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.

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.

List of Supplies

Here is the way it was described:

THE PLANT HAS BLOSSOMED!
WE HAVE HAD occasions in times past to refer to the progress made in the construction of our new electric light plant, but with this issue of THE SWORD we have the pleasure to announce that the plant is now an accomplished fact, and that the eighty horsepower Fairbanks-Morse engine is giving complete satisfaction. The fifty kilowatt Westinghouse generator is giving all the electric power we need.
We hoped to have the plant in operation by the Eighteenth of October, but the representative of the Fairbanks-Morse Company could not be here until later. It then required the better part of a week to get the proper alignment and the final engine adjustments, but by October 25 all was ready. It was a thrilling sight to see this massive piece of machinery start for the first time. The Unity has waited long to complete this plant, and now we have something that should prove to be of great satisfaction.
The impetus to our new power plant was first given by Messrs. Peter Campbell and Claude Rahn; but our remarks would be incomplete did we fail to mention the fact that Brother Allen Andrews has been the prime factor in pushing it to its completion. He has consummated a number of successful real estate sales, the proceeds from which he has devoted to the lighting plant. Brother Stephen Chislett, our master mechanic, with Brothers Theodore Naeselius and William Fischer did a fine job on the concrete foundation, and Brother Alfred Christensen did everything possible to push the work from the beginning
The dining hall and Art Hall have been supplied with electric lights for several years, but our new store was handicapped for the lack of them. Now, however, with its dome lights, the store is as bright as day. We also have several large street lights on the county road, extending from the bridge over Estero River to the Art Hall, which adds considerable cheer to the surroundings.
It is a great comfort to our people to have electric lights in their rooms after using oil lamps so many years. The dormitory, with its three stories lighted up at night, is a sight worth while to those who have been accustomed so many years to the darkness. Brother Alfred is also placing various lights in the park.
Work is now being pushed in providing electricity for the Estero Inn and the residences of neighbors who desire it. Motors have been ordered for use in the various departments of the Unity, and when these are installed we can then dispense with. the many small units now in operation.

So much of what we have in the archives deals with life in the Koreshan Unity as it happened here in Estero. After the death of Dr. Teed in 1908, many members of the unity began to roam a bit. This is not to say they left the Unity for good, but they either traveled, or in some cases, lived somewhere else while retaining some means of identification with the Unity. With the dawn of the 20th century, people everywhere began to travel more and move.

One member who did that was Laurence Wilmer Bubbett, (known as “Laurie”). He was President of the Unity for some time, beginning in 1949 when Allen Andrews was “expelled” from the Unity. Laurie, whose parents, James and Evelyn entered the Unity in Chicago in the early days, really knew nothing else, but the notion of community living here in Estero. That being said, even a lifelong member like Laurie Bubbett, moved about a bit after 1908.

Laurie lived in New York City from 1915-1918 as well as Baltimore and Miami, always making a living as a printer and a musician. He is said to have been a gifted violin player. It isn’t clear if he evangelized on behalf of the Koreshans.

After a time, he returned to the Unity. One of his closest friends was his brother-in-law, Claude Rahn, another lifelong Koreshan who also moved away while remaining a member. Claude had been married to Laurie’s sister, Imogene who died in 1932. Claude lived in New Jersey and Laurie lived here. They corresponded and we have some of their letters, most of which were “chitty-chat” where Claude thanks Laurie for the gift of oranges at Christmas, etc.

The most interesting things in what we call the “Laurie Bubbett Material” collection (Beginning with item AM-0113) are two notebooks. The first, is an expense journal, or ‘daybook’ that Laurie kept, beginning in 1933. He begins saying:

“Expenditures in cash form Mother and self, beginning December 1, 1933, Estero, Fla. Mother (Mrs Evelyn Bubbett) receives a widow’s pension of $36.00 a month from the government. It had been $40 but was recently reduced 10%.”

Laurie lists each expense and when one looks at the prices of goods and services, it makes you realize just how much prices have risen over the past 80 years. Laurie bought 2 gallons of gasoline and paid 41 cents. By the end of 1934, when he quit making entries, he used much less detail and had entries for various items such as “candy 5 cents” and “milk, 35 cents”.

It is always interesting to see how prices have changed over the years. This expense journal is a peek at what life, albeit a “Koreshan” life, was like in the midst of the 1930’s.