Utopia, Ohio
Utopia is an unincorporated community in far southern Franklin Township, Clermont County, Ohio, United States,[1] along the banks of the Ohio River. Utopia has been referred to as a "ghost town" although there are still people who live there.
History
First settlement
Utopia was founded in 1844 by the followers of
Within three years, the community broke up. It was soon reorganized by
First settlers
The sect believed that the world would enter a 35,000-year-long period of peace, and that in order to achieve
Second settlers
The land that was owned by the sect was then sold to
Flood of 1847
On the night of December 13, the Ohio River had flooded its banks dramatically and was getting dangerously close to the town hall. However, people were still seeking shelter in the hall because their houses were becoming flooded. During a party that was being held at the hall that evening, the river, many feet above flood stage, washed out the south wall of the building, sweeping out a large number of Spiritualists. Some who were swept away did survive, but most drowned or were overcome by hypothermia in the icy river. [5]
Second settlement
The settlement was reorganized in 1847 as an
The impact of the Civil War, the rising prices of surrounding land that made expansion difficult, and the requirement of being invited by the original settlers are said to have led to the eventual dissolution of the project. However, as late as 1875, several of the original occupants remained, and some business in the area was still being conducted by labor notes. By that time, the area had come to be known as Smith's Landing.
Warren left Utopia a year after its inception to lecture and assist in setting up other colonies. The most significant of these was
My visit to that little germ of Equitable society, now eight and a half years old, has given me higher hopes and expectations than I had before dared to entertain. It is not the display that the little group of buildings makes to the eye ... but knowing the means by which these ... have been acquired, and seeing that there the subject of Equity has had eight years and six months deep study and practical trial, and that from the beginning ... the subject had lost nothing with those who first took hold of it ... but had gained ... from year to year in their highest judgement and affectionate regard.[citation needed]
Geography
Utopia is located on the northern bank of the Ohio River in the southeast corner of Clermont County, in southwest Ohio.38°46′34″N 84°03′26″W / 38.77611°N 84.05722°W It lies along U.S. Route 52.
Gallery
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Utopia community sign
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Looking west on US Highway 52 in Utopia
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Ohio Historical Marker on US Highway 52
See also
References
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Utopia, Ohio
- ^ Everts, Louis H. (1880). History of Clermont County, Ohio, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott & Co. p. 344.
- Anarchy Archives, created 2000-02-17.
- ^ Utopia, Ohio Forgotten Ohio
- ^ Kenneth William McKinley (January 1937). "A Guide to the Communistic Communities of Ohio". The Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly. Ohio Historical Society. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
Further reading
- Rick Crawford, Uneasy Spirits: 13 Ghost Stories from Clermont County, Ohio (Rhiannon Publications, 1997)
- Martin, James J. Men Against the State. The Adrian Allen Associates, Dekalb, Illinois, 1953.
External links
- "Utopia, Ohio". Forgotten Ohio. Archived from the original on July 17, 2018. Retrieved April 23, 2018.