A BRIEF HISTORY OF DR. CYRUS TEED AND THE KORESHANS-2

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In this theory:
The earth’s shell is one hundred miles thick and has seventeen layers. The outer seven
are metallic with a gold “rine” on the outermost layer; the middle five are mineral and
the five inward are geologic strata. Inside the shell, there is life, outside a void."

Credit – Dr. Teed’s book: "The sun is an invisible electromagnetic battery revolving in
the universe's center on a 24-hour cycle. Our visible sun is only a reflection, as is the
moon, with the stars reflecting off seven mercurial discs that float in the sphere's center.
Inside the earth, there are three separate atmospheres: the first composed of oxygen and
nitrogen and closest to the earth; the second, a hydrogen atmosphere above it; the third,
was “aboron.31”(sic)

Back to the Index

31 Perhaps a maid up word,

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Perspective on Teed’s theory of a hollow earth:
Much of what Teed believed regarding the Hollow Earth Theory, Teed said was given to
him in his Illumination in 1869. A land survey was authored by Dr. Ulysses Grant
Morrow and Dr.Teed to confirm this theory, but later editions of the book Cellular
Cosmogony dropped Morrow's name. Also, Teed was not alone in his opinion notable
scientist of the day also believed in the Hollow Earth Theory: (Learn more)

Why was the Naples survey flawed?
There are at least four reasons why the survey may have been flawed.
1. The Bias factor. That is, when one starts out to prove a particular theory, there
would be the tendency to dismiss any facts that tend to disprove the theory, no matter
how sound, and to allow any fact that supports the theory, no matter how weak, to prove
their point.

2. Also, they did not take into consideration the fact that a wooden device 48 feet in
length, such as the Rectilinear, will warp under its own weight and thus would have
skewed the result.32

32 Besides geology, Dr. Teed also denounces the scientific method, the Copernican theory, the atomic theory,
modern chemistry, conventional surveying techniques, and last but not least, optics. Truly, 'everything you
know is wrong.'

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3. Next, the technical competence of the surveyor. Dr. Morrow, though no doubt a
brilliant man, taught shorthand and business in college not surveying or even math.

4. The primitive surveying tools used.

BACKGROUND ON HOLLOW EARTH THEORY
Other Scientist such as

Leonhard Euler (1707-1783) mathematician, physicist, astronomer, logician,
and engineer.
Sir Edmund Halley (1656-1742) of Halleys’ Comet fame,

Sir John Leslie (1766-1832) mathematician and physicist

John Cleves Symmes Jr. (1780-1829) was an American Army officer, trader, and
lecturer. Symmes is best known for his 1818 variant of the (now-discredited) Hollow
Earth Theory, which introduced the concept of openings to the inner world at the poles.33

As well as the writer Jules Vern’s (1828 - 1905) Jules Vern was a contemporary of Cyrus
Teed (1839 - 1908) all were proponents of the Hollow Earth Theory.

33 http://www.secretsofthefed.com/is-there-another-advanced-civilization-living-beneath-our-feet/

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Richard E. Byrd (1888) – 1957) An Admiral in the U.S. Navy believed in the Hollow
Earth theory and that some alien life forms inhabiting it. For the thinking of the day,
Cyrus Teed was in good company. Please read the following of several articles on Adm.
Byrd: https://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/tierra_hueca/esp_tierra_hueca_2d.htm

This Cell Theory may seem to some, including this
author, to be a little left of center. However, keep in
mind that several hundred years before this time
most everyone, including the church, believed the
world was flat, and the sun revolved around it.
However one can see from the biblical reference in
Revelation 7:1 that refers to four angels standing on
the four corners of the earth, and perhaps, how this
could be interpreted as the earth being flat like a table having four corners.

Of course, I am not saying we should see it this way now, but can you understand how
the people including the church of 300, 400 or 1000 years ago may have?
Every generation believes that they alone have a handle on the truth only to be laughed at
for their beliefs by the next generation.

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Please keep in mind that there have been many
views on the subject of the earth and its origin,
including the Flat Earth and Giant Turtle
Theories. Also, even today there are those that
believe that the earth was created in 6 days
about 10,000 years ago while others think it
was created by the Big Bang 13.8 billion years
ago. Who is right is not the point here but the
fact that there are many opinions on such
matters.

It was not until 1492 when Columbus sailed from Europe to
the Americas that the church was forced to consider that the
world may not be flat. Can you imagine how brave the sailors
must have been, thinking, at any moment, they may sail off
the edge of the world?

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Galileo Galilee

“Galileo went on to propose a theory to the tides
in 1616, and of comets in 1619; he argued that the
tides were evidence of the motion of the Earth. In
1632 Galileo, now an old man, published his
Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World
Systems, which implicitly defended heliocentrism,
(that is that the sun is the center of the solar
system) and his theory was immensely popular.
Responding to a mounting controversy over theology, astronomy and philosophy they,
the church, tried Galileo in 1633 and found him “vehemently suspect of heresy”
sentencing him to indefinite imprisonment. Galileo was kept under house arrest until his
death in 1643.” Was Galileo correct in his theory that the earth revolves around the sun?
The world and the church did not believe it to be so! Thinking him, Galileo to be wrong
and that he was: “vehemently suspect of heresy.” The point is that just because the
majority of people think something it right does not make it so.34

34 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galileo_affair

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Moreover, it was in 1925 only 92 years ago, from the
date of writing this book, that Edwin Hubble discovered
that the Milky Way Galaxy was not the only one but one
of the billions in the universe and the universe, space
itself is expanding. Giving rise to the “Big Bang Theory.

And of course, Albert Einstein’s discovery that space and
time are related, called space/time. Einstein, perhaps the
greatest scientific mind ever to live, could not get a job with
any university or college after graduating from college,
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, because they thought
he was a dreamer. He had to accept a job as an assistant
patent clerk. He developed the general theory of relativity,
one of the two pillars of modern
physics (alongside quantum mechanics).[1] [3]:274

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Einstein's work is also known for its influence on the philosophy of science.[4] [5]35

Add to this the theory of Dark Energy and or Dark
Matter, and you may feel like your head is going to
explode.

Back to the Index

35 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03MyA4TPKnQ

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So please don’t be too hard on Dr. Teed’s theory of Cellular Cosmogony he was in good
company. Is this theory any more or less irrational than the Big Bang Theory or that our
universe is expanding and time and space are the same substance or in some way
connected? Thinking outside of the box often will get you in trouble but also can get
you the truth.

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Dr. Teed’s Experiment: Dr. Teed’s could not believe that God would create a universe
that could not be understood by man.
Dr. Teed was in charge of a survey using as survey tool something called the Rectilinear
on Naples beach from March through April 1897 and was his attempt to prove the
Cellular Cosmogony which he believed was given to him by God in a vision. The survey
was conducted by Dr. Ulysses Grant Morrow. Using a device call a Rectilineator

beliefs, about the nature of God and the nature of the Universe, were very important to
the Koreshans in later years.36
See also: Concave Earth Theory.37 Several twentieth-century German writers,
including Peter Bender, Johannes Lang, Karl Neupert, and Fritz Braun, published works
advocating the hollow Earth hypothesis, or Hohlweltlehre (German). It has even been
reported, although apparently with very little historical documentation, that Adolf Hitler
was influenced by concave Hollow-Earth ideas and sent an expedition in an unsuccessful
attempt to spy on the British fleet by aiming infrared cameras up into the sky (Wagner,
1999).38 Learn more see (page 184) below (HOLLOW EARTH THEORY).39

Back to the Index

Several twentieth-century German writers, including Peter Bender, Johannes Lang, Karl Neupert, and Fritz Braun, published works advocating the hollow Earth
hypothesis, or Hohlweltlehre. (Wagner, 1999).

38 http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/hollow/morrow.htm
39 http://www.crystalinks.com/hollowearth.html

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How did the Koreshans support themselves at the Unity?

The Koreshans were ahead of the population of South Florida in culture and education as

well as industry. While Fort Myers was little more than a cattle town the Koreshans

businesses at Estero included:

1. Electrical Works,
2. Tin Works,
3. Mattress Making Shop,
4. Hat and Basket Weaving Shop,
5. Shoe Shop,
6. Blacksmith Shop,
7. Print Shop,
8. Publishing House,
9. Bakery,
10. Fishing,
11. Saw Mill,
12. Boat Works,
13. Icehouse,
14. Honey farm,
15. Citrus farm,
16. Dressmaking,

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17. General Store,
18. Post Office,
19. Western Union Office,
20. Restaurant,
21. Hotel,
22. Gas station,
23. Watch Repair,
24. Grade & High school,
25. A University and Trade School,
26. Concrete Works,
27. Plant Nursery.

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They bought a furniture plant in Bristol, Tennessee, in 1906 for $75,000. However, the
factory went broke, and Teed was left owing the balance of the mortgage.

They were also negotiating with the government of Honduras for a grant of 200,000 acres
of land for colonization.

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They bought the San Carlos Hotel in St. James City as a possible site for the World
College of Life.40 However, sadly while it was in the process of remodeling, on July 26,
1905, it burned down. Allegedly, one of the workers left a smudge-pot, used to protect
the workers from mosquitoes, burning overnight that caused the fire. 41

Back to the Index

40 http://pineisland.info/looking-for/
41 http://koreshan.mwweb.org/gene/new/np128.htm

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Why did the Koreshans believe Teeds’ teachings?

THEIR BELIEFS: (Most of which have their basis in the Bible.)

Disclaimer 2: The biblical references referred to herein the following lists of Koreshan
beliefs are not intended by me to change your mind about your belief system but only
used to show how the Koreshans may have come to their conclusions. That is, like most
all religions, taking scripture literally or figuratively or metaphorically when it suited
their beliefs. Sifting through the Bible became the holy task of Prophet Cyrus (Koresh)
Teed.

Some may feel the Koreshans were utterly wrong in their understanding of Bible’s
scriptures but be aware that there are over 33,000 Protestant denominations worldwide,42
each believing, to some degree or other, they are right. (This does not include the 35,000
independent churches that have no affiliation with the other 33,000 denominations.)
The point is not who is right or wrong but that there a variety of opinions on the topic of
religion.

However, since the RCMS 2010 study, we now know that the grouping of nondenominational churches, if taken together, would be the second
largest Protestant group in the country with over 35,000 independent or nondenominational churches representing more than 12,200,000
adherents. These non-denominational religions are present in every state and in 2,663 out of the total of 3,033 counties in the country, or 88% of the
total.

42 The 2001 edition, successor to his 1982 first edition, which took a decade to compile, identifies 10,000 distinct religions; of which 150 have 1 million or more followers. Within
Christianity, he counts 33,820 denominations.

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Want to know more? Check out the 2012 Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches. The Yearbook costs $50 and may be ordered at:
http://www.yearbookofchurches.org You can also find a listing of denominations and their websites at
http://hirr.hartsem.edu/denom/homepages.html

KORESHAN BELIEFS:

 Reincarnation, the belief that people are reborn. (2 Kings 2:9
& John 3:7). Learn More

 Immortality, the belief people, will not die. (1 John 2:25).
 Celibacy, the belief of abstaining from any sexual conduct, which they felt was a

scientific method to obtain immortality. Although the Bible does not address the
topic, it is widely believed that Jesus was a celibate. (Learn more)
Ref: I Corinthians 7:32-40 & Galatians 5:19-21.
 Collectivism, the community lived communally, with everyone sharing in the work
without being paid money. Collectiveism began with the first commune in Chicago,
then lead to them moving to Estero and to build their "New Jerusalem” Acts 2:44-45.
 Alchemy, (science not religion) which was an area that Teed had experimented in
for years. Alchemy was a respected science of that day, but the Bible does not
mention the word alchemy.

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 Heaven and Hell. The Koreshans believed that Heaven and Hell were conditions of
the mind rather than a natural or spiritual
world. They believe that the Bible was an
excellent expression of the Divine Creator, but
needed the intervention of prophets to make it
understandable to the believers throughout the
ages. This task would have fallen to Dr. Cyrus
Teed, as a self-proclaimed prophet. 43 Heaven

and Hell were not actual places but conditions of the mind. ( Pope John also said this.)44

 Last Teed's inspired leadership. Teed claimed to be the 'seventh' messianic leader45
(Jesus being the sixth). 46

Note: There have been many, so called, Messiahs throughout history. Messiah was/is a
term meaning an “anointed one “and was someone with a special, God-ordained
purpose. There is no necessary connection between Jesus (The Son of God) and an

43 https://books.google.com/books?id=MBsU0XRx-
ckC&pg=PA68&lpg=PA68&dq=hell+and+the+koreshans&source=bl&ots=PjH54A_qBI&sig=cdFzPHrIXENy2yqJJFBLFYMwzJI&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKE wjrldn7u53XAh
VU9GMKHVwBCUoQ6AEIRTAG#v=onepage&q=hell%20and%20the%20koreshans&f=false
44 http://thesouthernblog.com/2010/08/koreshan-living-inside-the-world-in-south-florida/

45 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_messiah_claimants

46 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koreshanity

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extensive list of others that were anointed for some particular purpose. For more on the
topic of Messiah please Google - Messiah Also- Wikipedia free dictionary.

Note2: the established Church of Cyrus (Koresh) Teed’s time did not believe that he was
a Messiah. However, the established church of Jesus time did not believe that He was a
Messiah either.

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Was the Unity a cult or sect?
Question: "What is the difference between a sect and a cult?"47
The term Cult or Sect have been used loosely and interchangeably by contemporary
religions of that day as well as in modern times as meaning something wrong or evil or
at the best different.48 So, in the sense of different, then yes, the Koreshans could be
described as a sect.

SECT: However the word setc comes from the Latin word secta, which means “school
of thought.” It is a subjective term that may apply to a religious faith or denomination.

47 http://www.gotquestions.org/sect-cult.html
48 Credit: http://www.gotquestions.org/sect-cult.html

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Keep in mind that in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s anything that was not Catholic,
Presbyterian or Lutheran were regarded, for the most part, by them as a cult or sect. That
is a nontraditional religious belief system. The Koreshans did believe in Christ as being
The Son of God and the Bible but had beliefs that were non-traditional or different. So in
that regard, they would fit the definition of a Sect.

CULT: The word cult always carries a negative
connotation. There are specific criteria used to identify
a cult. In Combating Cult Mind Control, deprogrammer
Steven Hassan singles out what he refers to as
“destructive cults,” which he defines as “a pyramid-
shaped authoritarian regime with a person or group of
people that have dictatorial control. A couple of
examples of closed societies or cult would be Jim Jones (of the Peoples Temple of the
Disciples of Christ, and David Koresh of the Branch Davidian Church in Waco, TX (no
connection to the Koreshans). In more contemporary terms the Soviet Union of Russia,
as well as the Peoples Republic of China, would qualify as a non-religious cult. However,
unlike a cult and some other such Utopian communities that were not a closed to
outsiders.

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Why were so many of Teed’s follower's women?
Women were regarded, as little more than the property of their husbands
at that time. A married woman could not own property nor vote.
Any money earned by a wife belonged to the husband. Even the marriage
vows themselves demanded of the wife to “love, honor and OBEY their
husband. Please see 1 Peter 3.49 For the most part, a biblical directive set
aside.

Where did the concept of wives obedience to their husbands come from the Church or
the Bible? Well, both - please see Eph. 5:22. As
well as Titus 2:4-5 Even in the early church women
were not allowed to speak but must remain silent (I
Cor. 14:34).
Even children are admonished by the Bible to
obey their parents in everything, but if a child
were to strike his parent, they were to be PUT TO
DEATH.50 A Biblical directive also set aside.

49 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;

50 Exodus 21:15 English Standard Version (ESV)

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However, the Bible does not condemn slavery but even sanctions it. Should we not keep
in mind that in Bible times women were regarded as second-class citizens and slaves,
men or women, were regarded as property with no rights at all?51 in no small part, most
of this was also true regarding civil rights of Blacks, Asians, and Native Americans.
I did find records of a few Blacks in membership in the Koreshan Unity but could not
find any record of Asians or Native Americans.

Note: On December 6th, 1865 the 13th amendment abolished slavery. Passed by Congress
and ratified February 3, 1870,
the 15th amendment granted
African American men the
right to vote. Women of any
color were not allowed to vote
until 1920 by the 19th
amendment.

51 Leviticus 25:44-46 ESV / 457 helpful votes as for your male and female slaves whom you may have: you may buy male and female slaves from among the
nations that are around you. You may also buy from among the strangers who sojourn with you and their clans that are with you, who have been born in your land,
and they may be your property. You may bequeath them to your sons after you to inherit as a possession forever. You may make slaves of them, but over your
brother’s the people of Israel you shall not rule, one over another ruthlessly.

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Back to the Index

Background information regarding women’s rights:

GENDERCIDE

Gendercide is killing someone based on their
gender and is a war on women.52” Even today,
“Amartya Sen, the Nobel Prize-winning

economist said in 1990, that more than 100
million women are missing. ‘In India, China and

some other countries in the world, girls are

killed, aborted & abandoned because they are

girls. The United Nations estimates as many as

200 million girls are missing in the world today

because of gendercide.

52http://freethoughtblogs.com/taslima/2012/04/30/its-a-girl-kill-her/

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Back to the Index

DIVORCE IN THE 18TH CENTURY

The divorce rate in 1900 was less than 10%.
Divorce rate today is over 50%.
Please keep in mind many couples today live in untraditional marriages where
government records would not show the “marriage” as a marriage or a “divorce” as a
divorce. However, more than half of marriages fail.

Divorce was frowned upon in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, and many women lived
in quiet desperation. Also, many women were unskilled or uneducated and had large
families and could not afford to leave their husbands.

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MANY WOMEN WIDOWED:

More background on why women may have

come to the unity: The Civil War

Many women were widowed by the Civil

War that took the lives of 620,000 with
some estimates’ as high as 750,000 men!

51,000 Americans died at Gettysburg alone,

in three days, almost as many as were killed

in all of the Vietnam War of 58,209!

The total deaths were more Americans that

died in WWII, WW1, Vietnam War, Korean

War, War of 1812, and the Mexican-
American War of 1846 combined! The widows were often, left with large families
and with no work skills, or education or resources they were impoverished. The
only jobs available, for most, were shopkeepers (if you could read and had some
math skills), domestic servants and prostitutes and of course the widow may
remarry. Keep in mind that there was a shortage of men due to the war and many women

were forced to marry men much younger or much older than they were. The Koreshan Unity
appeared to be a good alternative.

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VICTORIAN AGE (1837 to 1901) – More background
Victorian Morality
The term represents the moral of the people living in the Victorian times. It mainly refers
to the moral climate in general in Great Britain during the 19th century. Victorian
morality could be described as a set of values that supported sexual repression, low
tolerance of crime, and a strong social ethic. Due to the enormous impact and
importance of the British Empire, many of these values were spread across the world.53

Back to the Index

53http://www.laura-cenicola.de/brithist2/brithist/8-1-introduction-into-victorian-morality-what-exactly-was-the-victorian-era.html

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WOMEN'S RIGHTS IN THE VICTORIAN AGE
More background:
During this time in history after a woman married, her rights, her property, and even her
identity (taking on her husbands’ last name) almost caused her to cease to exist. By law
she was under the complete and total supervision of her husband: thus through marriage,
husband and wife became one person; whatever view he presented was the
unquestionable truth.

Not only did the husband have almost complete control over his wife’s body, since
beatings and marital rape were not illegal,
their children also belonged to him, as did
any property and money that the wife
brought into the house. Indeed it is
understandable to see why many women
saw marriage as falling little short of
slavery. Dr. (Korish) Teed even referred to
this condition as the “Slavery of marriage.”
However, Victorian society viewed marriage
as women’s natural and best position in

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life, and men agreed, seeing marriage as an expected duty of women.54 One
contemporary Victorian male, writing in a letter to a friend, described the perfect wife as
nothing more than an extension of his household surroundings: “Of course at a certain
age, he goes on to say, when you have a house, and so on, you get a wife as part of its
furniture” Ref: (Kent 91). 55 56 (sic)

Google

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54 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_the_Victorian_era
55 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_the_Victorian_era#Victorian_morality_and_sexuality
56 https://rachlouisepea.wordpress.com/2013/11/07/victorian-views-on-women-and-marriage/

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In reality women held a very significant position as wives since they took care of the
household, any servants, helped with their husband’s work. Also, they managed the
finances, however from the male’s point of view, women were nothing more than overly
emotional and mindless creatures ruled by their sexuality, or just simply “the Sex”
Ref: (Vickery 389) Learn More - Separate spheres57

Back to the Index

57 http://webpage.pace.edu/nreagin/tempmotherhood/fall2003/3/HisPage.html

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Dr. Teed offered women a way out. Members could join the
Unity as a family or as individuals. The
woman could join the Unity, and if she had a
husband, she could bring him if he chose to
come. If the husband decided not to come,
she could come and join the group and bring
her children if she wanted to and her
husband would permit.Were Koreshan
women given equal rights to men?

Equal rights as stated here had to do more with
job opportunities, education, and equal pay;
(using the credit system). Matters of political or religious importance, as well as the governing
of the Unity, were left in the hands of Emperor Cyrus (Koresh) Teed. Having a say in matters
of the Unity did not mean that what they had to say would be accepted.

Remember, we still have Dr. Teed which was a self-proclaimed Prophet, Messiah, and
Emperor. However, the fact that they had a say within itself in any matter to be regarded at all
as a consideration was a new concept for the time. Women could take almost any job
offered in the Unity. The women members were paid the same as men using the credit
system. (That is, one credit for one hours work which could be traded for goods at the Unity
store. Men could use the credits to have a cabin built for them at the Unity), and from all

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reliable reports, women were treated with kindness and respect. That is not to say that there
were not problems of disagreements among the members. Simple logic would dictate that
when you get any number of people together, 2 or 250 you are bound to have differing
opinions and disagreements and rule breaking. There is very little written record of unrest or
rule breaking among the members; that is if problems arose they dealt with them.

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What was life like for the members of the Unity and especially for women?
NO HOUSEWORK – Unless the member’s job was housework.
They did not have to do housework because the Unity had a maid service made up
of some of the members.

NO CHILD CARE
They did not need to care for their children because the Unity had a dorm and a
school composed of Unity members.

Although the parent could interact with the children or child, Dr. Teed felt that all
children should be loved by all members of the Unity equally and discouraged
members from showing favoritism to their own offspring(s) just as God loved all of us
His children equally.

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NO COOKING OR DISHWASHING
Meals were prepared and served in a common dining hall by some of the Unity members
whose job was cooking.

Everyone did his or her job and came back to his or her living quarters and relaxed, or
studied the arts, music or any other endeavor of his or her choice. I do not want to imply
that the Koreshans had an easy life, they did not. They worked hard to build the Unity, a
home, out of the Florida swamp! However, they were building a home for themselves
rather than for a European King or some other despot.

Men or women could enroll in the Koreshan Pioneer University and learn useful skills.
Especially for women, Blacks, Asians, and Native Americans, who were discriminated

against, for them, it was a great opportunity. The
critical point is that the Koreshan School allowed
adults to attend. Adult Education was unheard of
back then; thinking only children could go to
school. This was a revolutionary concept right up
there with women's rights.
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How did the Koreshans expect to survive into the future if they were celibate?
CELIBACY:
There is also this concept of celibacy. However, keep in mind that a major respected
modern day religion still has its inner circle of leadership as celibates.
Moreover, if the Koreshan member chose not to be celibate, they were allowed to do so.
Also, they could leave the Unity if they changed their minds about marriage and family.
As did Victoria Gratia who left the Unity to form her own Commune but was
unsuccessful in doing so. Then, two years after leaving she married the Unity Dentist Dr.
Addison Graves.

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Left Dr. Teed and right Victoria Gratia
Remember, in the belief system of Koresh, being a Celibate was a scientific way to gain
Immortality (the ability to live forever; eternal life).58

58

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Were some of the members of the Unity, not celibate?
Yes, three levels of membership existed in the Koreshan belief system.

MEMBERSHIP LEVELS:
There was a tri-level system of membership.

PATRONS OF EQUATION The outer level was made up of non-believers who were
willing to work for the Unity. This group allowed for marriage and participation in the
secular aspects of the unity.

DEPARTMENT OF EQUITABLE ADMINISTRATION
The middle group allowed for marriage, but sexual relationships were only to be for the
purpose of reproduction.

THE PRE-EMINENT UNITY The inner, core, group was the Celibate and Communal
group, which did not allow marriage and practiced celibacy.

Within each of these three levels were three distinct branches, the Secular System, the
Commercial System, and the Vocational System, with a total of nine groups. 59

59 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koreshan_Unity

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Did the Koreshins feel that sex was immoral?
I could find no indication that Dr. Teed or the Koreshins considered sex among married
couples for the purpose of procreation was immoral. The Koreshins believed in the bible
and followed, to the best of their understanding, its teachings. Moreover, the Bible is full
of scriptures regarding the marital relationship. In Genesis 1:28 God commanded that
Adam and Eve to “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it…”
However, sex, to the Koreshins, for any other purpose was seen as an unnecessary use of
the creative energy and did tend to draw people away from God’s purpose in their lives.
It was Dr. Teed’s belief that the way to gain immortality (eternal life) was to use this
sexual energy to birth spiritual life rather than only physical life or simply physical
pleasure. Please remember that Dr. Teed and Fidelia, his wife of 27 years, never
divorced. Thus, it could be argued that Dr. Teed did believe in the institution of
marriage.

Perhaps it also could be argued that even though sex is the way physical life is brought
into existence, this same sexual energy could or even should be used to bring spiritual life
into existence. The sexual energy is creative energy at work. Even in many contemporary
Christian religions, the process of gaining eternal life is called the “New Birth.”

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However, physical intercourse was regarded as little more than a necessary evil, and its
practice should be limited to raising a family and not for any other purpose, and the
primary objective of this sexual energy was for the purpose of birthing eternal life.
To purify one soul, they would have to refrain from the practice of sexual intercourse.
This attitude was encouraged by the contemporary churches of the time, and especially
the Catholic Church; that celibacy would give one merit in the sight of God.

In my opinion, setting aside Teed less than ideal marriage, it was most likely a
direct result and a remnant of the Victorian age (1837 to 1901) almost the
exact dates of Dr. Teed’s life…………………..….(1839 to 1908).
In that climate, anything having to do with procreation (or sex) was thought of
as improper and was not spoken of.

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Is there any relationship between the Koreshans here in Estero and David
Koresh of the Branch Davidian Church of Waco, Texas?

Visitors to the park frequently ask if the Koreshans of
Estero had any relationship with David Koresh, the leader of
the Branch Davidian Church in Waco, Texas. It is ironic that
both groups had several things in common but had no
affiliation with each other.

They both practiced communal living with religion as a
base. Both groups had a leader who was a self-proclaimed
“Messiah,” and both groups were scrutinized by
government agencies and both men changed their names.
David Koresh was originally named Vernon Howell, and Cyrus R. Teed changed his
name to Koresh. 60

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60 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/4479/just-who-were-the-koreshans

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What was the Koreshans New Jerusalem?
The Koreshans under the guidance of
Cyrus (Koresh) Teed carved out of this
wilderness which he planned to become
his New Jerusalem. After 1894, when
Teed was 55, he and the group moved to
this area that would become the small
Florida town of Estero. They, the
Koreshans, were seeking a place to build
Dr. (Korish) Teed’s vision of a "New
Jerusalem" in that locale.
The name Estero is Spanish for estuary –
meaning where the river meets the sea.

However, at that time there was no town of Estero.

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88 This Koreshan “New
Jerusalem” would be the place
sources say as many as 4,000.) (Credit.)61 where Dr. Teed (Koresh)
envisioned his 10,000,000
Koreshan membership would
live and work. Around 1905 to
1908 the number of members in
Estero reached its peak at around
250 members, mostly women.
However, there were several
other groups in different states
giving the larger overall total
number of members (some

61 There were apparently more believers around the country. Wikipedia: Eventually, Teed took his followers to
Estero, Florida, to form his "New Jerusalem" in 1894. The community was at its peak 1903-1908, when it had
over 250 residents. There were apparently another 4,000 believers around the country. Teed had a vision in
which he was to establish a utopian city of 10,000,000 with streets up to 400 feet (120 m) wide. Membership
declined following his death in 1908.

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How many buildings are there at the park?
THE BUILDINGS: Originally the Koreshans had over sixty buildings here on the
grounds. As membership declined after Teed’s death in 1908 many of the buildings were
no longer needed and were destroyed so they would not have to pay taxes on them.
Today there are eleven beautifully maintained historic structures that date from 1882 to
1940.

Google - Koreshan State Historic Site for more photos.

Koreshan Photos

Also, see photos on (Page 176) of the early Unity.

Credit: Structures at KSHS Built before and after 1908 and their Historical Significance
Structure Date Constructed Historical Significance (Member(s), Function) of the above
credits. Table 3.1.)
1882 Damkohler House (not built by the Koreshans)
1894 Member, Function Bamboo Landing - Image 2
1896 Function Founder’s House
1896 Member, Function Dinner Bell
1896 Dining Hall (No longer here)
1902 The Old Store (No longer here)

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1903 Function Bakery
1903 The Publishing House (No longer here)
1903 Function Conrad Schlender Cottage / Membership Cottage
1904 Member, Function Planetary Court
1904 Members Large Machine Shop
1904 Laundry Hour (No longer here)
1905 Function Art Hall
1905 Function Small Machine Shop
1908 Teed’s Beach House (No longer here)
1908 Teed’s Mausoleum / (No longer here)
1920 The New Store
1926 Gas Station (No longer here)
1940/41 The Koreshan Unity Trailer Park (Just north of the Estero River on US-41)

The KSHS contains a collection of original buildings and structures, eleven of which
were constructed by 1905. Also, there are some flowers and fauna that was
planted by the Koreshans.

The Koreshans along with Dr. Teed acquired 320 acres of land south of Fort Myers,
Florida part of which would become Estero.

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This land area grew to become more than 6,000 - some reports of as much as 7,500 acres
at its height. Some of the land was owned by individual members of the Unity to protect
against legal complications.

EARLY ESTERO
In 1904 the Koreshans filed to incorporate their community
into a regular city. This did not go well with the local folks,
who thought it would increase their taxes. The Koreshans
were able to incorporate 110 square miles into the village of
Estero in 1904.

The Koreshans even created a town seal: the sun rising over a
waterscape with a swan floating in the water. (See illustration
on the left). Surrounding this was a laurel wreath, and at the
top, a six-pointed star (Seal of Solomon) see page 44. Then
in1907 the State of Florida abolished the village. It was not until late in 2014; the
community officially became the Village of Estero. Back to (Page 41)62

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62 https://estero-fl.gov/about/history/

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THE KORESHAN STORES

NEW STORE OLD STORE

The Old Store on the right behind the auto was constructed in 1902 /1903, and the
New Store on the left was constructed in 1920. The Old Store was a two-story
building that housed a dorm for men and room to rent on the top floor, a store on the

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second floor and a storage area for goods on the first. The New Store had a similar
floor plan. However, a restaurant was added to the second floor of the New Store.
The Old Store even had a POST OFFICE that is no longer here. The old store faced
the Estero River, and the New Store face a dirt road that would become US-41 when
completed in April 1928.[7]

Both stores existed side by side for a time.
The old store building, structure faced north
and fronting the Estero River. The Old Store
was damaged several times by flooding.
Then in August of 1938, it burned down and
was not rebuilt. The old store, seen here on
your left faced the Estero River the better
means of travel, if not the only means, at the
time.

It was an all-day affair (around 1.5 to 2 miles per hour) to go from Fort Myers to
Estero about 11 miles and was about a 10 to 12 + or - hour horseback ride to Estero.
Of course, this would depend on the time of year.

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During the summer rainy season, the trail could be covered with water and was muddy
making it much harder to travel.

The Tamiami Trail officially opened on April 25, 1928. Estero was little more than a
swamp. It took a lot of long hours and hard work to clear land; build roads; plant
crops and creates a community out of the Florida wilderness. It was not an easy life
by any modern standard, but it was a life they were building for themselves.

Roads were little more than
dirt trails between the
neighboring towns. The image
on your left is of one of
several hiking trails here in the
Park similar to, but better
maintained than the roads of
that day.
The picture on your right is a
path through the vegetation on
Mound Key, Florida. Map

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From Estero to Bonita Springs is about 8 miles or, about six more hours and from Bonita
Springs to Naples, Florida is about 14 miles.

The Estero River is about 6.4 miles long and empties into Estero Bay, an inlet of the Gulf
of Mexico.

It is about 4.5 miles from Estero to the Gulf of Mexico. Up until Florida finished US-41
in the mid-1920s the Estero River was the main way to move people, goods and materials
from one city to the other.

Estero fell between Fort Myers, Bonita
Springs, and Naples. Bonita Springs then
was called “Survey” and the stream
running through it, “Surveyor's Creek.”
At the time it became much easier and
faster to use the Estero River to travel to
neighboring cities.

Later the Koreshans built a Gas station, (in
the early 1940’s) across from the store after
US-41which was completed around 1926.

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US-41 then became the preferred way of travel. Mobil Gas Station (no longer here) on
the east side of US-41. By the way, gasoline sold for 19 cents a gallon in 1943.
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<- Interior view of the Koreshan gas station.

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General Note
In 1960, the post office left Estero and was relocated to a storefront in San Carlos Park,
about 2 miles north of Estero. It later returned to Estero in August of 1983 into a new
facility on former Koreshan land on Broadway.
Note: a sign that reads, "Information Fort Myers-Lee County Chamber of
Commerce." The current post office is located at Three Oaks Parkway.

The New Store faced east to the dirt road which would later become US-41. Then the
new store would serve as a general store and post office until the Post Office was moved
to San Carlos Park about three miles north of
the Estero River.

Thanks to Hedwig Michel (later discuss). The
new store had a restaurant; a Western Union
Office; a store and rooms on the top floor to
rent to travelers, sort of the 7-11 and Holiday
Inn of its day.

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A ROOM AT THE KORESHAN MOTEL

This photo above is an interior view of an apartment bedroom above
the Riverview Inn Restaurant in Estero, Florida.

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RESTAURANT

Above is the interior view of Koreshan Unity's
Riverview Inn Restaurant in Estero, Florida.

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RIVERVIEW INN RESTAURANT

Photo of Evelyn Horne serving coffee to Billie Parks and Tessie Siegfried at
the Riverview Inn Restaurant in Estero, Florida.

Credit
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