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Collection Overview
Title: Collection of the Koreshan Unity Publications, 1895-1995
Predominant Dates:1922-1936
ID: SP/Koreshan
Extent: 0.0
Arrangement: Arranged in two series: history and publications, which are then listed by titles in chronological order.
Subjects: Koreshanity, Koreshan Unity Settlement, Teed, Cyrus Reed, 1839-1908
Abstract
Communal organizations flourished during the 19th century America when people joined movements that strove to achieve more perfect lives. One of these was the Koreshan movement. Cyrus Teed, who possessed a magnetic personality, actively recruited followers for his cult of Koreshan Universology. The Koreshans espoused communism in the truest sense of the word, imitating the communal lives of the early Christians when everything was held in common. The Koreshan community in Estero, Florida was established in 1894, when Reed brought his early followers from Chicago to Florida. In 1903, the Koreshan Unity became a legal Corporation in Florida. When the Koreshan Unitarians arrived in Estero, they had to clear the land before they could pursue their dreams. They laid out their plans for settlement and took hand in all phases of cultivation. To enhance the quality of their lives, Koreshan pioneers tried to complement their labors with educational, artistic and recreational activities. The community blossomed during the first few years of the 20th century. After Teed's death in 1908, the driving and inspiring force was gone, the population aged, the community declined in the ensuing decades. In 1967, the Koreshan State Park was dedicated in Florida.
Scope and Contents of the Materials
The collection consists of a variety of Koreshan publications, including broken runs of the periodicals the Flaming Sword and the American Eagle. The latter started out as a political newspaper and moved more and more toward publishing horticultural articles. Henry Nehrling, a German American horticulturist, found a ready forum for his writings on Florida gardens in American Eagle. The collection also contains newspaper clippings, theses and several monographs on Cyrus Teed, the Koreshan Unity and its members, and the Koreshan State Park.
Subject/Index Terms
Administrative Information
Repository:
Rollins College Archives & Special Collections
Access Restrictions:
Open access
Physical Access Note:
Due to the frail conditions of many of the materials, they will have to be viewed one piece at a time under strict supervision.
Related Materials:
See also Henry Nehrling Papers For more information please see http://lib.rollins.edu/olin/oldsite/archives/nehrling.htm.
Preferred Citation:
Container No., Koreshan Unity Publications, Archives and Special Collections, Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida.
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[Series 1: History and General Information],
[
Series 2: Publications],
[
All]
- Series 1: History and General Information
- Box 1
- Folder 1: Outline and description of collection
- Folder 2: History
- Folder 3: Teed, Cyrus R.
- Folder 4: Michel, Hedwig
- Biographical material from secondary sources
- Folder 5: Annual celebrations of Koresh's birthday, October 18, 1958-1964
- Folder 6: News clippings, 1959-1999
- Folder 7: Site illustrations
- Folder 8: Koreshan Unity--Collections in other depositories
- Here are gathered descriptions and bibliographies of Koreshan materials in museums, libraries, and archives other than Rollins College.
- Folder 9: Koreshan State Park, Estero, FL--News clippings
- Folder 10: President Jo Bigelow
- Folder 11: Dr. Lyn Rainard
- Folder 12: The World's College of Life curriculum
- Folder 13: Articles by Dr. Irvin D.S. Winsboro
- Folder 14: Art Hall
- Folder 15: "The Planetary Court"
- Folder 16: Archival correspondence
- Folder 17: Communal Studies Association Conference, Estero, FL October 12-13, 1995
- notes and schedule of presenters from the conference
Browse by Series:
[Series 1: History and General Information],
[
Series 2: Publications],
[
All]
