oldflorida:

Cyrus R. Teed was known as the “crazy doctor” and while working in a laboratory one day he experienced a “divine illumination”.

He believed our planet was hollow and that we all lived inside of the earth, so he and his followers came to Estero Florida in 1894 to help build a New Jerusalem. They had machine shops, saw mill, a general store with plans to accommodate up to ten million people one day. Families in the community could be a part of this religious utopia, but to live in the settlement itself you had to take a vow of celibacy. The governing council was made up of a group of seven women called the Planetary Chamber, and the day to day business was done by the sisters of the Planetary Court. Even with so many females in charge, the cult did not survive the passage of time. My opinion is that the vow of celibacy had something to do with the roster of new members.

Teed had an appreciation for horticulture and the gardens that remain today have given the site a lush and beautiful landscape. I’ve spent many fun camping trips there and if you have a chance to visit in the winter, I highly suggest you go. Some of the original Unity buildings have been re-furbished and they house many unusual items including a large model of the hollow earth with the moon and stars inside.

To spare any possible confusion, the Koreshan name has nothing to do with David Koresh of the Waco disaster cult. I’m sure Cyrus had much more vision as a leader, albeit a tad kooky. If you want to read more, a good place to start at is Koreshan State Historic Site. You can also check out the Koreshan Virtual Archives for more details on his cellular cosmology & daily life of the members. (Photo SOF Print Collections)