This cache follows the history of a group of French, Belgians and Swiss' journey to relocate to what they were told was a utopian place in Texas in the mid-1800s.
Victor-Prosper Considerant
Alongside the various people moving into and through the nineteenth-century Texas frontier was a group of European intellectuals bent on establishing a socialist utopia near the hamlet of Dallas. Their inspiration, French philosopher Charles Fourier, envisioned a society in which basic human ambitions would be expressed and cultivated, tied together by the bonds of emotion. Fourier’s self-appointed disciple Victor Considerant led the establishment of La Réunion in 1855, organized under a Paris stock company. We will put together some of the pieces of the dramatic story and take you to some of the places where this utopia was located and introduce you to some of it's notable residents. It's a tale of tale of a complex diverse group of Europeans who sought a new society but were forced to face the realities of life in nineteenth-century Texas.
Considerant’s followers endured a long ocean voyage with Spanish gunboats following in their Caribbean wake. They brushed blooming magnolias through Buffalo Bayou between Galveston Bay and Houston—so narrow a channel that two ships could not pass simultaneously. They walked for three weeks across barren country, came into conflict with the Texas legislature over land, and had to buy their stolen horses back from Chief Ned, a famous Delaware Indian living in Texas. They were buffeted in the rising political winds of abolition, and droughts ruined their crops. In the end, however, it was their flamboyant leader Victor Considerant who sabotaged their dream.
It’s important to understand that La Réunion was not the first of its kind, nor was it original. Socialist utopian societies had been explored by the French intellectual elite for decades, many of which came under the criticism of Karl Marx, the most prominent advocate for socialism in history. By the 1850s, there had already been dozens of successful and unsuccessful socialist utopian societies across the United States and the world. Victor Considerant, a prominent French socialist and author, likewise decided that he wanted to put his utopian values to the test. Throughout his book Principes du Socialisme, Considerant lays out the argument that socialism is the most effective way to combat the problems that exist within modern capitalist civilization. His intense dedication to these ideals inspired him to purchase land in Texas and set his experiment in motion. His plans ran into some trouble, however, when his society was denied by the Texas congress. After an appeal and a second vote his society was approved. After this hurdle, Considerant set out to settle his society.
Considerant set out from Belgium, where he was in exile after joining a failed insurrection, and made his way to America. Considerant and two hundred French settlers found their way to Galveston, a coastal city in Texas, before finally reaching Dallas and then La Réunion in June 1855. The two hundred settlers were far less than the 2,000 registrees who had agreed to come. Although they saw a decent number of American settlers and immigrants, the population never climbed beyond their record of 350 in the fall of 1856. Many settlers left early on, and, by early 1857, the colony was officially dissolved. It wasn’t until 1860, however, that what remained of the colony was absorbed by the greater Dallas area and incorporated into the city. The failures of the settlement were numerous and compounding, and solidified the short-lived nature of La Réunion.
The first problem La Réunion ran into was the rapidity of the decreasing population. Although the population reached a peak a little under a year in, the fact that only one tenth of the registered immigrants had come and that many settlers left early on created a massive labor deficiency. While they had some Americans join the colony, around twenty, La Réunion never had enough to make up for the lack of French settlers. This American apathy mixed with a lack of settlers marked a clear sign that La Réunion was destined to fail.
The second problem La Réunion had was the poor environment at the time. Texas, during La Réunion’s existence, was not an ideal place for farming. There had been a series of droughts in the spring which led to poor crop harvests. The winters were also particularly nasty, often reaching temperatures of 15 °F within their cabins. These environmental conditions meant that the settlers needed to prioritize basic necessities, which amplified the hardships that a new colony must face.
The final problem La Réunion faced was the economic and administrative failures of its leadership. Considerant, while a true socialist ideologue, was a horrid administrator. Despite being the leader of the colony, Considerant failed to spend much time actually in the colony and also failed to take on the administrative tasks that come with leadership. Considerant also wasted thousands of dollars that was for the project on poor houses that would need to be replace, personal horses, and an ineffective gardner among others. Considerant’s failures would come to a head in 1856, and he named a new successor before departing in secret. While the colony would continue to stay afloat for a little while, the fact it was doomed was apparent. In 1857, Allyre Bureau, a director of the colony, would officially declare its dissolution and cement the failure.
While La Réunion was, undoubtedly, a failure, that doesn’t mean that it didn’t teach us a lot. The experiment taught us the benefits of planning, good administration, and the power of the environment. While it’s impossible to say La Réunion would have been a success under a better administrator and with a more favorable environment, it certainly would have been more successful. The failure also brings to light the inconsistencies between theory and praxis, the application of theory. The settlement, on paper, looked good, but the reality was met with great unforeseen challenges that shook the settlement to its core. Still, the fact that a socialist society existed (and is now celebrated) in Texas at one point is incredible. While the failures may have helped compound anti-socialist thought in America, the point remains that America truly is a land of experimentation.
Now, lets exlpore some of the historical places that we know were locations of prominence during the formative years of LA Reunion and source some answers for the smiley on this Virtual Cache. Please send me the answers through the Geocaching messenger:
1. Here you will find the official Texas Historical sign. It reiterates some of what you have undoubtly read above. What we need is when did Mary E, Noble died? You may have to move your feet away from GZ to find this answer.
2. At these coordinates you will see three graves through the fence. a.What date did Frank die? b.What is the name of the nearby body of water?
3. At this location, somebody decided it was the best place for a tribute monument. Parking is not convenient, and don't worry you won't get hit with a golf ball on the PUBLIC Golf course if you stay behind the trees. a. How many words are on the metal plaque on the backside (Southside) of this tribute rock? b. How many magnolia trees are near the monument regardless of size? <<TAKE AND PICTURE, AND POST IN YOUR LOG, OF YOU AND/OR YOUR GPS WITH THE FRONTSIDE OF THE ROCK MONUMENT ONLY - SPOILERS WILL BE DELETED>>
4. Reunion Tower. Not one of the ten quizzed staff members at the tower could tell me how Reunion Tower got its name. It's interesting the tower sits significantly apart from the actual La Reunion land but it's important to note that where the tower sits today was a terminus for a bridge that the community members used for supplies and work. At these coordinates you will find a replica, in a rock, of a bridge the community members used to access the aforementioned supply lines. Nearby is a plaque you can use to source your answers. a.What was the deepest point and widest width of the River in 1908? b. What were the seven antebellum era crossings? c. What is the fourth word of the last sentence in the third paragraph? <<POST A PICTURE OF YOU AND/OR YOUR GPS WITH THE SMALL REPLICA OF THE BRIDGE IN THE BACKGROUND>>
5. One of the prominent citizens of La Reunion was a botanist. This park was named after him. a. What was his full name? b. At the well tell me what type of "iron" is associated with a large city in the United States? <<POST A PICTURE OF YOU AND/OR YOUR GPS AT THE WELL>>
Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.