ABSTRACT
In 1914 five socialists from Los Angeles chose to celebrate May 1 in an original way: on that morning they set out to establish a model communitarian settlement. The site they had chosen was in the Mojave desert in southern California about 45 air miles north of Los Angeles but over 90 miles across the desert. Their equipment consisted of a covered wagon, two pairs of horses, one cownine pigs and a lot of faith. Under the circumstances of those times theirs was indeed a daring venture, and they needed much optimism to expect their small kernel to prosper in the arid desert conditions and the barrenness of the California Socialist Party. But after only several days the socialist colony in the desert was joined by a growing number of members. Within a year they numbered about 300 and owned an impressive inventory. Two years later the founders could celebrate May 1 at a festive rally attended by about 800 settlers. Thus, with momentum and rapid tempo Llano, the biggest socialist communitarian experiment of the twentieth century in the United States was established.
