Best Cheap Web Hosting

(Corning) -- Striving to keep a piece of southwest Iowa history alive, the French Icarian Colony Foundation will be hosting a fundraiser next weekend to continue restoration work on the 19th century location.

The Icarians were the longest existing, non-religious communal group in American history and were based east of Corning. Cathy Riley is a descendant of the original group, and she says the Icarians were part of a movement in Europe where large groups of people would relocate in hopes of forming a eutopian society, much like the Amana Colonies in eastern Iowa.

"The Icarians were French-based," said Riley. "Their society was based on a Frenchmen's book; his name was Etienne Cabet. He was not a believer in any particular religion, but the colony still did a lot of religious-type things. They read from the Bible, they read from his book and things like that, but there was no church in Icaria."

Members of the foundation board have used grants to attempt to restore and update parts of the original colony, in hopes of having a modern area for events. Riley says the group has updated the orginal communal dining hall and more work is planned.

"When we get done with this portion of our project, we'll have the septic system in, a commercial kitchen in the basement, a restroom in the basement of the refectory -- which is the communal dining hall," said Riley. "Then, we will be ready to have it open to the public for class reunions, family events, it would be a beautiful setting for a wedding and things like that."

Riley says the purpose of the fundraiser is two-fold. First, the group is attempting to raise $40,000 in matching funds to complete the renovation. Secondly, Riley says the group would like to open up the venue for the public.

"We've been having tours and those types of things just to keep the history alive," said Riley. "Now, we're going to actually be able to rent the facility out for the public to use, so we're wanting to showcase this. Since it is a fundraiser, anyone that donates $100 or any amount in excess of that, gets a ticket to come and have a first-class prime rib dinner."

The fundraiser event will take place on Saturday, June 25th, with tours at 4 p.m. and dinner at 6:30. To donate and reserve your ticket, send your contributions to the French Icarian Colony Foundation, 710 Davis Avenue, Corning, IA, 50851. Anyone with questions can contact Foundation Board Executive Director Teresa Parmenter at (515) 321-9743.

For more information on the Icarian Colony, you can visit the group's website.

Source: French Icarian Colony hosting fundraiser to preserve history