The decline and fall of the Oneida community began when founder John Noyes chose to pass the commune's leadership onto his son, Theodore. Besides being shy and awkward, Theodore was an agnostic. This change caused a schism in the community with one Communitarian, John Tower, attempting to take control himself. He and a breakaway group... Continue Reading →
The stirpiculture experiment at the Oneida commune would be the first eugenics program tested on early American soil. It went on for ten years, between 1869 and 1879. The term stirpiculture was coined by Oneida founder John Humphrey Noyes. He also developed the experiment through his interpretations of Plato, Charles Darwin, and Francis Galton. Noyes... Continue Reading →
Mutual Criticism Something common to creepy societies regardless of the flavor of faith is some concept of guilt or shame. One of the only webcomics I've read and continue reading with every update illustrates this really well with the author's story of his experiences at the Elan School. You can enjoy that here. For the... Continue Reading →
Oneida is a vaguely familiar name for some. They make silverware. I know this because they once has a storefront in New Orleans while I still lived there. But like Celestial Seasonings there's a great, big freaky story behind those forks. The Oneida Community was founded by John Humphrey Noyes in 1848. The commune settled... Continue Reading →
The Fancy Times 