The Shakers of Union Village

Cheryl Bauer

Arcadia Publishing, Jun 6, 2007 - History - 127 pages

Founded in 1805, Union Village began as a religious and communal experiment. Eventually it became one of Americas largest and most productive Shaker communities, its members achieving many firsts in education, equality, music, horticulture, and animal husbandry. Their unique faith influenced every aspect of their lives, from making furniture to raising children. They welcomed the leading figures of the period, including Native American chiefs, politicians, and abolitionists, while they continued to open other Shaker settlements in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and Georgia. These vintage imagesincluding many never published beforetrace the Shakers progress as they worked toward creating an earthly paradise. Although Union Village dissolved in 1912, some Shakers remained there for almost another decade. Today Union Villages heritage is still shared with the public at OtterbeinLebanon Retirement Community and in neighboring Lebanon.

Contents

• Acknowledgments: 6
• A Big Farm: 25
• Community Life: 43
• Origins and Offspring: 59
• The Heart of the Village: 75
• Union Village and the World: 99
• The Otterbein Years: 111
• Bibliography: 127

About the author

Cheryl Bauer and husband Randy McNutt are members of the Butler County Historical Society and graduates of Miami University. Bauer is the author of Van Wert County. With Rob Portman, she wrote Wisdom's Paradise: The Forgotten Shakers of Union Village. McNutt has written 11 books, including Lost Ohio: More Travels Into Haunted Landscapes, Ghost Towns, and Forgotten Lives. Together, Bauer and McNutt also authored Hamilton.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Shakers of Union Village; Images of America; Images of America: a history of American life in images and texts
• Author: Cheryl Bauer
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing, 2007
• ISBN: 0738551236, 9780738551234
• Length: 127 pages
• Subjects: History / United States / State & Local / Midwest (IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, OH, SD, WI); Religion / Christianity / Shaker