Utopia – Quest for the Perfection, part 1

: Gary, IN. Sep. 5, 2019

Last summer, our family visited several places in the United States where it thought to be utopias.

Here, utopia means a commune that quests for the perfection of economy, government, and/or justice through orderly and spartan communal living. Many regard it as fantasy or sometimes criticize it as dystopia because of its tendency to dehumanize. But, it is also said that even the remnants of the utopia attract us. Let me introduce the remnants of the utopias we visited:


2300 Jackson St. Gary, Indiana
The two-bedroom house shown above at the corner of the Jackson Family Blvd. and the Jackson St. in Gary, IN is the Michael Jackson Birthplace.

His parents bought the house in 1950, Michael was born in 1958, and the family left the house for Los Angeles in 1969. It is, of course, not listed in Utopias in America by National Park Service[1]. But, the story of the family’s quest for the musical perfection unfolded in the living room of this house brought us here[2].


Zoar, Ohio


: Zoar, OH. Sep. 7, 2019

Zoar was a utopian community founded by the German Separatists, aka Zoarites, led by Joseph Bimeler(1778 - 1853) in 1817. The community thrived until 1898[3].

Common garden and the glasshouse at the center of the commune are the highlights of this utopia.


New Harmony, IN


: New Harmony, IN. Sep. 11, 2019

New Harmony was a utopian community founded by the German Separatists, aka Harmonists, in 1814. The community thrived until 1824[4].

Similar to the Zoarites, the Harmonists led by Johann Georg Rapp(1757 - 1847) were also immigrants from Germany. They first established the colony named Harmony in Pennsylvania. New Harmony was their second practice, before their final abode named Economy, again in Pennsylvania.


Pleasant Hill, KY


: Shakertown, KY. Sep. 10, 2019

Shakertown at the Pleasant Hill was a utopian community founded by the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, aka the Shakers, in 1805[5]. The community thrived until 1910.

Shakers were the followers of the immigrant Ann Lee(1736 - 1784) from England. Their quest for the order throughout the life crystallized into the strong symmetry in their architecture.


Clearfield, KY


: Clearfield, KY. Sep. 9, 2019

Morehead & North Fork Railroad established in 1905 used to diverge south from the C&O Lexington Subdivision at Morehead, Kentucky. The M&NF headquarters and shops were located in Clearfield, just outside of the junction opposite the Triplett Creek[6].

The main shipment of the railroad was the log, lumber, and clay. In the early ’60s, until May 3, 1963, the railroad was well known among enthusiasts as one of the last railroads in the United States to use steam locomotives in dairy revenue operation[7]. The Jan. 1956 Trains magazine features the bygone days of steam powered M&NF.

In 1973, the owner of the railroad, Roy Hayes Cassity (1911 – 1988) ceased the operation due to the lack of shipment.

In 1974-76, by then the owner of the railroad, Clester Lee Armstrong (1920 – 2000) of Homer Gregory & Co. acquired four Baldwin S-12 locomotives and resumed the operation as Morehead & Morgan Fork. M&MF also held "Railfan Weekend", pulling steam locomotive M&NF #12 out of the roundhouse for photographers[8].

But, in 1984, the connecting C&O line was filed for abandonment, ceased operation in 1985, and was pulled up by Jan. 1986. Accordingly, the M&MF was landlocked and thus faded out into the weeds[9].

Since 1990, enthusiasts James Johnson and Joe Nugent began restoring the remnants[6]. They resumed annual two days celebrations named "M&NF Expo" in 1993 and 1994[10, 11]. The steam locomotive M&NF #12, a Baldwin S-12 lettered Durham & Southern #1201, a boxcar M&NF #500, and a caboose C&O #904055 were preserved/displayed at the Clearfield facilities[12, 13].

However, unfortunately, the only left at Clearfield today is the boxcar and the empty engine shed: #1201 was scrapped in 2010, and #12 was sold and moved to the Age of Steam Roundhouse in 2011[14, 15].

revised, Jun. 7, 2021

revised, Jul. 7, 2021

[1] National Park Service, Utopias in America web site;
[2] Bertram, Colin, (2019) Michael Jackson: Inside His Early Years in Gary, Indiana With His Musical Family, Biography;
[3] Historic Zoar Village web site;
[4] University of Southern Indiana web site;
[5] Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill web site;
[6] photos of M&NF facilities at Clearfield found at Morehead State university Camden-Carroll Library;
[7] Neubauer, James A., In the footsteps of David and Doc, Sep. 2003, Trains, Kalmbach
[8] Railroad News Photos, Oct. 1978, Trains, Kalmbach
[9] Nugent, Joe, (2011) Photo Comments, RailPictures.net web site;
[10] Schwieterman, Joseph, P., (2001) When the Railroad Leaves Town, Vol. 1, Truman State University Press;
[11] News photos, Oct. 1994, Trains, kalmbach
[12] 2008 photo of the property found at Flickr;
[13] Riggsby, Bryan. (2009) comments for the Abandoned Rails web site;
[14] Durham & Southern Railroad reference web site;
[15] Nov. 18, 2011, The Morehead News;
　
　　
昨夏に訪れたところを、ユートピアというくくりで紹介する。

ここでいうユートピアとは、経済・統治・司法などにおける完璧性を追求するため、規律正しい共同生活を実践する共同体をいう。ユートピアを単なる幻想とする指摘や、人間性を奪うディストピアだとする批判もある。しかし、アメリカにはそんな共同体（とその痕跡）がいくつか存在する。


例えば、あのマイケル・ジャクソンの実家はどうだろう。ユートピアとしてはもちろんリストアップされていないが、エンタテーメントとしての完璧性を求め練習に明け暮れていた一家のリビングルームこそユートピアと称するに値しないか。訪れた日には、彼らの母であるKatherine Jacksonの名前を記したカードを添えた薔薇が供えられていた。

オハイオ州Zoarの町は、Zoaritesと呼ばれるドイツからの移民集団（German Separatists）によって1817年に築かれたユートピアの痕跡である。町の中心にある庭園がコミュニティの象徴。かつては町域を通る運河から得る収入が町を潤していたという。現在の住民は創設者とは無関係である。

インディアナ州New Harmonyの町は、Harmonistsと呼ばれる、やはりドイツからの移民集団によって1814年に築かれたユートピアの痕跡である。その名前が示す通り、ペンシルベニア州に最初に築いたHarmonyという町を売り払い当地に移転してきたが、わずか10年余りで転出し、最終的に再びペンシルベニア州のEconomyという町に落ち着いた。現在の住民は創設者とは無関係である。

ケンタッキー州Pleasant HillにあるShakertownは、シェーカー教徒（the Shakers）と呼ばれる英国出身のAnn Leeを中心とするプロテスタント系のキリスト教団によって1805年に築かれたユートピアの痕跡である。教理に則ったシンプルな生活様式、シンメトリーに則った建築が有名である。この共同体は子孫を期待しない独身制度を採ったため自然消滅した。現在は町全体が博物館になっている。

ケンタッキー州Clearfieldに車庫があったMorehead & North Fork Railroadは、よくあるローカル地鉄のひとつ。比較的遅くまで蒸機を運用していたことで、ファンの間ではよく知られていたようだ。接続していたC&Oの路線が廃止になり、梯子を外された状態のまま放置されていたのを、地元のファンが車両を整備するなどして維持してきた。しかし、近年オーナーが蒸機を売却するなどした結果、今は崩れかけの貨車１両のみが遺る荒れ地になっている。