2005 Annual Meeting and Reunion Held at Denton, Texas
Descendants and friends, some from as far away as Iowa and South Dakota, gathered for the 37th Annual Meeting and Weekend Reunion at Denton, Texas, the closest major city to the site of the Icarians first attempt to establish a colony in America in 1848. The only existing artifact of the colonists endeavor is a bell, now displayed in front of the First Baptist Church in Justin.
The weekend offered the Annual Business Meeting, tours of local interest as well as a side trip to Justin, Texas, which falls within the area covered by the 3,000 acre tract in which the Icarians contracted but failed to develop a colony.
Highlight of the weekend was the Annual Banquet on Saturday night which was attended by 24 persons including the Founder of the National Icarian Heritage Society, Dr. Lillian Snyder. Dr. Snyder, red blouse, is seated in the front row.
The first attempt to establish a colony was foredoomed by a combination of factors. The Advance Guard of around 50 did not reach their destination until June 2 and it is remarkable that they were able to range over their tracts to construct even the 32 cabins by July 1st. Their efforts were futile in that the noncontiguous nature of the tracts made a communal colony impossible. The final blow was the combination of heat and disease which left them unable to persevere. The settlers began their retreat to New Orleans in mid September and during which several more died along the way. The Icarians then chose Nauvoo, Illinois which became their first chartered colony and led to a succession of colonies in Iowa, Missouri, and California. The last surviving colony in Adams County, near present day, Corning, dissolved in 1898. Altogether, the series of colonies comprised America’s longest lived, non-sectarian, utopian movement.
The membership voted to hold the 2006 Annual Meeting/Reunion at Corning, Iowa on the traditional Bastille Day weekend. In 2006, Bastille Day occurs on Friday, July 14th. Additional details will be published later.