Photo Archives

Little Girl with Apples.: This unidentified young colonist became the poster child of the California colony. The photograph was used in advertisements to show the agricultural prosperity of the desert colony. PHOTO CREDIT: MARTHA PALMER, VERNON PARISH HISTORIAN
Llano, California's One-Year Anniversary.: Gentry McCorkle drives, while Job Harriman rides shotgun. PHOTO CREDIT: USED BY PERMISSION OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE LIBRARIES, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE, CA
Moving Day.: Several colonists drove to the new colony in Louisiana, although most of the 200-plus colonists made the move via a chartered Kansas City Southern train. PHOTO CREDIT: USED BY PERMISSION OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE LIBRARIES, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE, CA
Llano Del Rio, California.: A good shot of the California colony ca. 1915, looking southeast. The administrative buildings are under construction behind the Post Office. Some of the tent houses are visible in the background. PHOTO CREDIT: USED BY PERMISSION OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE LIBRARIES, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE, CA
Asembly Hall, Llano, CA, 1916.: The rock pillars and foundation are all that remain in the high desert of this imposing building. PHOTO CREDIT: USED BY PERMISSION OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE LIBRARIES, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE, CA
Building Rabbit Hutches, 1915.: The Western Comrade called the rabbit hutches at the California colony the "World's Largest Rabbitry." PHOTO CREDIT: USED BY PERMISSION OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE LIBRARIES, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE, CA
Labor Day 1921 - At the Llano Swimming Hole.: One of Llano's major supporters was one of the principals behind the founding of Labor Day in New York. This holiday and May Day were the two big days of celebration at the Colony. The small blond girl in the water, second from the left, is Ruby Synoground Nesnow, who participated in the program. PHOTO CREDIT: USED BY PERMISSION OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE LIBRARIES, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE, CA
Women in Overalls.: Women were free to work in any job they wanted. Here, several young women pause from roofing the colony's hotel to pose for the camera. PHOTO CREDIT: USED BY PERMISSION OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE LIBRARIES, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE, CA
The Town Goes Up.: Roofing the Assembly Hall at the California colony, ca. 1915. PHOTO CREDIT: USED BY PERMISSION OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE LIBRARIES, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE, CA
Working the Peanut Fields.: Women, like the men, got to choose their line of work -- at least theoretically. Here, colony women tend the peanut fields. Ordinarily children were at one of the schools or the child-care facility. PHOTO CREDIT: USED BY PERMISSION OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE LIBRARIES, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE, CA
The Rice Ranch.: This rice ranch, in Elton, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, was the most profitable of all the colony's holdings. PHOTO CREDIT: USED BY PERMISSION OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE LIBRARIES, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE, CA
The Colony Bakery.: The colonists ate communally in the colony cafeteria, or were free to take food back to their houses. PHOTO CREDIT: USED BY PERMISSION OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE LIBRARIES, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE, CA
The New Llano General Store.: The New Llano Colony served not only those who lived on the commune, but neighboring farmers as well. The opening of trade immediately established a rapport with New Llano's neighbors by bringing new industries and skills to the rural hill country of west-central Louisiana. PHOTO CREDIT: MARTHA PALMER, VERNON PARISH HISTORIAN
Debs/Harriman Presidential Button.: The Llano colony was the brainchild of Job Harriman, a prominent socialist, lawyer and seminarian who served as Eugene Debs' vice presidential runningmate on the Socialist ticket in 1900.
The Colony Broom Factory.: Colonists arrived at Llano with a multitude of skills, and provided the communities around them with goods and skills in short supply. Their wares earned a reputation for long wear, solid craftsmanship and they had the best prices around. There was no markup on the goods produced at the colony because the colonists did not work for wages. PHOTO CREDIT: USED BY PERMISSION OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE LIBRARIES, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE, CA
Maypole Dance.: A maypole dance in celebration of May Day at the New Llano colony. PHOTO CREDIT: USED BY PERMISSION OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE LIBRARIES, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE, CA
Outdoor Class.: Education was of primary importance to the colony. Vocational education was stressed, and students were encouraged to offer alternative positions, even if they differed with the teacher's. PHOTO CREDIT: MARTHA PALMER, VERNON PARISH HISTORIAN
Blacksmith Shop.: New Llano's colonists enjoyed a wide reputation for manufacturing high-quality goods at a fair price. An ice factory, a broom factory, a lumber mill and a candy factory were some of the colony's other successful industries. PHOTO CREDIT: USED BY PERMISSION OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE LIBRARIES, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE, CA
Montessori Class.: The Llano Colony was one of the first large groups to embrace the Montessori teaching method. PHOTO CREDIT: USED BY PERMISSION OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE LIBRARIES, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE, CA
Funeral Band.: A colony band plays at a funeral in New Llano. Frequent dances were heavily attended by neighboring communities. PHOTO CREDIT: USED BY PERMISSION OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE LIBRARIES, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE, CA

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