This is the most fabulous state park with tropical foliage, exciting wildlife, plenty of outdoor activities and campgrounds. Once a week there’s even a highly-recommended farmers market. Visitors rave about this historic site … even more so when they realise that it has a very curious history.
The place was once the site of a commune. A sect called Koreshan Unity began in New York in the 1870 and in 1894 its founder, Cyrys Teed, banded together his followers and founded the commune in Florida.
The sect members had some radical beliefs including celibacy, reincarnation, communism, alchemy – and some rather odd ideas about how the world and the universe are structured. Another was that Cyrus Teed was immortal.
However, this theory was debunked in 1906 when Teed was involved in an ‘altercation’ in Fort Myers and was badly beaten up – so much so that he later died of his injuries.
His followers fully expected that he would rise again and to this end, they kept a vigil over his body and refused to have it buried until the authorities took matters in hand and insisted on a burial for sanitary reasons.
The commune’s land was eventually deeded to the local authorities and now forms the state park with all its natural sights, scenery and outdoor activities.
HISTORICAL BUILDINGS
History
How to Find Koreshan State Park
Koreshan State Historic Site
Koreshan State Park,
3800 Corkscrew Rd,
Estero,
FL 33928,
USA
ARTICLE BY:
Jackie
JJ is originally from the UK and has lived in South Florida since 1994. She is the founder and editor of JAQUO Magazine. You can connect with her using the social media icons below.