The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1900-06-21
STORY OF CEREsCO
A COLONY THAT. ONCE ExIsTED IN
WISCONSIN-vERY INTERESTING
COLONIAL EXPERIENCN.


Once More.
/ The stranger In the city OF Ripor
hears the citizens talking about "goine
i out to Ceresco," but he looks in vain on
the map to find the location of the town
and at last discovers that 1t is vague
~ defined region In the western part Of
the city where the houses end suddenly
under the caves Of great hill that lifts
itself abruptly against the afternoon sun,
Here he finds a number Of ancient build
| ings that at once attract his attention,
80 marked in their contrast with the
rest OF this trim, starched and beauti-
fully dressed little city. These build
ings are all that remains Of the Wiscon-
sin Phalanx.> the most successful OF all
American secular Socialists expert
ments. the organization which Horace
Greedy believed had proved to the world
the possibility Of universal socialism.
! and was the forerunner Of the millen-
mum. Today its members are nearly
all In their graves and their descendants
scattered to the four winds. Its build
ings are occupied as tenements and
barns, and even in Ripon itself few
know anything Of its history.
After the downfall of Napoleon the
social agitation which had eliminated
In the French revolution began to make
Roadway again, but In far different
guise. The new movement contemplate
ed the emancipation of the world
through the introduction Of Socialism
As an object lesson Socialistic commune
ties were established in the then freest
countries OF the wOrld-England,
France. Holland and the United States.
These communities were to prove to the
world that state Socialism was possible.
Francois Marie Charles Fourier, of
France, was the greatest Socialistic
prophet Of the day, and A colonies based
upon his plans and several based upon
the plans Of Robert owen were founded
In the United States during the thirties
and fortfes.
A New Englander named Warren
Chase, 80 years Of age when the Fourier
injection reached Wisconsin, was the
founder Of the Wisconsin Phalanx at
Ceresco. During the winter OF 1S43-4.
Fourierism was much discussed at Ken
osha, where Chase lived. As a result
company was formed and 600 acres OF
government land was pre-empted IN
what Il now Rfpon township. In May.
1874 10 pioneers. led by Chase, arrived
In the valley where the land was located
and commenced the spring blowing. The
settlement was named Ceresco. after the
goddess Of agriculture. Ceres. Within
q very short time the community had
grown to membership Of 300, at which
point it remained during nearly all OF its
history. The community was soon
housed. Mills, forges and shops were
soon going, and nearly all forms of in
dustry necessary to make the colony in
dependent Of the rest OF the world were
In full operation. From the very begin
ming the colony was modelled upon the
plans OF Fourier. It was called Phal-
anx, Fouriers name for his colonies.
and like them, 1t was divided into series.
educational. mechanical and agricuftur-
al. which were subdivided into groups.
There were q president and council for
the entire corporation, for the colony
was chartered as corporation, and
each seriea had chairman, and each
group foreman. The colony council
Of nine decided what work was to be
done. and their decisions were referred
to the series, who again referred them to
the groups. Each group forman kept q
record of the number OF hours each
member OF his group worked during the
week and on Saturday night reported to
the series. II any individual felt that
he had not been credited with the full
amount Of work he had, done he could
lodge complaint with his series, and
their vote on the question was without
appeal.
Labor was classified according to its
character and difficulty. rather than it's
duration. There was not an exact
equality Of labor. A school teacher.
perforce laboring only limited number
OF hours day at teaching. would be
credited with ten hours and skilled me-
chanical labor of an hour was recorded
as more than an hour. Thus It hap
pened that some members of the colony
received credit for as much as Is hours
a day. Land was divided equally among
all members Of the colony, always pro-
vided that no family should have more
than 40 acres. There was a common
boarding house, called the Phalanstery.
where board was provided at a charge
OF Is cents week. A large building
called the Unitary was used for meet
ings and amusements, and there was q
dance there every Saturday night.
The charter Of the colony forbade anv
established religion. No colony money
was ever used or building religious edi- |
fees or supporting clergymen. There
were, however, religious services Of one
sort or another almost every Sunday.
At different times clergymen were men,
bers of the colony. Section II Of tha