Marquette University e-Publications@Marquette Dissertations (2009 -) Dissertations, Theses, and Professional Projects "The Age Demands It": Progressivism in Zion City, Illinois, a Conservative Protestant Theocracy Gayle A. Kiszely Marquette University Recommended Citation Kiszely, Gayle A., ""The Age Demands It": Progressivism in Zion City, Illinois, a Conservative Protestant Theocracy" (2018). Dissertations (2009 -). 795. https://epublications.marquette.edu/dissertations_mu/795 “THE AGE DEMANDS IT”: PROGRESSIVISM IN ZION CITY, ILLINOIS, A CONSERVATIVE PROTESTANT THEOCRACY by GAYLE A. KISZELY A Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School, Marquette University, in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Milwaukee, Wisconsin August 2018 ABSTRACT "THE AGE DEMANDS IT": PROGRESSIVISM IN ZION CITY, ILLINOIS, A CONSERVATIVE PROTESTANT THEOCRACY Gayle A. Kiszely, B.S., M.A. Marquette University, 2018 Historians have periodized the last decade of the nineteenth and first two decades of the twentieth centuries as the Progressive Era. The Era is characterized by booming industrialization, unregulated corporate capitalism, rapid urbanization, and immigration from countries other than northern Europe. These developments unleashed an explosion of reforms intended to solve the social problems that emanated from these unsettling developments. Reformers beseeched the courts and state and national legislatures to regulate banks and big businesses. Urban reformers and liberal religious leaders established settlement houses to uplift immigrants morally and socially. Other reformers espoused religious or secular communitarian philosophies to dignify labor, or to provide model communities that others could emulate. This is a case study of one such communitarian model, founded on conservative Protestant principles and intended to be an industrial city that would attract Christians to live, to work, and to prosper. Founder John Alexander Dowie developed a physical environment that encompassed many of the progressive priorities of the era, such as orderly neighborhoods, parks, and playgrounds. City ordinances forbad alcohol and other vices inherent in urban centers. Within a few years, Dowie was forced into bankruptcy, and died shortly thereafter. Progressive members of his congregation emerged to re-create the city as a modern, yet moral industrial city. In spite of their progressive vision, their success was thwarted by a powerful antagonist whose goal was to return the city to a conservative theocracy. Using multiple regional newspapers, trade journals, magazines, and institutional records, this project analyzes the strong progressive elements evident in the physical layout of the city and the labors of progressive businessmen who worked to advance the benefits of the city to industrialists, and to connect the city to the burgeoning Chicago market while maintaining the moral precepts vital to the era, and central to their own faith, assumptions, and values. “Progress has not followed a straight ascending line, but a spiral with rhythms of progress and retrogression, of evolution and dissolution.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe i ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Gayle A. Kiszely, B.S., M.A. Writing a dissertation is a solitary endeavor, however, it cannot be successfully completed without the advice and encouragement of many others. Dr. James Marten, I laud you for your years of patience, and I heartily appreciate the many suggestion, recommendations, and challenges through those years. Thank you, Dr. Thomas Jablonsky for your insights into city building and your critical reading of the paper. Thank you, Fr. Steven Avella for contributing key insights into Progressive Era conservatives’ motivations for reform. I am immensely grateful to all the professors and the advisors, both undergraduate and graduate, from whom I benefitted. Your encouragement and challenges have been invaluable. There have been many others along the way who aided my research through their willingness to share resources. This includes volunteers at the Zion Historical Society, librarians at the Zion and Waukegan Public Libraries, and clerks at the Lake County, Illinois Recorder of Deeds. I appreciate what you did. Several friends have patiently awaited the completion of this project–I thank you for that. And Stephan–thank you for everything. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. i ABBREVIATIONS, DEFINITIONS, CHARACTERS. vi LIST OF IMAGES. ix INTRODUCTION.. 1 CHAPTER I. CITY PLAN AND INCORPORATION. 21 A City Beautiful. 28 Experts and Scientific Methods. 37 Zion City Incorporation. 42 Theocratic Party: “No disorder, no scheming”.. 45 Commissioner of Health in a Divine Healing Community.53 Municipal Organization and Ordinances. 59 Ordinances for Health and Morality. 64 Zion Lace Factory, and an Omen of Things to Come. 70 II. GRAND PLANS AND FINANCIAL WOES. 81 Grand Excursions.. 88 Elijah the Prophet. 96 Mexican Venture. 98 Diminishing Power. 101 III. FINANCIAL WOES AND GRAND PLANS.. 112 A City Divided. 113 iii Cautious Optimism. 124 Optimism and Impediments. 132 The Lace Factory and Marshall Field. 138 John Alexander Dowie’s Death. 140 IV. “. REAL CHRISTIANITY, COMMON SENSE, GOOD SCHOOLS, AND SATISFACTORY BUSINESS CONDITIONS”. 148 The Zion Municipal League. 151 Municipal Progress. 154 Temporary Exile.. 162 Contacts With Those Outside the City.. 169 Municipal League Inauguration. 171 Women’s Progressive Activities. 175 Commercial Successes, Internal Improvements, and Community Enrichments.. 187 1908 Two Party Ticket. 197 Voliva Pushes Back.. 199 Independents and Their Affiliations with Chicago. 202 V. 1909 POLITICAL VICTORY, RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY, AND HOPES OF PRACTICAL PROGRESS.. 208 1909 Elections.. 211 A Setback, Yet Still Hopeful. 224 Continued Optimism in the Face of Limited Success. 236 Railways. 242 iv Obstruction of Progress. 245 Public Utilities and Location!. 247 Religious Diversity.. 252 Higher Education.. 257 VI. 1909-1910 “A CRITICAL PERIOD”: THE FATE OF THE ZION ESTATE. 262 “Redeeming” Property.. 264 The Independent Church. 268 Z.G. Simmons and a Library.. 269 “Risky Business”. 273 A House Divided. 276 1910 Election. 281 Two Worlds, Two Endings. 286 March 1911. 291 VII. THE RECEIVERSHIP ENDS. 296 Go Forward, Oh Zion.. 300 Nearing the end of the Road.. 302 Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness and Property. 316 Into the Breach Once More. 319 The Aftermath. 325 VIII. FLOATERS, SLUGGERS, AND REFORMERS. 330 1911 Election–Fraudsters and Reformers.. 333 Municipal Reform. 346 v Progressive Actions. 348 Election Resolved. 355 Frank B. Cook Co. Arrives. 359 IX. “GENUINE AND WHOLESOME PROGRESS LIES NOT IN CASTING THE WHEAT AWAY WITH THE TARES”. 368 Victory for the “Little White Slaver”. 369 “Thinking People are Progressives”. 372 Movies Can Be a Positive Influence. 377 Good Roads for Good Business. 380 “We Are Living in an Age of Reform”. 386 1913 Election Regression. 389 Conclusion. 404 EPILOGUE.. 406 BIBLIOGRAPHY. 427 vi ABBREVIATIONS, DEFINITIONS, CHARACTERS ABBREVIATIONS Council Minutes Zion City Council Minutes CT Chicago Daily Tribune. LOH Leaves of Healing - Dowie’s and Voliva’s primary publication of the church ZB Zion Banner (1901-1906) Dowie’s semi-secular newspaper ZH The Zion Herald (1907-1910) Voliva’s newspaper ZCN Zion City News (1907-1910) The receivers’ and the Independents’ publication ZCI Zion City Independent (1910-1925) The Independents’ publication ZI The Independent (1925-1927) Successor to the Zion City Independent SELECTED CHARACTERS AND DEFINITIONS: Visscher Vere Barnes aka Judge Barnes Barnes was a distinguished attorney prior to joining Dowie’s Zion movement in 1902. Barnes was the first city judge and later the city attorney. He became a leading member of the independent movement in opposition to Voliva. Daniel Bryant A missionary in Dowie’s mission to South Africa. He was called back to be the ecclesiastical head of the independents’ church. Omer W. Davis Davis had been a deacon in Dowie’s church. After bankruptcy was declared, Davis was appointed by the receiver to be the editor of a newspaper independent of Voliva’s influence. vii John Alexander Dowie (1847-1907) Founder of the Zion movement, the city of Zion, Illinois, the Christian Catholic Church, and the Christian Catholic Apostolic Church. John C. Hately The first receiver appointed by Federal District Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis to handle Dowie’s bankruptcy. Gus D. Thomas Successor Receiver appointed by Federal District Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis to handle Dowie’s bankruptcy. Wilbur Glenn Voliva (1870-1942) Successor to Dowie as the General Overseer of the Christian Catholic Apostolic Church / Christian Catholic Church. CCAC Christian Catholic Apostolic Church (1904-1934) Headed by John Alexander Dowie and his successor Wilbur Glenn Voliva. Voliva removed the word Apostolic in 1934. CCC (Christian Catholic Church) Established by Dowie in 1896. He renamed the church the Christian Catholic Apostolic Church in 1904. Christian Catholic Church also was the name of the Independents’ church organized in 1910. They renamed it Grace Missionary Church in 1920. Independent Party Organized in 1909 as political opposition to the Theocratic Party. Independent The general term for all who opposed Voliva’s plans to rule Zion as theocracy. Nearly all independents had followed Dowie and had helped to establish the city of Zion. A few independents had not been members of Dowie’s Zion movement, but were members of the Methodist Church, or affiliated with industries