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Ruskin Colony

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239:. The roots of the Ruskin project can be found in the movement within American socialism at the time, towards the creation of new model colonies which would, in theory, challenge the American industrial system by creating ethical alternatives built in rural settings. The idea that new settlements such as Ruskin would eventually bring forth a revolution referred to as the "co-operative commonwealth" stood in contrast to socialists who believed that it was more important to do political and social organizing within the cities, the centers of industry. According to 287:, which was the primary source of financial stability. The majority of the colony's money and time was put into the paper, which had at its peak in 1896 around 60,000 subscribers. Besides being the chief flow of assets, the paper also gave voice to the people of the colony throughout its many editors. Although Julius Wayland almost single-handedly founded the colony, he left in 1895 due to conflicts about ownership of the newspaper that ran counter to his claims of collective ownership. Under Alfred S. Edwards, who succeeded Wayland, 256: 962: 275:, Feb. 3, 1894) Ruskin colonists manufactured and marketed pants, "cereal coffee," a vapor bath cabinet, chewing gum, belts and suspenders. The system of work itself changed little from that of the world outside Ruskin, in terms of hours devoted to the various industries, however the hours, schedules and rates of pay, and industries selected were all determined by the workers. Ruskinites eventually abolished cash wages and adopted a system of 973: 35: 96: 343:
However, after its first year in Georgia, the number of colonists dropped by half. The new settlement, an old lumber mill, was not surrounded by the fertile land and good sources of water that the previous location had. Ruskinites were plagued with disease, unprofitable business ventures, and a
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over issues of property, with charter members who were now being pushed out of Ruskin seeking to dismantle the group through legal means. The final auction of the Ruskin Colony site at Cave Mills, and most of the communal property, left the remaining members with only a fraction of what they had
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which was used in exchange for goods within the colony. In securing their economic dependence, members of the settlement also gave ample time to creative crafts, theater, and other intellectual pursuits. At one time late in the history of the colony, there existed a band which toured southern
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The eventual breakup of the Ruskin colony was due to several elements, the most problematic being the unequal distribution of membership rights of colonists complicated by the "shareholder"-type initial investment fees. Much of the blame lay with the original
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spent five years struggling to build. The 240 members moved what they did have, which still included the newspaper and the printing apparatus for it, 613 miles on a chartered train to their new home in Georgia, where they merged with the Duke Colony in
946: 882: 866: 247:: "The wastefulness and ugliness of competitive individualism, so glaringly apparent in late nineteenth-century cities, would be replaced by the efficient creation and collective control of wealth and technology" in this new settlement. 856: 1007: 941: 887: 528: 908: 810: 841: 775: 740: 815: 720: 680: 505: 780: 770: 765: 745: 861: 695: 610: 730: 725: 600: 145:, the English socialist writer. A cave on the colony's second property in Dickson County still carries his name. The site of the colony's second settlement in Dickson County is listed on the 1012: 820: 785: 690: 665: 805: 755: 735: 710: 700: 685: 675: 660: 640: 615: 605: 595: 825: 800: 705: 645: 625: 620: 590: 580: 760: 715: 655: 630: 585: 892: 790: 670: 635: 846: 795: 750: 650: 558: 543: 498: 1022: 574: 315:", within members of the colony. Ruskinites opposed to these beliefs brought harsh criticism down on those who harbored free love sympathies, which were in linked to 126:
from 1894 to 1896. The colony moved to a more permanent second settlement on an old farm five miles north from 1896 to 1899, and saw another brief incarnation near
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By requiring that all members of the colony become equal shareholders in the endeavor, Wayland constructed Ruskin so that it operated more as a legally-sanctioned
271:, was to run much like any other company, except that it would "do all things necessary to make a success, financially and socially, of a co-operative colony." ( 1017: 976: 491: 966: 319:
currents that had been growing within the colony. This could be traced to Alfred Edward's editorial slant towards anarchism during his time as editor of
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Many of the products created in Ruskin were intended to supplement the income from the newspaper,
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to settle its debts. The Ruskin Commonwealth was effectively disbanded in the autumn of 1901.
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continual slide into poverty that eventually led to the auction of the property by the county
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A Socialist Utopia in the New South: The Ruskin Colonies in Tennessee and Georgia, 1894-1901.
299:, and Herbert Casson (who later took up the editorial reigns after Edwards left the colony). 483: 292: 369: 357: 64: 454:
Francelia Butler, "The Ruskin Commonwealth: A Unique Experiment in Marxian Socialism,"
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University and college buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places
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At its high point, the population was around 250. The colony was named after
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List of jails and prisons on the National Register of Historic Places
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set it apart from many other similar utopian projects of the era.
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National Register of Historic Places in Dickson County, Tennessee
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colony in the southern US at the end of the 19th century.
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History of the National Register of Historic Places
521: 217: 204: 196: 186: 1013:National Register of Historic Places in Tennessee 575:List of U.S. National Historic Landmarks by state 99:Cannery operation in the Ruskin Cooperative, 1896 477:Last Days of the Ruskin Co-Operative Association 59:of the information in this article by providing 967:National Register of Historic Places portal 451:Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 1996. 331:The colony eventually became mired in constant 472:By-Laws of the Ruskin Co-Operative Association 458:vol. 23, no. 4 (Dec. 1964), pp. 333–342. 499: 8: 259:Strawberry Pickers Ruskin Cooperative, 1897 506: 492: 484: 515:U.S. National Register of Historic Places 176:U.S. National Register of Historic Places 83:Learn how and when to remove this message 1023:Utopian communities in the United States 381: 421:"National Register Information System" 356:The Ruskin Commongood Society platted 159: 7: 1018:Populated places established in 1894 426:National Register of Historic Places 340:and formed the Ruskin Commonwealth. 291:included articles from the likes of 231:(1854-1912), a newspaper editor and 147:National Register of Historic Places 311:relationships, or the practice of " 245:A Socialist Utopia in the New South 930:National Historic Preservation Act 25: 227:The Ruskin Colony was founded by 972: 971: 960: 391:"The Ruskin Co-Operative Colony" 33: 456:Tennessee Historical Quarterly, 109:Ruskin Commonwealth Association 883:Federated States of Micronesia 529:Architectural style categories 206: 1: 395:American Journal of Sociology 157:United States historic place 1039: 935:Historic Preservation Fund 914:American Legation, Morocco 1003:Dickson County, Tennessee 955: 876:Lists by associated state 205:NRHP reference  182: 173: 166: 162: 124:Dickson County, Tennessee 857:Northern Mariana Islands 297:Charlotte Perkins Gilman 229:Julius Augustus Wayland 852:Minor Outlying Islands 835:Lists by insular areas 549:Keeper of the Register 447:W. Fitzhugh Brundage, 360:on February 19, 1910. 260: 200:15 acres (6.1 ha) 136:Southern United States 100: 554:National Park Service 534:Contributing property 431:National Park Service 389:Braam, J. W. (1903). 258: 251:Cooperative economics 168:Ruskin Colony Grounds 98: 909:District of Columbia 241:W. Fitzhugh Brundage 118:It was located near 57:ensure the accuracy 269:board of directors 261: 191:Dickson, Tennessee 101: 985: 984: 539:Historic district 321:The Coming Nation 289:The Coming Nation 285:The Coming Nation 273:The Coming Nation 225: 224: 153:Origins and goals 113:utopian socialist 93: 92: 85: 16:(Redirected from 1030: 975: 974: 965: 964: 963: 888:Marshall Islands 508: 501: 494: 485: 435: 434: 417: 411: 410: 386: 293:George D. Herron 221:October 29, 1974 208: 160: 88: 81: 77: 74: 68: 65:reliable sources 61:inline citations 46:inline citations 37: 36: 29: 21: 1038: 1037: 1033: 1032: 1031: 1029: 1028: 1027: 988: 987: 986: 981: 961: 959: 951: 918: 897: 871: 830: 563: 517: 512: 468: 444: 442:Further reading 439: 438: 433:. 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Index

Ruskin Colonies
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NRIS
ensure the accuracy
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reliable sources
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utopian socialist
Tennessee City
Dickson County, Tennessee
Waycross
Georgia
Southern United States
John Ruskin
National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Dickson, Tennessee
74001911
Julius Augustus Wayland
socialist
Indiana
W. Fitzhugh Brundage

corporation
board of directors
scrip
George D. Herron
Charlotte Perkins Gilman
charter members

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