Eden Within Eden

by Kopp, James J.

• ISBN13: 9780870714245
• ISBN10: 0870714244
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-05-01
• Publisher: Oregon State Univ Pr

Summary

Oregon has been the home of nearly three hundred communal experiments since the Aurora Colony was established in 1856. Eden Within Eden is the first book to survey the state's utopian history, from religious and Socialist groups of the nineteenth century to ecologically conscious communities of the twenty-first century. James J. Kopp examines Oregon's communal history in the context of the state as a destination for those seeking new beginnings and in the framework of utopian and communal experiences across America. Eden Within Eden provides rich detail about utopian communities some realized, some only planned many of which reflect broader social, political, economic, and cultural aspects of Oregon's history. From the dawn of communal groups in Oregon the German Christian colony at Aurora to Oregon's most infamous communal experiment Rajneeshpuram this study examines the range of attempts to establish ideal communities in the state. These include the Jewish agrarian colony of New Odessa in the 1880s as well as the new pioneers of the 1960s and later who captured the spirit of the counterculture as well as growing concerns about the environment. The book explores other areas of Oregon's utopian heritage as well, including literary works and idealistic city planning. There has been no comparable book published on Oregon's communal history and few such comprehensive examinations of other states. The appendix is a rich compilation that will guide individuals to additional information on the profiled and many other communities. Eden Within Eden will appeal to students and scholars of communal studies and Pacific Northwest history, as well as to general readers interested in these subjects.

Author Biography

James J. Kopp is director of the Aubrey R. Watzek Library at Lewis Clark College in Portland, Oregon. He holds a PhD in American Studies from George Washington University, as well as additional graduate degrees in history and library science. He has been researching the utopian experience in America since his undergraduate years at the University of Oregon and has made presentations on Oregon's utopian heritage across the state through the Oregon Chautauqua program of the Oregon Council for the Humanities. He grew up in Pendleton, Oregon.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. ix
Introduction Oregon as Eden	p. 1
Eden and Utopia	p. 9
The American Utopian Tradition	p. 22
The Dawn of Utopia in Oregon: The Aurora Colony	p. 39
Seeking the Ideal Community in Oregon	p. 51
No Place	p. 88
Cooperation in Oregon in the Early Twentieth Century	p. 100
From Cooperation to Survival in the Twentieth Century	p. 119
Rediscovering Utopia: The New Pioneers of the Late 1960s	p. 133
The Dream Continues: From the 1970s to the Twenty-first Century	p. 147
The Dark Side of Utopia	p. 169
Conclusion Oregon as Utopia	p. 180
Appendix From Abba's Way to the Zoo	p. 187
Notes	p. 307
Index	p. 360
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