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Note hand-written on image: "Our Kitchen Garden".

Dr. Cyrus R. Teed's utopian community of 200 followers began relocating from Chicago, Illinois to Florida in 1894. Dr. Teed took the name "Koresh," the Hebrew translation for Cyrus, meaning shepherd. The colonists believed that the entire universe existed within a giant, hollow sphere. The Koreshans built and operated a printing facility, boat works, cement works, sawmill, bakery, store and hostelry. After the death of Dr. Teed in 1908 at the age of 69, membership of his religious group began to decline. In 1961, the four remaining members deeded 305 acres of their land to the state of Florida as a park and memorial. The Koreshan Unity Settlement Historic District, a.k.a. Koreshan Unity State Park, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

Included in the photo is Rosa Morrow.

Biographical Note

Dr. Teed was born Oct. 18, 1839 in Teedsville, N.Y., studied medicine, with his uncle 1859-; had his 'illumination' in 1869. Believed the sun at the center of a macrocosmic cell and revolves once in 24 hrs. The earth is practically stationary, a concave sphere with all life on its inner surface. Moved from N.Y. to Chicago with his followers and established a communal life 1886. His following grew to about 200 members. Began relocating to Estero, Florida in 1894. Died Dec. 22, 1908.