Utopian Communities of Illinois: Heaven on the Prairie

by Randall J. Soland

The Prairie State became a crucial testing ground for the grand American thought experiment on how a society should be constructed. Between 1839 and 1901, six different utopian communities chose Illinois as the laboratory and sanctuary to elevate their ideals into reality. The Mormons and the Icarians selected Nauvoo. The Janssonists picked Bishop Hill. The Fourierists settled on the north edge of Loami. The employees of the Pullman Railroad Car Company naturally resided in Pullman, and the Dowietes put down roots in Zion. Three were religious and the others secular. All possessed charismatic leaders and dramatic stories that drew attention from across the globe. Randy Soland examines the relationship between these havens and their legacies.

Genres: History

144 pages, Paperback

Published July 24, 2017

Reviews

[Jay French · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having lived in Illinois and having travelled the state extensively, I was familiar with the stories of Nauvoo and the early Mormon church. Being from small town Northwestern Illinois, I was also familiar with Bishop Hill. I knew little about the other communities covered in this interesting book on Illinois history. I found the stories of the Icarians in Nauvoo and the Fourierists in Sangamon County to be the most interesting, as these were not familiar nor were they based on religion. These were economic settlements, communes, from the 1800s that were in some ways successful, not religious-based communities. I appreciated the bibliography and that for many of the settlements the author listed the best source for additional information. The author compared and contrasted these settlements at the end of the book, but this didn’t really add to the narrative he had created. I didn’t see any indication that this was an exhaustive study. It would be nice to know if there are more intentional communities from our state’s history out there to be documented, and if they would be worth visiting. The author included many current pictures of the sites he documented, and described what can be seen today. Nicely done survey of an interesting topic.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting facts and clear writing about Mormons in Nauvoo, Icarians at Nauvoo, Janssonists at Bishop Hill, Fourierists at Loami, Pullman and his employees, and Dowietes at Zion. Makes me wonder just what it was about the last half of the 1800's that was ripe for utopias in Illinois. I've lived here in Illinois my whole life (and not in a utopian community, just a regular one) and didn't really know the background of the Mormons or anything about the others. This book is a good starting point for learning more about any of them. It sure made me think of a lot of questions.