The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-10-04
COMMUNJSTIC SOCIETIES.
A Condensed History of the Different Com.
munistic Organizations of the United
States.

States.
The Amana Community, Amana, Iowa.
Germans. Number of members about
| fifteen hundred. Live in seven villages,
all of which have O common interest
Own from twenty five to thirty thousand
acres of land. Business agriculture,
manufactures and merchandise. Emf
grated to America and settled near
Buffalo in 1842. Removed to Iowa in
1866 Marriage permitted but not en-
couragei. Strongly religious. Call them
selves "The True Inspiration Congre-
gations," or =" Inspirationists." Present
leader in spiritual things, or inspired
instrument" Barbara Heynemann-now
over eighty years of age. The temporal
affairs are managed by trustees.
The Harmonists, Economy, Pennsyl-
vania.-Germans. Emigrated to this
country in 1904. Organized into
"The Harmony Society" in 1905. First
settled in Butler county, Pennsylvania.
Removed to Indiana in 1914, and built
the town of Harmony. Sold that place
to Robert Owen and returned to Penn
sylvania in 1924, and built their present
town of Economy on the eastern bank
of the Ohio. Business agriculture,
manufactures and merchandise. Esti-
mated worth several million of dollars.
Membership fifty years ago one thou
sand now one hundred. Marriage
practiced until 1907. Celibacy has
since been the rule. George Rapp was
at the age of ninety. Jacob Henr;ci
and Jonathan LEM are now their leaders.
The Harmonists base their organization
on religious principles.
The Separatists, Zoar, Ohio.-Ger-
mans. Emigrated from Wurtemburg in
1917, under the leadership of Joseph
Baumeler. Adopted communism of
property in 1910. Business agricul-
ture, manufactures and merchandise.
Estimated value of property one million
dollars. Amount of land seven thousand
five hundred acres. Celibates until 1928;
marriage has since prevailed. Jacob
Alderman present leader, but shares his
responsibilities with trustees chosen by
he members. Basis, religion.
DIR. Keil's Cummunities.-The one To-
Gated at Bethel, Shelby county, Mis-
souri,, was founded in 1874. Highest
membership six hundred and fifty;
present about two hundred and City.
Mostly Germans and Pennsylvania
Dutch. Business agriculture, manu-
factures and merchandise. Own four
thousand acres of land. Governed by
president and trustees. Favor marriage.
Founded on religion. That at Aurora,
Oregon, where DIR. Keil now resides,
was founded in 1866, and is the most
prosperous, having eighteen thousand
acres of land and about four hundred
members. Their basic principles are of
course the same as at Bethel. The two
communities are substantially one, hav-
ing a common interest. Many persons
at Aurora went from Bethel, which ac-
counts for the latter's decline in num-
bers.
The Shakers.-Mostly Americans-a
few of other nationalities. Followers of
Ann Lee. Seventeen societies in seven
States. Each society is divided into two
or more families or separate commuli-
ties so that there are in all over fifty
Shaker communities. These had at one
time membership of five or six thou
sand. The present membership is not
far from two thousand four hundred.
The Shaker communities are all large
landowners. Business: agriculture and
manufactures. The Shakers are relig-
ious celibates. Each family has its ell
ders, eldresses, trustees and deacons
and every two or three societies have q
ministry, consisting, when complete, of
two males and two females. The central
ministry of all the societies resides the
greater part of the time at Lebanon,
New York, occasionally visiting the 9TH
er societies. Daniel Bolar and Giles B.
Avery now stand at the head of the
Shaker ministry,
The Perfectionists. ts.-Founded by John
Humphrey Noyes as a religious sect
date from 1884 as communists from
1916. First organized in community at
Putney, Vermont. Removed to Oneida,
New York, in 184S. The branch society
in Wallingford, Connecticut, established
III 1851. Whole number of members
three hundred and one. Business, the
manufacture of silk threads and steel
traps, the canning of fruits and vegeta-
bies and agriculture. Social system,
complex marriage. Theodore r. Noyes,
son of the founder, is now president OF
the two communities, which have a com.
mon interest, interchanging men and
capital as occasion requires.
The Icarians, Corning, Adams county
Iowa.-French. Their first leader and
president was Etienne CADET. Securing
one million acres of land in Texas, h
established a colony there in 1S48, which
removed to Nauvoo, Illinois, in 1S49
and in 1858 purchased land for brancl
! community in Iowa, which in time be
, came the only Icarian Community. Ii
. 1856 there were five hundred Icarians a
, Nauvoo. The Icarians have encountered
, many trials, including the death of thei
, founder, and now number less than on,
, hundred. Their business is mostly con
/ fined to agriculture. They own nearl,
two thousand acres of land. Marriage j
obligatory. No religious bond.
, The Respirationists. - Their com
, munity at Brocton, N. Y, was founde'
{ by Thomas l.. Harris aud Lawrence Oil
phant, in 1867. Its membership nearly
reached one hundred, but is now mucl
l less, owing to the removal of many o
its members to California, where anothe
! organization has been started. Thei
| principal business at Brocton has beel
horticulture and wine making. Thei
religion is modified form of Sweden
e borgianism.
4 OF other and smaller communism
n societies we have no definite statistics.