Cmdr William T Riker's Namesake
February 18, 2011 7:24 PM Subscribe
In 1919, "Father" William Riker founded a utopian commune of sorts in Holy City, California. Holy City was
Much of Holy City was destroyed in a somewhat suspicious fire in 1959 and Riker died in 1966. In 2006 the remains of the entire town went up for sale.
Some pictures:
History of Holy City (with a few pictures)
Street view
Riker's headquarters
[a] cross between a tourist trap and a Christian haven, the commune in its heyday in the twenties and thirties boasted such unconventional luxuries as alcoholic soda pop, peep shows, an ornately decorated gas station, a radio station and a zoo, all to lure passing motorists to the commune.Riker called his philosophy the Perfect Christian Divine Way. Claiming to offer the world's perfect government, he ran for governor of California four times on a white supremacist platform.
Much of Holy City was destroyed in a somewhat suspicious fire in 1959 and Riker died in 1966. In 2006 the remains of the entire town went up for sale.
Some pictures:
History of Holy City (with a few pictures)
Street view
Riker's headquarters
he ran for governor of California four times
Unfortunately, Thomas Riker ran each time as well, and they split the vote.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 7:33 PM on February 18, 2011 [25 favorites]
Unfortunately, Thomas Riker ran each time as well, and they split the vote.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 7:33 PM on February 18, 2011 [25 favorites]
So that's why he was always such an asshole to Worf!
Also, ya'll should check out the pictures of the town. It looks like a western theme park except with, you know, urgently racist building facades.
posted by greenland at 7:36 PM on February 18, 2011
Also, ya'll should check out the pictures of the town. It looks like a western theme park except with, you know, urgently racist building facades.
posted by greenland at 7:36 PM on February 18, 2011
The TNG jokes: they burn
posted by Avenger at 7:38 PM on February 18, 2011 [10 favorites]
posted by Avenger at 7:38 PM on February 18, 2011 [10 favorites]
with girdles!
posted by clavdivs at 7:38 PM on February 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by clavdivs at 7:38 PM on February 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
Wikipedia says calls it a ghost town, but all the buildings in the street view link are gone. The only building still there is used as a glass blower's studio, Holy City Art Glass.
posted by ActingTheGoat at 7:40 PM on February 18, 2011
posted by ActingTheGoat at 7:40 PM on February 18, 2011
Highway 17 is kind of a mecca for eccentrics. Down the hill from Holy City is a nudist colony and just over the was Santa's Village and the Mystery Spot. And then there's Santa Cruz itself, which is a beautiful little town with one foot still firmly planted in the 60's.
posted by doctor_negative at 7:47 PM on February 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by doctor_negative at 7:47 PM on February 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
Also, I never would have expected to find such a place in Los Gatos of all places but there you have it.
posted by Avenger at 7:48 PM on February 18, 2011
posted by Avenger at 7:48 PM on February 18, 2011
just over the hill, that is
posted by doctor_negative at 7:48 PM on February 18, 2011
posted by doctor_negative at 7:48 PM on February 18, 2011
People, Riker of TNG wasn't racist. He had Q powers in one episode. He could have totally disappeared all the minorities on the Enterprise, but he didn't. But then again, he also kept Wesley around.
posted by mccarty.tim at 8:10 PM on February 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by mccarty.tim at 8:10 PM on February 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
Whizzed by there a thousand times, even done a few turnarounds at the sign, I think. I'm tempted to take a detour through there sometime, maybe even stop to see the Redwood cathedral if it's still accessible.
I'd always heard it was a kooky place bitd, but I never had details. Holy peepshows! I love it.
posted by a_green_man at 8:10 PM on February 18, 2011
I'd always heard it was a kooky place bitd, but I never had details. Holy peepshows! I love it.
posted by a_green_man at 8:10 PM on February 18, 2011
It's interesting that cults in California get little attention unless they kill actresses.
posted by parmanparman at 8:21 PM on February 18, 2011
posted by parmanparman at 8:21 PM on February 18, 2011
What's interesting as well is that he does not appear to be anti-Semitic from his public writing. It's pretty extraordinary to consider there were Americans who were pro-white and pro-Jewish in public pre-World War 2. It shows are were places absolutely no one steps foot on.
posted by parmanparman at 8:27 PM on February 18, 2011
posted by parmanparman at 8:27 PM on February 18, 2011
Riker definitely sounds insane.
posted by parmanparman at 8:29 PM on February 18, 2011
posted by parmanparman at 8:29 PM on February 18, 2011
Ha! He converted to Catholicism at the end of his life. Quite a story, thanks for posting this.
posted by parmanparman at 8:30 PM on February 18, 2011
posted by parmanparman at 8:30 PM on February 18, 2011
This image of Riker's headquarters makes me think he should have been selling All-One Pure-Castile soap.
posted by twoleftfeet at 8:54 PM on February 18, 2011
posted by twoleftfeet at 8:54 PM on February 18, 2011
Karen Joy Fowler's mystery (sorta) Wit's End touches on Holy City. It's a good book.
posted by feckless at 9:17 PM on February 18, 2011
posted by feckless at 9:17 PM on February 18, 2011
This is surely a self post. The eponysteristy is just too blatant.
posted by jabberjaw at 9:44 PM on February 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by jabberjaw at 9:44 PM on February 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
Ninjas hijacked my mother (nsfw)(really)
posted by Splunge at 11:52 PM on February 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Splunge at 11:52 PM on February 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
alcoholic soda pop, peep shows, an ornately decorated gas station, a radio station and a zoo, all to lure passing motorists
Just like walking to the porta potties at Burning Man.
posted by mannequito at 12:43 AM on February 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
Just like walking to the porta potties at Burning Man.
posted by mannequito at 12:43 AM on February 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
Erik Davis spent a bunch of time and energy writing this book, which I have been meaning to read ever since I first heard about it but I haven't gotten around to it yet.
posted by bukvich at 4:41 AM on February 19, 2011
posted by bukvich at 4:41 AM on February 19, 2011
Hey doctor_negative: don't forget Scott's Valley's "Lost World".
posted by Mr.Me at 8:55 AM on February 19, 2011
posted by Mr.Me at 8:55 AM on February 19, 2011
For 4 years I lived about a quarter-mile down the road from Holy City, in Chemeketa Park. Holy City was just a wide spot in the road, and the only building I remember looked a lot like the one in twoleftfeet's link, but with all the writing gone. A couple of miles away is Loma Prieta, the epicenter of the 1989 earthquake. Steve Wozniak lived close by, past Redwood Estates.
I didn't know anything about the history of Holy City, so thanks! Reading about this made me wonder about connections between Riker and some neighbors whose political views were, uh, unusual.
posted by Killick at 12:52 PM on February 19, 2011
I didn't know anything about the history of Holy City, so thanks! Reading about this made me wonder about connections between Riker and some neighbors whose political views were, uh, unusual.
posted by Killick at 12:52 PM on February 19, 2011
Highway 17 is kind of a mecca for eccentrics. Down the hill from Holy City is a nudist colony and just over the was Santa's Village and the Mystery Spot. And then there's Santa Cruz itself, which is a beautiful little town with one foot still firmly planted in the 60's.
Yes, plus Lost World, which I never went to but used to watch for on the way to Santa Cruz; and the Tree Circus, which was closed before I was born. I spent many birthday parties at Santa's Village roasting in the summer heat surrounded by plaster snow and riding their rickety rides. It had the perfect run-down amusement park atmosphere. I don't even think it had been repainted since 1963. I loved it.
posted by oneirodynia at 1:33 PM on February 19, 2011
Yes, plus Lost World, which I never went to but used to watch for on the way to Santa Cruz; and the Tree Circus, which was closed before I was born. I spent many birthday parties at Santa's Village roasting in the summer heat surrounded by plaster snow and riding their rickety rides. It had the perfect run-down amusement park atmosphere. I don't even think it had been repainted since 1963. I loved it.
posted by oneirodynia at 1:33 PM on February 19, 2011
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