mall at Daniels Road, access to 1-75 from the Tamiami Trail. The club dedicated a large, elevated historical marker in the presence of Grover Hackney of Tampa — the last surviving “Trail Blazer” and grand marshall of the parade. A host of local and state dignitaries and garden club officials from Miami and Tampa were special guests. A congratulatory telegram from President and Mrs. Ronald Reagan was read. At the gala reception which followed, Hackney told many a tale and sang the Trail Blazer song for the invited guests.

62 Years Ago
Spear, who spoke during the ceremonies, said, “It is difficult today (1982) to conceive that as late as 1920 well within the lifetime of older inhabitants, there was no road from Punta Gorda to Fort Myers or to Naples and Miami. The Trail, as we know it today, was literally blasted from the floor of the Everglades with 20-tons of explosives at an estimated cost of $13 million in 1920 dollars.

Two Miles A Month
According to Spear, who was assigned to cover the early construction of the Trail: “Road building in the ‘Glades re-quired drilling holes for dynamite in the solid underlying rock; loading and setting the blast; dredging up the loosened rock to form a grade; then leveling, scarifying and paving this grade. The maximum rate of progress was two miles per month. One of the “walking dredges” used in the Trail’s construction is at the Collier-Seminole State Park just east of Naples. A Park Ranger who has studied the building of this road has a talk with some very interesting old slides which he showed at a Monday Morning Conversation at the Koreshan Library/ Museum recently.

No one is singing here today. We are waiting for this latest construction to finally end.

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— February 28, 2013 at 3:42 am