Mound House staff and volunteers had the opportunity to visit Koreshan State Historic Site on May 17, 2012 where we had the opportunity to learn more about the unusual religious organization that developed in Estero, FL as the nineteenth century closed. This multi-part series continues as Cyrus Teed and a few of his followers arrive in Southwest Florida, which they hope to make a "New Jerusalem."
On
December 26, 1893, Dr. Teed, Mary Mills, Berthaldine Boomer, and Annie Ordway again
left Chicago for Punta Gorda. Mrs. Boomer sold some land that she owned and
used the money to finance the trip. The party rode the train from Chicago to
Punta Gorda and then took a boat to Punta Rassa. They spent the night at the
hotel and were met by Damkohler and his son Elwin the next morning. They
proceeded up the Estero River, arriving at what is now Bamboo Landing at on
January 1, 1894. On January 7th, Dr. Teed spoke at the Baptist Church in the
afternoon and evening. They stayed with Damkohler for six weeks, and convinced
him to sell his 320 acres to the Koreshans. Title was transferred on November
19, 1894. Meanwhile, the first group of Koreshans left Chicago on January 11th
and arrived on January 20th, this group consisted of five people,
followed by a group of twenty who left Chicago on January 31 and arrived February
6th. The new colony was soon in full swing. Teed also bought land from William
T. Dodd in 1894 at what was to become Horseshoe Bend. Dodd's house had fallen
apart and was known as Skeleton House. Later, the Koreshans put their first
cemetery there.
Several
locals tried to stir up resentment against the Koreshan group for perceived
slights, but Teed and others did an excellent job of cultivating goodwill in
Ft. Myers. Hoping to avoid the troubles encountered in Chicago, Teed lectured
several times in Ft. Myers and opened their door to visitors in Estero. After a
weekend visit the Ft. Myers News-Press stated
they were all, “intelligent, well-educated and pleasant people whom it is a
pleasure to meet and to talk to.” The paper went on to say, “They are all
workers and will make their part of the county a veritable paradise on earth.”
It was not until Teed and the Koreshans entered politics that they would raise
the ire of the rest of Lee County.
Between
1904 and 1908, with a population of approximately 250 members, the Unity in
Estero was at its zenith. The Koreshans were remarkably prolific, fashioning
homes, businesses, and industries that allowed them to be a self-sustaining
community. They began by building a log house with a thatched roof shortly after
their arrival in 1894, and an immense, three-story community dining hall two
years later. By this time, the Koreshans had their own sawmill, and the
“Master’s House,” a home for Teed, followed shortly after by the dining hall.
Eventually, Koreshan enterprises included a boat works, steam laundry, printing
house, concrete works, post office, and general store all located on the
grounds. The “risin’ bread” baked in the Koreshan Bakery was sold in the
general store and became a choice commodity of the local public. Also
frequented by the public were the many plays and band concerts put on by
members of the Unity in their “Art Hall” auditorium. But there was still a
level of distrust and contempt for the Koreshans from the local community.
Ironically,
the mounting prosperity of the community inadvertently brought about its
decline. In 1904, the Koreshans sought to incorporate the Unity and surrounding
area into a city. However, area landowners rejected the idea, fearing an
increased tax burden. Nonetheless, in September 1904, a compromise was made,
leaving the opposing landowners unincorporated while the Unity and some other
adjacent lands, totaling 110 square miles, became the town of “Estero.”
Estero’s incorporation entitled the town to county road tax funds. Compounded
by the prejudicial views of the surrounding society toward the Koreshans’
communistic way of life, resentment began to emerge on the part of the
neighboring City of Fort Myers, who would lose money as a result of it being
diverted to Estero. In an attempt to divert more of those funds, the Koreshans
formed the Progressive Liberty Party to run against the area’s established
Democrats in the election of 1906.
The
above, fueled an altercation between several Koreshan men, including Teed, and
some citizens of Fort Myers, accompanied by the town marshal, S. W. Sanchez, on
October 13, 1906. Dr. Teed was injured and arrested along with Richard Jansch
and Claude Rahn. They were taken to the Lee County Bank at the corner of 1st
and Hendry Street where they posted bond of $10.00 each. They chose not to
return for trial and the matter was dropped. However, Cyrus’ condition from the
beating worsened as time went on and was believed to be the cause of his death
two years later. He died on December 22, 1908, the Winter Solstice. One aspect
of Teed’s 1869 “illumination” was that, upon physical death, he would
re-incarnate and re-emerge immortal. Accordingly, in the days immediately
following Teed’s death, the Koreshans awaited his resurrection. Members within
the Koreshan Unity Settlement that practiced celibacy had been promised by Teed
that they, too, would become immortal upon his resurrection. Therefore, by the
time Christmas Day had come and gone, hope turned to disappointment, and on
December 27, Dr. J.E. Brecht, the county health officer, ordered that the
corpse be interred. Many of his followers had hoped that he would be
resurrected on Christmas Day. He was entombed at the southern end of Estero
Island on December 27, 1908.
And so ended the colorful life of Cyrus Teed. But, despite facing a huge number of challenges, the Koreshan Unity did not die with him, instead soldiering on. Check back next week to read about the Koreshans continuing their lives in the wilds of Southwest Florida.
