Llano Del Rio, located in the Antelope Valley of Los Angeles County, California, was a socialist utopian commune founded in 1914 by Job Harriman. Established as a cooperative experiment to demonstrate the viability of socialist principles, it is recognized as one of the most significant non-religious utopian communities in Western American history. Despite its ambitious vision, the colony faced numerous challenges, leading to its eventual abandonment in 1918. This report explores the origins, development, daily life, challenges, and legacy of Llano Del Rio, drawing on historical sources to provide a comprehensive overview.
Origins and Founding
Llano Del Rio was the brainchild of Job Harriman, a charismatic lawyer, ordained minister, and prominent socialist who ran as the Socialist Party’s candidate for vice president in 1900 alongside Eugene Debs and for mayor of Los Angeles in 1911, narrowly losing with 44% of the vote. Disillusioned by political setbacks, particularly after his mayoral defeat, Harriman shifted his focus from electoral politics to creating a practical demonstration of socialism through cooperative living. He believed that a functioning socialist community could inspire broader societal change by showcasing the benefits of collective ownership and shared labor.
In 1913, Harriman and his associates acquired approximately 9,000 acres of land in the Antelope Valley, 45 miles north of Los Angeles, previously partially developed by a temperance colony. The site, located along Highway 138 near Big Rock Creek, benefited from water rights purchased from the Mescal Water and Land Company. The Llano Del Rio Company was incorporated in 1914, with a nine-member board of directors and a stock-selling campaign to finance the venture. The colony officially launched on May 1, 1914, with an initial group of five settlers, primarily members of the Young People’s Socialist League.
Development and Community Life
Llano Del Rio grew rapidly, reaching a peak population of around 1,100 by 1917. The colony aimed to be self-sustaining, with a local economy that included agriculture, orchards, a poultry yard, a rabbitry, a print shop, a paint shop, a sawmill, a lime kiln, and a fish hatchery. Using water from Big Rock Creek, colonists transformed the arid desert into fertile farmland, producing 90% of their food by 1916, including alfalfa, corn, grain, and fruit. The warm Southern California climate supported robust agricultural output, though the colony’s distance from a train depot limited exports, with only minor goods like rag rugs and underwear sold externally.
The colony’s infrastructure, built with local granite boulders and lumber, included a hotel, meeting house, water storage tank, and a small aqueduct. Housing initially consisted of tents due to the desert’s mild climate, with permanent structures added later. Llano boasted one of California’s first Montessori schools, blending Montessori and industrial education principles, and a “kid colony” where children managed their own affairs to foster responsibility. Social life was vibrant, with cultural activities such as a champion baseball team, a mandolin orchestra, ragtime bands, drama societies, and weekly dances that attracted visitors from nearby communities.
Feminist architect Alice Constance Austin contributed designs for a circular city plan with innovative features like kitchenless houses, communal daycare, and built-in furniture to reduce domestic labor for women, aligning with the colony’s socialist ideals. However, these designs were never fully implemented due to financial and resource constraints.
Challenges and Decline
Despite its early success, Llano Del Rio faced significant challenges. Internal dissent, exemplified by the “brush gang” faction that sought to oust Harriman, created tensions. Critics, including the Los Angeles Times, portrayed Harriman as autocratic, and a 1915 report by Deputy Commissioner H.W. Bowman criticized the colony for poor hygiene, inadequate food variety, and unequal control, alleging Harriman’s dominance undermined the cooperative ethos. The colony’s racial policy, which restricted membership to white individuals, was a significant flaw, justified at the time as a pragmatic decision but later criticized as exclusionary and contrary to egalitarian ideals.
The most critical blow came in July 1916 when the California Commissioner of Corporations denied the colony’s application to secure water rights and build a dam, citing insufficient experience and funds. This decision, compounded by an unreliable water supply possibly affected by an earthquake fault, crippled agricultural sustainability. By late 1917, financial difficulties and legal pressures, including lawsuits from local ranchers over water rights, pushed the Llano Del Rio Company into bankruptcy. In 1918, the colony was abandoned, with approximately 200 members relocating to Vernon Parish, Louisiana, to establish New Llano, which operated until 1937 and is considered America’s most successful socialist utopia.
Legacy and Modern Significance
Today, the ruins of Llano Del Rio, including stone chimneys, foundations, and a grain silo, stand along Highway 138 as California Historical Landmark No. 933. Despite its designation, the site lacks protection, and a bronze plaque installed in the 1980s was stolen. Efforts to preserve the site, such as a proposed county park in 1989, have been unsuccessful, and the land is split between private owners and the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation. The ruins, visible from the highway, serve as a poignant reminder of Harriman’s ambitious vision and its ultimate failure.
Llano Del Rio’s legacy endures in cultural and historical discourse. It inspired works like Aldous Huxley’s essay “Ozymandias: the Utopia that Failed,” referencing the Shelley poem to highlight the colony’s grand but fleeting aspirations. The Llano Del Rio Collective, an artist group, continues to explore its history through publications and events, emphasizing its relevance to contemporary discussions on social justice and cooperative living. The colony’s innovations, such as minimum wage, social security, and universal healthcare, predated national adoption, underscoring its forward-thinking ethos despite its shortcomings, particularly its racial exclusivity.
In Summary
Llano Del Rio was a bold experiment in socialist utopianism, reflecting Job Harriman’s vision of a cooperative society that could challenge capitalism’s dominance. Its flourishing community, self-sustaining economy, and vibrant cultural life demonstrated the potential of collective living, yet internal conflicts, external opposition, and environmental challenges led to its demise. While its physical remnants are minimal, Llano Del Rio’s story continues to resonate as a symbol of idealistic ambition and a cautionary tale about the complexities of utopian endeavors. Its history invites reflection on the possibilities and pitfalls of building alternative societies within a broader capitalist framework.
References
- California Historical Landmark No. 933, Llano Del Rio Cooperative Colony
- Huxley, Aldous. “Ozymandias: the Utopia that Failed.” Fortnight, April 27, 1953.
- Mike Davis, City of Quartz: Excavating the Future in Los Angeles (1990)
- The Western Comrade, November 1914, courtesy of the City of Lancaster Museum/Art Gallery
- Llano Del Rio Colony Records, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California