Twentieth-Century Utopia 2 Traditional Cache

This cache series will have you exploring the history and some of the lesser known treasures of our home town. You might want to bring pencil and paper with you to record the coordinates for the multi caches and a calculator might be handy too. As the past finds its way to us, we will be adding more to the “Utopia” series.

One of Dr. Dowie city concepts was that Zion be as self sustaining as possible, and realizing the only way he was he would be able to get Chicagoans, farmers and tradesmen to relocate to Zion was to be able to provide jobs. Dr. Dowie worked with friend Deacon Samuel Stevenson an English lace manufacturer to bring the lace industry to Zion. In 1900 Deacon Samuel went to England closed out his business affairs, purchased new lace-making machinery, and induced some 500 skilled workers to come to American to help set up “Zion Lace Industries”. It was hoped that by the end of the fifth year the plant would employee fifty thousand employees and be worth five million dollars. This dream was never recognized as the business was plagued with a growing rift between Stevenson and Dowie, immigration, unions and poor financial management. By the summer of 1901 Stevenson was no longer an active manager of the factory and would bring legal suite against Dowie to determine ownership. The suit was resolved out of court at high price both financially and personally for Dowie. Stevenson’s expulsion from the church followed. The Zion Lace Industries was placed in receivership in 1905 and purchased by Marshall Fields Company in 1907 who continued production until the early 1950’s. We hope you enjoy this Micro cache.