# The Koreshans

> Cyrus Teed and the New Jerusalem


## Posts

- [Koreshans and African American History](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=3337): It is not February, which is Black History Month, but an article in the August 17, 2025 News-Press, ((A subscription to the News-Press may be reqired)) repeated from a February 20, 2016 article about the family of Nelson Tillis, purported to be the first African American to settle in Fort Myers. The article reminded us that although the information is very sketchy, there were African American members of the Koreshan Unity as well. So, like the News-Press, we want to link you to an article published here in February 2016 as well. It should be known that there was a […]
- [Whatever Happened To...](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=3284): For a long time, I have occasionally looked and searched the Internet to try and find anything related to the Koreshans who survived long after the death of Koresh in 1908. In those “early” days of the Internet, searches were not as good as what we have now. I’ve mentioned the “second generation” Koreshans — Bertie Boomer, Annie Ray Andrews, Ruth Boomer, Margurite Borden and others. It has always seemed that the basic teachings of Koresh waned as time went by and the idea of “community” always seem to reamain, even though times changed and many members of the community […]
- [Songs of the Koreshan sect found in soundbook in FGCU archives](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=3281): April 24, 2025 Studying the Koreshans continues. Now that the Koreshan Archives are incorporated into the Archives of Florida Gulf Coast University, the opportunity to search and study them has brought about a new find, Koreshan music! WGCU, the NPR affiliate in southwest Florida published an article yesterday by WGCU reporter Meredith Galbraith. The FGCU School of Music has been studying the Koreshan archives and found the “text” from various songs. They were able to tie the text to period music and then perform it. Here is the text of the article: A professor at FGCU who researched Koreshan music […]
- [Every Year About This Time...](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=3256): Every year about this time, during Halloween, someone shows up at Koreshan to see, or talk about, or experience(?) the paranormal. Are there ghosts at the Park? I suppose it is all done in good fun, although some take it quite seriously. Others, hopefully most, not so much. Our purpose on this site is to inform others about the Koreshans, the Koreshan Unity and Dr. Teed. Over the years we’ve debunked a few misconceptions. For example the Koreshans themselves promoted the belief that Dr. Teed ws a surgeon during the civil war. This was false. See our post Civil War […]
- [The 1921 Hurricane Revisited](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=3192): [The main part of this article is a re-posting from October 2014] As Florida braces for hurricane named “Milton”, there has been a great deal of talk about the 1921 hurricane known as the “Tampa Bay Hurricane” or the “Tarpon Springs Hurricane”. The direction that this hurricane took is different from the projected track of Milton, except for the fact that Tampa Bay was and is in the crosshairs is what is similar. Accorcing to a Wikipedia article: After entering the Gulf of Mexico, the hurricane gradually curved northeastward and weakened to a Category 3 before making landfall near Tarpon […]
- [Koresh and Waco - Cyrus and David](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=3062): It has been nearly five years since I’ve posted, and I never really intended to do so, but I’ve been reading with some sense of what I want to call “amusement”, but this is not an amusing subject. I’m talking about the recent discovery that the Branch Davidians in Waco Texas probably used some of the teachings of Koresh (Cyrus Teed) to bolster the “authority” of David Koresh (Vernon Howell). I have to admit that the story of Cyrus Teed, because of the story of Waco, seems to have taken on more of a national air. However, the Teed story […]
- [Koreshan "Monthly" Features](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=3022): I realized that almost 20 years of work is located in this “blog”, which wasn’t available back in the mid-1990’s when I started working at the Koreshan State Historic Site, now known at the Koreshan State Park. Since that time, the holdings of the Park have been moved to Florida Gulf Coast University, which is a far safer and accessible place for them to be. Realizing that there is still information to offer, I maintained and continue to maintain the “virtual” holdings. You can, of course, search these former holdings at on this site. However, I also invested a considerable […]
- [July 2016](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=2817):         In this posting we want to highlight and publicize some of the other sites and resources that are available for studying the Koreshan Unity. In this day and age of “Googling” everything, it is nice to know that there are some solid resources available. One of the irritating things about “Googling” a subject like this is that you always seem to get something about Vernon Wayne Howell, a.k.a. “Koresh”. Thank goodness that Google and other search engines have begun to improve their algorithms so that when you use a better search term, such as Koreshan (rather than Koresh) […]
- [June 2016 - Page-3](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=2835): From the Koreshan Archives — About a month early, but in this post we find the birthday of a Koreshan who rarely gets mentioned, but one who contributed a great deal to the cause of the Unity. I’m speaking of Nancy Cornelia Hawes Critcher She was born July 26, 1842, (please note that our genealogy pages show her birth in 1841. This has not yet been corrected) in Norwich Connecticut. She died on 11 October 1917. She was the youngest of four children born to Madison Hawes and Nancy Nelson Dam. When she was 9 years old, she traveled with […]
- [June 2016 - Page 2 - Frank Lewis](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=2799): In this post we take a closer look at Frank S. Lewis, husband of Anna Welton Lewis, who was also the sister of Rose Welton Gilbert. Frank, as far as we can tell, was never a believer, although as time passed after the death of Dr. Teed, I would suggest that there weren’t too many “believers“, but that the Koreshans were more of a “community” — that is, a group of like minded people who had been through a great deal of history together. This is, of course, not to say that there were still many believers, especailly among the […]
- [June 2016](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=2773): With this first posting of the month, I want to, once again, mention another Koreshan, but in this case, the post will be a bit disconnected becasue, ironically, this person seems to have been lost to most Koreshan history. Or, perhaps she “left” Koreshan history… Mary Mills, secretary to “Victoria” an early Koreshan was very active in the early days of the Unity. She was one of the women who accompanied Dr. Teed to Florida to search for land for the New Jerusalem. Lyn Millner, in her book The Allure of Immortality talks about Mary Mills dedication to Victoria in […]
- [May 2016 - Page-3 - Peter Blem](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=2760): In the “whatever happened to”, or perhaps in this case, “who is…” department we want to take a close look at another member of the Unity. This time it is Peter Blem (1880-1936). Peter Christian (or Kristian) Blem was born in Svaneke, Denmark, the child of Jeppe Hansen Blem and Anine Kirstine Ipsen. The town of Svaneke is described as: Svaneke (Swencke in 1410, from old Danish swan swan and *wīka inlet) is a small town on the eastern coast of the Baltic island of Bornholm, Denmark. It is Denmark’s easternmost and until few years ago the smallest and now […]
- [May 2016 - Page-2](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=2720): In our last posting, we looked at the life of “Bertie” Boomer. In this posting we are looking at another member of one of the “Charter” families of the Koreshans, the Andrews family, and in particular, Annie Ray Andrews, the daughter of A.W.K. Andrews and Virginia Harmon Andrews. Annie Ray was one of those “second generation” Koreshans. May 6th marked Annie’s 137th birthday. She was born in Binghamton New York, the family home of the Andrews family. It was in Binghamton where her father and mother decided to leave everything behind to follow Dr. Teed. The book, “Folks we knew […]
- [May 2016](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=2700): Many Koreshans have sunk into obscurity. One can go through the Rahn Membership List and see many, many names of people that we know very little about. On the other hand, some of the earliest members of the Unity and their families are well know. One of those would be Bertha May Boomer, known to the world as “Bertie”. Her mother, Bertha Sterling Boomer was one of the original Koreshans who accompanied Dr. Teed to Estero in his hunt for the New Jerusalem. Bertie May was born May 1, 1882, despite the fact that her gravestone in the Pelican Sound […]
- [April 2016 - Page-3](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=2689): This post ran in 2012. Since 2016 is an election year, we thought it fitting to revisit an election year in Koreshan history. The year was 1906 which became, in some ways, a turning point for the Koreshans. The whole notion of taxes, representation etc. has obviously continued 110 years later… In his 1978 article in Florida Historical Quarterly, Elliott Mackle wrote: The removal of Unity headquarters to Estero was in fact a consolidation. Furniture and personal goods of Chicago Koreshans were brought south in carload lots. Printing presses used for the production of tracts and magazines were installed in […]
- [Revisionist History and Strange Stories](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=2675): Having been involved with Koreshan history for over 20 years, I’ve always found it interesting to see and hear what some people are saying. The story of Cyrus Teed, a.k.a. Koresh and the Koreshans have been told many different ways. For example, the Koreshans themselves put Koresh up as some kind of martyr after his death in 1908. It played better than admitting that he simply died of a circulatory disease, as was probably the cause of his death. In this age of the Internet, you can do a search and find a million sites. For example, a recent Google […]
- [April 2016](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=2654):  —  In 2009 when the “College of Life” began the process of transferring photographs from their archives to the State Archives, the State Historic Site helped with the process and thus the State Historic Site was allowed to copy many of the photographs for local interpretation and use. It was exciting since most of the photos had never been seen before, at least not by the Park staff. In this sample, Dr. Teed is seen posing with Annie Ordway, a.k.a. “Victoria Gratia”. It appears they are on the porch of the “Founder’s Home”. Comparing this with other photos, Teed doesn’t […]
- [March 2016 - Page-3](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=2609): We never tire of posting articles from the Community Current Events column, or, as it was known in 1916, “Current Events in Our Community Life”. This one, from April 1916 describes life in the Unity in the early part of the last century, within eight years of the death of Cyrus Teed. Here is the April 1916 edition, (( Catalog # PA—0209–The Flaming Sword, April 1916–Current Events in Our Community Life – By D. J. RICHARDS)) with the addition of a photo related to parts of the article. WE HAVE HAD a very pleasant two week visit from Brother Peter […]
- [March 2016 - Page-2](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=2588): More of “Whatever Happened To?” This time we want to feature a member of Cyrus Teed’s own family. We hear some about his parents, but rarely about his brothers and sisters, save Emma Norton Teed who lived in the Community for most of her adult life, dying in 1950. But this is about Cyrus’ younger brother Oliver Francis Teed. He was born on March 15, 1847. Like Cyrus, he too was a doctor, although there does not seem to be much about when or where other than the fact that he and Cyrus shared a practice in Syracuse, New York […]
- [March 2016](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=2508):  —  The photo above gives us a rare look at the Art Hall. Compared to the current view, it looks a little lonely out there! The building, was restored about 8 years ago. It was built about 1905. It was the center for cultural, social, educational and religious activities of the Koreshan settlement. Theatrical productions, lectures and musical events were held here. The building housed paintings done by Douglas Arthur Teed, son of Cyrus Teed, [See the last posting] as well as paintings done by members of the Koreshan Unity. The stage of the Art Hall used to hold original […]
- [February 2016 - Douglas Arthur Teed](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=2492): Sunday, February 21st is the anniversary of the birth of Douglas Arthur Teed, the son of Cyrus Teed. Most people familiar with the Koreshans, and anyone who has ever visited the Art Hall, has seen the many paintings by Douglas Arthur. Douglas Arthur was, for all intents and purposes, abandoned by his father, Cyrus, in order to pursue what he believed to be his calling. There is no evidence to suggest however, that Cyrus Teed gave up all contact with his wife and son. Douglas Arthur eventually visited his father in Estero, but even that part of his relationship with […]
- [February 2016 - Black History Month](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=2554): February is “Black History Month”. We wanted to mention that there were, in fact, some African Americans who were members of the Koreshan Unity even though very little is known of them. Throughout the years it has been said that laborers who built the canals on the Unity grounds were mostly black. That may or may not be true. It appears that Cyrus Teed believed in the equality of the races as well as of the sexes. Of course, that may have meant, in the late 19th century and early 20th century — “separate but equal”. There is little or […]
- [February 2016 - Madame Diss Debar](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=2480): In her book, The Allure of Immortality, Professor Lyn Millner wrote: “One day, an exciting guest arrived at Beth-Ophrah, an ample woman in an elegant black dress that gathered at the neck. Her two scarves–one orchid, one white–flowed nearly to her waist, and her bleached hair was pinned neatly back, revealing a mysterious scar that ran beneath one eye and upward to her temple.” ((Millner, Lyn. The Allure of Immortality: An American Cult, a Florida Swamp, and a Renegade Prophet, p.175 and Marie McCready, “Memories, Memories, Days of Long Ago”, p.22)) This was Madame Diss Debar who was apparently a […]
- [January 2016 - Page-4](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=2537):      Victoria Gratia, a.k.a. Annie Glassen ((Annie’s maiden name appears in most genelogical indexes as “Glassen” rather than “Glossen”.)) Ordway has always been a bit of a mystery. Being in a leadership role within the Unity, and even crowned Empress by Teed, Victoria seemed to drop from favor soon after the death of Dr. Teed. This indicates that her “popularity” (if we can use that word), never really amounted to much. Certainly, as long as Teed was alive, she maintained power, but this was always due to the fact that Dr. Teed “always” defended her and her position within the Koreshan […]
- [January 2016 - Page-3](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=2470): As we continue into January, we want to continue, in a way, to look at some of the personalities of a number of prominent Koreshans. Perhaps the most prominent, at least from the view of a historian, was Claude C. Rahn. Claude was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1885. His family was one of the first to join the Unity in Estero. Thanks to Claude’s efforts we have a membership list, a short history of Dr. Teed and other information about the Koreshans. As mentioned in previous months, the Community Current Events column which appeared monthly (for the most part) […]
- [January 2016 - Page-2](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=2401): It has been mentioned here, and in other places that the Koreshans, at least most of them, truly believed in their religion — in Cyrus Teed — in all Koreshan doctrines. It is easy, in 2016, to make light of their beliefs. We think of them as being somehow crazy or, at least, misguided fools. But to truly appreciate history, one has to put oneself into that period of time and that culture. There were many things that were not known to people. From 1916 on, the Koredhan publication, the “Flaming Sword” ran a monthly column entitled “Community Current Events”. […]
- [January 2016 - Auld Lang Syne](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=2405): Happy New Year! We want to begin this new year by looking back… “Auld Lang Syne”, which is loosely translated as “old long since”, or “long long ago”. What that means in Koreshan history is that there is really no dividing line, as though it all ended with the death of Cyrus Teed. The Koreshans were real people and their lives did not end in December 1908. So here is a look at what happened to some of those people. Marguerite Borden:       In 2010 we received a link to the website of the Alpine Historical Society in Alpine California. One […]
- [December 2015 - Page-3](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=2433):    —  As we approach the end of another year, it is always good to look back and get an idea of what life was like in the “Unity”. We rely on the monthly publication of the “Community Current Events which was published in the “Flaming Sword” beginning in 1916. Unfortunatley we do not have a complete collection of this publication, but here is an except from the January 1933 issue. The Community Current Events always covered the previous month’s happenings, so this issue tells us of life in December 1932. Economic conditions were still bleak. In November, Franklin Roosevelt had […]
- [December 2015 - Page-2](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=2422): From the Koreshan Archives: December is the last month of the year,but for the Koreshan State Historic Site, December celebrates one of the
- [December 2015](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=2364): This month I’d like to explore further, the documents mentioned in the new book by Professor Lyn Millner, The Allure of Immortality. One of the criticisms of Cyrus Teed was that he was a charlatan. He may have been, but there is no real proof of this, only hearsay and media reports. Of course, the media in 19th century America is well known for its yellow journalism. Most newspapers never let facts get in the way. Despite this, there were some rumblings and even lawsuits against Dr. Teed for alienation of affections. One such case was that of Sidney C. […]
- [Thanksgiving...](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=2384): It is unclear if the Koreshans celebrated Thanksgiving in the same way that we do. More than likely, it was just another day, much like Christmas. Special days, but not much celebration. After the death of Cyrus Teed, life in the Unity began to change. Sure, there was still some expectation of the return of Koresh, but for the most part, as time rolled on, the Koreshan Unity became more of a simple commune of like individuals rather than a dedicated religious group, following their leader. By 1948, there were not too many Koreshans left and one of the things […]
- [November 2015 - Page-2](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=2356): Anyone with any knowledge of the Koreshan would know the surname “Andrews”. The first of these was a man name A.W.K. (Abie) Andrews. He was, perhaps, the first follower of Cyrus Teed (Koresh). According the Claude Rahn’s “A Brief Outline of Dr. Cyrus R. Teed…”: “…From Utica Dr. Teed moved to Binghamton N.Y. with his family about 1871, and there became acquainted with Dr. A.W.K. Andrews and his wife Mrs. Virginia H. Andrews. Dr. Andrews was a man of distinguished appearance, standing well over six feet tall, and endowed with superior intellectual discerment and medical knowledge. He was born in […]
- [November 2015](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=2342): Well, I said I was ending the monthly feature… I changed my mind, especially after the realease of Lyn Millner’s new book, “The Allure of Immortality” which gives more energy to the study of Koreshan history. So, this month I want to take a look at some of the documents that were included in Professor Millner’s book, at least the ones that pertain to the archives at the Koreshan State Historic Site. The KSHS archives are miniscule compared to the treasure trove located in the State Archives in Tallahassee. However, there are some fascinationg items at KSHS. What I would […]
- [October 2015](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=2338): Don’t forget the new book scheduled for publication on the twentieth of this month, entitled “The Allure of Immortality: An American Cult, a Florida Swamp, and a Renegade Prophet”, written by FGCU Journalism professor, Lyn Millner. This is the most thorough and comprehensive look at Cyrus Teed and the Korehsans in a long long time. There’s so many quack sites and false information about Teed and the Unity. This is an honest and refreshing look. You can read an excerpt from the book by going to the University Press of Florida. You can view the Press Kit, which has even […]
- [August 2015](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=2258): This month we want to return to Chicago and the “WHERE” of the Koreshans. Chicago is important in that this is where the Unity made its real start — where it all began, even if it faltered at times. Lyn Millner, Journalism Professor at Florida Gulf Coast University is publishing a new and comprehensive book about the Koreshans, called The Allure of Immortality, An American Cult, a Florida Swamp, and a Renegade Prophet. She was kind enough to supply us with an interactive map showing many of the locations (some are no longer there) where the Koreshans lived and worked. […]
- [July 2015](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=2143): In addition to the post for July (below), I also wanted to make folks aware of a new book coming in October. The book is entitled “The Allure of Immortality: An American Cult, a Florida Swamp, and a Renegade Prophet”, written by FGCU Journalism professor, Lyn Millner. This is the most thorough and comprehensive look at Cyrus Teed and the Korehsans in a long long time. There’s so many quack sites and false information about Teed and the Unity. This is an honest and refreshing look. You can read an excerpt from the book by going to the University Press […]
- [June 2015](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=2093):  — June reminds us the the ‘season’ is definitely over. Hurricane season has officially begun and the hot days, and humid nights drag on for then next six months or so. This month’s posting is a “repeat” from June of 2011. Next month we hope to be back with a new post. This month marks the birthday of Jesse Sears Teed, father of Cyrus, but instead of featuring those ‘known’ Koreshans, we thought we would, once again highlight some of the lesser know members of the Unity. We, once again, feature a somewhat obscure Koreshan who, although his time with the […]
- [May 2015](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=2084): This month we are looking at a member of one of the “Charter” families of the Koreshans, the Andrews family, and in particular, Annie Ray Andrews, the daughter of A.W.K. Andrews and Virginia Harmon Andrews. May 6 would mark Annie’s 130th birthday. She was born in Binghampton New York, the family home of the Andrews family. The book, “Folks we knew while in the K.U.”, written by Marie McCready says: “Dr. Andrews, a physician and surgeon from New York state, and Virginia of southern birth, were among the first converts. Virginia, with her white hair and soft voice, was the […]
- [April 2015](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=2069):  —  April is the month of the Lunar Festival as well as many other important dates in the Koreshan calendar. April 4th marks the birthday of Virginia Harmon Andrews, the wife of Dr. A.W.K. Andrews. She and her husband were one of the first followers of Dr. Teed. A visitor to this website sent us transcripts a few years ago, of letters that Dr. Andrews wrote to his wife Virginia’s mother, Margaret Harmon explaining why he and his wife had come to believe in Dr. Teed’s mission. [see AM-0153] We also celebrate the marriage of Cyrus Teed and his wife, […]
- [March 2015](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=2055): This month we want to feature the birth of Koreshan John Sargent, but also we want to feature an item that has been in the archives for a long time, but has now been studied and re-typed, cleaned up, etc. etc. Park volunteer, Dr. Joan McMahon worked on Marie McCready’s, “Memories, Memories- Days of Long Ago”. We are including a link to it. The introduction states: Five McCready children lived at the Koreshan Unity for most of their lives. This narrative was written by Marie, who was about 11 years old when she arrived in Estero, Florida in 1897. Words […]
- [February 2015](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=2051): FEBRUARY  —  Here is a sample, dating back 75 years, from the February 1940 edition of the Community Current Events column from the Koreshan publication, The Flaming Sword. Community Current Events February 1940 By Rose Gilbert BROTHER ALLEN ANDREWS made a trip to Bonita Spring’s to visit Mr. and Mrs. Charles Codwise, who were friends of the late Dr. Henry Nehrling and who now possess a considerable remnant, of the once great plant collection acquired at the Doctor’s Naples gardens; many rare specimens are now growing on Mr. Codwise’s place. The weather has been much criticized for some weeks, chilly […]
- [January 2015](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=2036): HAPPY NEW YEAR!!  —  January brings us a number of prominent Koreshans. Perhaps the most prominent, at least from the view of a historian, was Claude C. Rahn. Claude was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1885. His family was one of the first to join the Unity in Estero. Thanks to Claude’s efforts we have a membership list, a short history of Dr. Teed and other information about the Koreshans. As mentioned in previous months, the Community Current Events column which appeared monthly (for the most part) from 1916 on gives us an insight into the daily lives of the […]
- [December 2014](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=2024): In November of 2012 the News-Press printed a timeline for the Koreshans. Since it has been about 120 years since they first arrived in southwest Florida, here is a link to that timeline. In the past we’ve looked at the “other” side of the Koreshans and the factions that sprung up after the death of Dr. Teed. This month we want to take a look, not so much at the factions, but at life inside the Unity. That is, life as it was “really” lived. No doubt most of the Koreshans got along and lived, as best they could, within […]
- [November 2014](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=2011): Everyday life in the Koreshan Unity… Here is the December 1922 (describing life in November 1922) “Community Current Events” in its entirety. With the mid-term elections taking place, it is interesting to look back at some issues from 1922. CURRENT EVENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY Some Political Issues Decided; an Enjoyable and Varied Program “Was Given Thanksgiving Night BY D. J. RICHARDS December 1922 ————————————— THE COUNTRY’S ATTENTION has been riveted during the past month on candidates and election results, and it was no less so with us here in this southernmost part of the United States, only ours was more […]
- [October 2014](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=1981): Cyrus Teed died in 1908. He did not rise from the dead or transmute or anything else. However, the faith of those who followed him was, in many ways, phenomenal. They continued to hope for something that would show that what he had said about his return was true. In the meantime, his body was placed in the Koreshan built mausoleum on Estero Island, also known as Crescent Beach, now Fort Myers Beach. Next to it, they built a small cabin where a constant watch was kept. Almost 13 years after his death something did happen… the 1921 Hurricane. This […]
- [September 2014](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=1973): [This is a re-posting from 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 embellish themselves and the Unity. 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 […]
- [August 2014](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=1963): From the Koreshan Archives  —  AUGUST    This month we want to repeat the entry from this same month in 2009, which marks 2014 as the 105th anniversary of the marriage of Annie Glosson Ordway and Charles Graves. Since there is so little known about Annie Ordway’s background, we wanted to repeat the post. On August 29, 1909, Annie, known to Koreshans as “Victoria Gratia” , married Dr. Graves, the Koreshan dentist after the two were, for all intents and purposes, drummed out of the Unity after the death of Dr. Teed in December of the previous year (1908). For all […]
- [July 2014](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=1949): From the Koreshan Archives: —  July brings us the birthdays of two people, one of whom never became a Koreshan, as far as we know, and the other, a Koreshan, but more importantly a pioneer. First, one of the brothers of Cyrus Teed (Koresh), Charles Jackson Teed. Charles was the fourth child of Jess Teed and Sarah Ann Tuttle. He was born on July 3, 1843. He married Amelia McLaughlin on February 23, 1874. It is after that date that things get a bit murky. We know that Charles and Amelia had a daughter, Ella, who was born on May 6, […]
- [June 2014](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=1942): — June reminds us the the ‘season’ is definitely over. Hurricane season has officially begun and the hot days, and humid nights drag on for then next six months or so. This month marks the birthday of Jesse Sears Teed, father of Cyrus, but instead of featuring those ‘known’ Koreshans, we thought we would, once again highlight some of the lesser know members of the Unity. We, once again, feature a somewhat obscure Koreshan who, although his time with the Unity was somewhat short, had a major impact, at least on the infrastructure of the Unity. His name was Richard Jentsch […]
- [May 2014](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=1936): From the Koreshan Archives:  —  This month we are looking at a member of one of the “Charter” families of the Koreshans, the Andrews family, and in particular, Annie Ray Andrews, the daughter of A.W.K. Andrews and Virginia Harmon Andrews. May 6 would mark Annie’s 135th birthday. She was born in Binghampton New York, the family home of the Andrews family. The book, “Folks we knew while in the K.U.”, written by Marie McCready says: “Dr. Andrews, a physician and surgeon from New York state, and Virginia of southern birth, were among the first converts. Virginia, with her white hair […]
- [April 2014](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=1930): From the Koreshan Archives: APRIL  —  Last month we looked at some of the struggle, by some, to replace Dr. Teed by claiming the mantle of his leadership. This month, we look at some correspondence of Annie Ordway, also known as Victoria Gratia. Victoria (and many others, including Koresh), considered herself the rightful successor to Cyrus Teed (Koresh). Teed proclaimed her the “Pre-Eminent”. He gave her the name “Victoria Gratia Koresh”. When Teed died in 1908, Victoria was in Washington D.C. attending to Koreshan business. She immediately returned to Estero and arrived back on December 26th. The New York Times […]
- [March 2014 - More from the Dark Side:](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=1908): In the October 2012 Posting, we featured an article about what we termed, the “Dark Side”, that is, some of the sideshows that went on in or around the Koreshan Unity. We’ve also mentioned previously that there were any number of people, groups and beliefs that attempted to subvert, take over or change the Koreshan Unity, it’s leadership and beliefs. There was a core of Koreshan followers, mainly the Bubbetts, Rahns, Hunts, Andrews and others who hung on to most of the original beliefs making sure that these rivals would never get a foot hold. That October 2012 article talked […]
- [February 2014](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=1876): FEBRUARY 2014 [The archives database has been updated – As of January 30, 2014] This month, I want to return to a closer look at some of the offshoots of the Koreshan movement after the death of Cyrus Teed. I have no doubt in the “faith” of many Koreshans and how, over time, that faith either faded with the acceptance of the fact that Cyrus Teed was NOT the New Messiah, or that faith was re-energized by a new belief that Teed’s legacy was to be carried on by others. Based on the information that we have in the archives, […]
- [January 2014](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=1850): Happy New Year!! Here is, yet another, Community Current Events column that ran in the Flaming Sword. I cannot stress enough how it is an excellent source for those everyday things that occurred in the Unity. With the dawning of this new year, we wish to present the very first Community Current Events column, which appeared in January 1916. This was eight years after the death of Teed and it appears, at least to me, that the atmosphere in the Unity was changing, albeit slightly. Koresh had NOT returned which prompted some to reformulate their beliefs. Other may have given […]
- [The End of 2013...](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=1281): I wanted to slip this into the site before the end of 2013, only because it once again, gives us some insight into the everyday life inside the Unity. These two articles appeared in the Flaming Sword which would have described events that occurred in December 1926, and 1933 — 87 and 80 years respectively. As we approach the end of another year, it is always good to look back and get an idea of what life was like in the “Unity”. I also wanted to put this in the perspective of what was going on in the rest of […]
- [December 2013](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=1838): From the Koreshan Archives: — December 2013    —  The monthly publication of the “Flaming Sword” included the column entitled Community Current Events. If you are a regular visitor here, you know that the “Community Current Events” gave a lot of insight into daily Koreshan living. Here is an excerpt from the December 1938 column, which was news for November 1938 — 75 years ago. MR. JULIAN NALLY of Gotha, Florida, recently called at The American Eagle office when en route to Naples to visit the one-time tropical garden of the late Dr. Henry Nehrling, a great plant breeder and botanist. Mr. Nally, […]
- [November 2013](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=1811): Please Note: The Archives database has been updated as of October 28, 2013. There are a more scanned images as well as additions to the database itself. Click on the link in the right column to view. Look under “Inside Links“. Peter Bender Material digitized. In 2005 a local Fort Myers woman donated a few boxes of material that belonged to a man named Harry W. Manley. His original name was Harry William Mahneke. He changed his name to Manley in 1920. He became a Koreshan believer, but as far as we know, never actually lived within the confines of […]
- [October 2013](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=1780): Please Note: The Archives database has been updated as of October 28, 2013. There are a more scanned images as well as additions to the database itself. Click on the link in the right column to view. Look under “Inside Links“. From the Koreshan Archives: — October 2013    —  October brings us the busiest month of the year with regard to the Koreshan story. The premier event is, of course, the birthday of Cyrus Teed, a.k.a. Koresh who was born in Delaware County New York on October 18, 1839. We usually feature the same thing each year in order to introduce anyone […]
- [September 2013](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=1736): 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 […]
- [August 2013](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=1705): 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, […]
- [July 2013](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=1663): 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 […]
- [June 2013 - Lazy days of summer...](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=1652): 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 […]
- [Time Marches On...](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=1629): 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 […]
- [Another View (continued) - May 2013](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=1566): 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. The location is not given on the photo, but it appears to […]
- [Another View](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=1527): 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 […]
- [April 2013  - Tamiami Trailblazers](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=1478): 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 […]
- [March 2013](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=1384): 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 […]
- [Construction](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=1402): We have featured, in the past, articles about the road construction on US-41, in December 2011 and again in January 2012. 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 […]
- [February 2013](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=1365): “THE PLANT HAS BLOSSOMED!” Thus began the “Community Current Events” column in the December 1925 issue of the Flaming Sword, the monthly journal of the Koreshan Unity. What were they talking about? Perhaps the entry of the Unity into the 20th century, the opening of the “electric light plant” which provided electric light for many of the buildings in the settlement. The Archives has a photocopy of a list of ‘supplies’ that were purchased before and after the opening of the electric plant. You can view this by clicking on the image at the right. Here is the way it […]
- [January 2013](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=1292): 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 […]
- [Koreshan Photographs, Articles and Clippings](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=1334): In case you hadn’t noticed… There has been a lot of activity of late with regard to the Koreshans. First some printed articles. In the November issue of Gulfshore Life Magazine, our friend Lyn Millner had an article entitled Koreshans-The Legacy and the Questions The magazine’s online edition does not include the article, but you can see it by clicking on the title on this page. The second article, by Amy Bennett Williams of the Fort Myers News-Press, is called College of Life Foundation Changing Direction. It includes a Koreshan “time line” as well as a well written article linked […]
- [December 2012](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=1305): Over the past couple of months we’ve looked at the “other” side of the Koreshans and the factions that sprung up after the death of Dr. Teed. This month we want to take a look, not so much at the factions, but at life inside the Unity. That is, life as it was “really” lived. No doubt most of the Koreshans got along and lived, as best they could, within the framework of a community. We know for a fact that even some of the most stalwart members had “issues” with the rules and the beliefs. Some of that stemmed […]
- [November 2012](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=1240): More from Edgar and others… Last month we wrote about Edgar S. Peissert and his claim to be some kind of “new” Koresh. This month we want to explore a little further into the various groups that seemed to spring up after the death of Teed. One of the interesting things about all this is that you don’t hear about these groups in any of the Koreshan literature of the time. All this dissension has come to light only in the past couple of years, at least as far as these archives are concerned, thanks to the fact that someone […]
- [October 2012](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=1209): From the Koreshan Archives: The “Dark” Side… The Koreshans were, for the most part, a group of dedicated and committed individuals who ,in my opinion, firmly believed in their teachings, whether it be Teed’s rising from the dead or the hollow earth. But there are always some persons or group of persons who use the honest beliefs of some to further their own agenda. After the death of Cyrus Teed and the fact that he did not rise from the dead, many Koreshans probably wondered what was next and where were they to go from here. There had to be […]
- [September 2012](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=1201): With the often mentioned road construction that continues, and will continue for the next year or so, I thought it appropriate to do a re-run of a post from 2007.  —  September brings the “beginning of the end” of the hot summer season, but the early beginning of the influx of our “seasonal” visitors. That means an increase in traffic and travel (how could it get any worse?). For the Koreshans who lived in a different time, travel on roads and bridges was a different kind of adventure.     In the “Community Current Events” column from September 1927, 75 years ago […]
- [Some new features...](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=1192): I’m always looking for ways to add or enhance the information presented here. Today I changed the “Genealogy” link in the “Inside Links” section in the right column of this website. It is still pretty much the same data, but it is now presented in a more compact and more precise way. Just click on the second link on the right, (2. Koreshan Genealogy), or simply Click Here. Secondly, some of the photos in our collection, though published, don’t always get much time on the site, so here are some of the Ritter Collection, set aside for viewing. Just click […]
- [August 2012](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=1181): From the Koreshan Archives:  —  This month we look closer at the background of Annie Glosson Ordway Graves. On August 29, 1909, Annie, known to Koreshans as “Victoria Gratia” , married Dr. Charles Graves, the Koreshan dentist and former Mayor of Estero. This came after the two were basically drummed out of the Unity after the death of Dr. Teed in December of the previous year (1908). For all her prominence, Annie’s history is rather vague. Here is what we know about her. ·  She was born in Boston Massachusetts on April 10, 1844 to Henry and Ann Glosson. ·  […]
- [Even More Maps...](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=1135): Once again, Lyn Milner, in her research, has created a map of Cyrus Teed’s “New York Days”. Here is is: View Teed’s New York Days (all dates approx) in a larger map
- [July 2012](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=1076): From the Koreshan Archives:      July brings us the birthdays of two people, one of whom never became a Koreshan, as far as we know, and the other, a Koreshan, but more importantly a pioneer. Then, we take a look at a copy of the “American Eagle” from 1906.      First, one of the brothers of Cyrus Teed (Koresh), Charles Jackson Teed. Charles was the fourth child of Jess Teed and Sarah Ann Tuttle. He was born on July 3, 1843. He married Amelia McLaughlin on February 23, 1874. It is after that date that things get a bit murky. We know […]
- [More Maps](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=1057): As I mentioned in the June monthly post, I was re-publishing an entry from 2009 in which I featured a Google Map showing some of the Koreshan locations in present day Chicago. Lyn Millner, a friend of the archives, FGCU professor, who has begun work on a book about the Koreshans, contacted me with a more up-to-date map. So, we publish that here. Thanks Lyn, for all your hard work! View Koreshans in a larger map For the complete map, click on this link
- [June 2012](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=1043): From the Koreshan Archives:  —  This month we are taking a different approach. First, I am repeating a post from June of 2009 and instead of featuring a particular picture or person from the Koreshan past, we want to feature something from the present. Everyone knows about the place where the Koreshans settled, in Estero, Florida. We also know that they came from many places to settle here, although in a corporate sense, they came from one place in particular and that place is Chicago. Even though Cyrus Teed was born in New York, it was in Chicago that he […]
- [May 2012](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=975): May brings us a number of important birthdays for the Koreshans. One intriguing figure is James Russell Price who would be 165 years old. Doctor Price was born in Bedeque, Prince Edward Island, Canada on May 21, 1847. He was the child of Richard and Catherine Price. The Price family moved to the United States in 1855 and settled in Victor Centre, Illinois (DeKalb County). It is unclear what kind of “Doctor” he was. The article reference below says he was in the ‘medical’ profession. An 1898 obituary for his brother, Charles, just referenced him as “Doctor” Dr. Price and […]
- [April 2012](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=873): Since 2012 is an election year, we thought it fitting to revisit an election year in Koreshan history. The year was 1906 which became, in some ways, a turning point for the Koreshans. In his 1978 article in Florida Historical Quarterly, Elliott Mackle wrote: The removal of Unity headquarters to Estero was in fact a consolidation. Furniture and personal goods of Chicago Koreshans were brought south in carload lots. Printing presses used for the production of tracts and magazines were installed in a print shop near the river and publication resumed. 11 The population grew to about 200, a peak […]
- [March 2012](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=816): The American Eagle The “American Eagle” is not so much a reflection of Koreshan history as it is a reflection of what the Koreshans did, or were interested in. When publication began on June 7, 1906, what the Koreshans were doing then, or rather, attempting to do was to influence the elections of 1906. Teed and the Koreshans felt that they weren’t getting their fair share of road taxes and ran a slate of candidates in the election of 1906. The first issue of the American Eagle was published at Estero on Thursday, June 7, 1906. Thursday, not incidentally, was […]
- [February 2012](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=796): From the Koreshan Archives: FEBRUARY  • Note: The ‘online’ archives database has been updated and now includes more scanned items than ever before. This project continues as we hope to have everything digitized at some point…  —  I’ve published this photo before… probably a number of times, but it never ceases to amaze me! Anyone who has ever been to the State Historic Site can get a feel for this shot, which was probably taken from the north side of the Estero River. The building, known as the Art Hall, was built about 1905. It was the center for cultural, social, […]
- [Ghost Walk](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=806): Here is some information from the “Official” Koreshan State Park website about the upcoming “Ghost Walk”. You can take a look at ALL the upcoming events by visiting the Official Web Site of the Koreshan State Historic Site. The “Ghost Walk” has become one of the most popular events of the year. Here are the particulars for the first of two Ghost Walks this year. (The other is February 3, 4). GHOST WALK Koreshan State Historic Site Date: January 27 & 28, 4 walks per night at 7, 7:15, 7:30 and 7:45 PM Description: Voted #1 interpretive event of the […]
- [January 2012 - More Construction...](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=744): Last month we described some of the history of US-41 as it relates to the Koreshans and to Estero. This month, we want to look back at more of that history. The “American Eagle” carried a front page article in their April 1978 issue, entitled “We The People: Highway 41 – the TAMIAMI TRAIL – calling:[ref]The American Eagle – Vol-57, No-156 – April 1978[/ref]” It read… Twenty-two years ago the Florida Department of Transportation bought the land necessary to finish the eastside of Highway 41 from the property owners in Estero. The westside had been finished, the mere 4.8 miles […]
- [December 2011 - Construction...](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=702): We’ve mentioned it here before, but this year there is MAJOR construction on US-41 which has a major impact on business in the area as well as on the State Park. How this all relates to Koreshan history goes back to the very beginning when the “Trail” was nothing more than that. In the intervening years the path has become part of a major highway that stretches from the east coast of Florida to the upper peninsula of Michigan. In the 1920’s when the “Tamiami Trail” was completed, this created a source of income for the Koreshans who made money […]
- [November 2011](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=697): Everyday life in the Koreshan Unity… Here is the December 1922 (describing life in November 1922) “Community Current Events” in its entirety. CURRENT EVENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY Some Political Issues Decided; an Enjoyable and Varied Program “Was Given Thanksgiving Night BY D. J. RICHARDS December 1922 ————————————— THE COUNTRY’S ATTENTION has been riveted during the past month on candidates and election results, and it was no less so with us here in this southernmost part of the United States, only ours was more local than national. The principal issue to be decided here was whether the people of Lee County […]
- [October 2011](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=678): From the Koreshan Archives: OCTOBER Just as last month marked the birth of one of the lesser known Koreshan, this month marks the birthday of one of the most prominent Koreshans — “Professor” Ulysses Grant Morrow, the man who “proved” the Cellular Cosmogony. The KSHS Archives has numerous references to Prof. Morrow. He was born in Kentucky and later moved to Missouri. It is unclear when or where he joined the Koreshans, however, the Rahn Membership List shows the following: Ulysses G. Morrow; Born: 26 Oct 1864 in Barren Co., Kentucky; as a boy moved with his parents to Unionville, […]
- [September 2011 - "Then and Now"](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=629): For those who have ever visited Estero, there is an area that, although owned by the State, is not part of the Historic Site. For our wonderful volunteers, it is known as the “Volunteer Village”. But once upon a time it was a working trailer park. ((Photo 5-58)) Many people have always related Florida with trailer parks. They have, through time, taken on less than desirable reputations, but in 1941, the Koreshans were looking for ways to support themselves. They had what was probably a thriving printing business, but they apparently needed or wanted to diversify their income so they […]
- [Road Construction](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=499): As we (once again) experience road construction near the Koreshan State Historic Site, we thought it would be a good idea to look back. For anyone who is around these parts of late, you know what we mean. US-41 is undergoing extensive construction, and will be doing so for some time to come. I want to repeat a previous post. For the Koreshans who lived a a different time, travel on roads and bridges was a different kind of adventure.     In the “Community Current Events” column from September 1927, Dennis Richards wrote: Florida is building highways so rapidly it is […]
- [August 2011](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=575): This month we want to feature the woman for whom our major collection was named, Cora Stephens. The Stephens collection is in the hands of the State of Florida despite the Koreshans… Not the present day “College of Life”, but the Koreshans of 1950. Let me explain. For any number of reasons, the Koreshans believed that when one of their number died, their personal belongings we of no account, so generally things were discarded. I suppose that is like most of us. When people pass away, we hang on to certain items — mementos. In this particular case, Cora Stephens, […]
- [July 2011](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=542): This month I want to explore the Teed family. We usually only hear about Cyrus, but Jesse Sears Teed and Sarah Ann Tuttle had eight children who lived into adulthood. This month we feature the fourth child, Charles Jackson Teed who was born on July 3, 1843 in Moravia, New York. We don’t know what Charles thought about his brother Cyrus, and his activities as Koresh, however, Charles did leave us some of his own history, thanks mostly to his younger sister, Emma Teed Norton, who went on to follow her brother. Charles served in the Union Army, enlisting on […]
- [June 2011](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=503):  — June reminds us the the ‘season’ is definitely over. Hurricane season has officially begun and the hot days, and humid nights drag on for then next six months or so. This month marks the birthday of Jesse Sears Teed, father of Cyrus, but instead of featuring those ‘known’ Koreshans, we thought we would, once again highlight some of the lesser know members of the Unity. We, once again, feature a somewhat obscure Koreshan who, although his time with the Unity was somewhat short, had a major impact, at least on the infrastructure of the Unity. His name was Richard Jentsch […]
- [May 2011](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=463): From the Koreshan Archives:  —  This month the Koreshans go digital!! On April 13, 1930, a crew from Fox Movietone News came to Estero to film Allen Andrews explaining the Cellular Cosmogony. As far as we know, this film was never used in any of the “Movietone” newsreels and did not appear in theaters. These were outtakes, or simply raw film that was never edited. It is interesting to note a couple of things. First, Allen Andrew’s voice. We can hear what he really sounded like. Second, it sounds as though, towards the end, that they were hurrying him up […]
- [April 2011](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=444):  —  This month, I want to repeat a previous post, mainly because I want to highlight the differences between the ‘real’ and the ‘ideal’. Koreshans preached equality of the sexes, but they also had to live in a world which (at the time) did not even allow women to vote. So, this month we look at some correspondence of Annie Ordway, also known as Victoria Gratia. Victoria (and many others, including Koresh), considered herself the rightful successor to Cyrus Teed (Koresh). Teed proclaimed her the “Pre-Eminent”. He gave her the name “Victoria Gratia Koresh”. When Teed died in 1908, Victoria […]
- [Teed Photos](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=426): Recently, the Koreshan Unity temporarily donated some pictured of Cyrus Teed. Most of them are views of Koresh that we’ve never seen before, especially a ‘bearded’ Teed. Here is one of those: This photo was taken in Chicago, probably not long after Teeds arrival in the city. Peter Hicks, former ranger and historian at the Koreshan State Historic Site wrote in his biography of Cyrus Teed. Dr. Teed was described at this time as 5’6″ tall weighing 165lbs. Up until 1891, he had never shaved. After that date, he was clean shaven and always wore spectacles. His hat size was […]
- [Douglas Arthur Teed](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=415): Monday, February 21st is the anniversary of the birth of Douglas Arthur Teed, the son of Cyrus Teed. Most people familiar with the Koreshans, and anyone who has ever visited the Art Hall, has seen the many paintings by Douglas Arthur. Douglas Arthur was, for all intents and purposes, abandoned by his father, Cyrus, in order to pursue what he believed to be his calling. There is no evidence to suggest however, that Cyrus Teed gave up all contact with his wife and son. Douglas Arthur eventually visited his father in Estero, but even that part of his relationship with […]
- [Self Guided Tour and Other Items](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?p=408): These days, when the weather is ‘bearable’ here is Southwest Florida, it is always nice to get outdoors. The Official web site of the Koreshan State Historic site offers a self-guided tour of the Koreshan gardens. The file required a PDF reader. You can view the tour by Clicking Here There are a number of events happening in the Park between now and the end of the season. You can view a list and get more information by going directly to the Events Calendar on the State’s website.

## Pages

- [Koreshan Archives at FGCU and Other Info](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?page_id=3082): Here is an introduction to the holdings, previously located at the Koreshan State Park. First, however, an explanation is called for. This site contains a listing of the former holdings of the Koreshan State Historic Site. In 2016 these holdings were transferred to Florida Gulf Coast University. This site can be used to research these former holdings, but what you find here is no longer located at the State Historic Site. Go
- [Archives](https://koreshan.mwweb.org/?page_id=3038)


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