12 Spring 2017 Applegater
The workload was
‘ginormous.’
■ COMMUNES
Continued from page 1
and Trillium Farm (1976) on the Little
Applegate, all founded by people wanting
to live their ideals.
The most basic ideal was back-to-
the-land living, from the flourishing
gardens at East Side House to Molto
Bene’s vegetables, home-brewed beer,
wine from their own vineyards, chickens
for eggs, goats for milk and for meat, and,
even, one year, a field of wheat for their
own bread.
Other visions, and the means of
their enactment, varied greatly. “Basically
we were there just to have fun,” John
says of East Side House. At Trillium,
though, part of the vision was to find a
trashed-out piece of land and rehabilitate
it. There, everyone had to live by what
co-founder Chant Thomas called a
“very specific (and challenging) set of
agreements.”
The only rule at Molto Bene
was “no dogs in the kitchen.” At East Side
House there were “no rules except good
behavior,” John said, but that rule must
have implied the incompatibility of hard
drugs with good behavior, since hard
drugs weren’t allowed. East Side House
had “the most beautiful swimming hole
on the gorge,” according to John and
every hippy, cop, and biker who met
there. “Good behavior” there also meant
there would be no tobacco, no dogs, no
fighting, and no glass bottles
at the swimming hole.
People from Laser
Farm, an acronym for
Latin American Studies
for Esoteric Research,
traveled the world to collect
genetically pure seeds for a
seed bank. Beyond that, the
vision of Bryan Newpher
and the other co-founders
was simply to share their
The “Big House” under construction at Molto Bene.
lives with people, a vision
Photo courtesy of Mike Kohn.
easily fulfilled at Laser Farm:
in the summer as many as 150
people could be living there,
sleeping in tipis, in the barn, in
temporary shelters, in the main
house with its four bedrooms, or
in individual dwellings.
Music was ubiquitous.
“There was always someone who
wanted to play music,” says Lori
Hava, co-founder of Molto Bene,
Orion Society Forgotten Language Workshop circa
“whether in the Big House in the
1998 at Trillium. Photo courtesy of Chant Thomas.
evenings or in the gazebo or while
hanging out in the meadow.”
Music was always playing at Laser 40 people, all naked, including the
Farm—if not guitars and tambourines, musicians.
“Back-to-the-land,” for the most
then the Grateful Dead on the stereo
system. Because East Side House had part, meant that the workload was—
a reputation as a fun place to go—a Chant’s word—“ginormous.” There
better place for a vacation than Mexico, were gardens to keep, houses to build,
said a mid-1970s Medford Mail Tribune and even, at Molto Bene, at least for the
article—members of a chamber ensemble first year, water to haul. (After that year
from Britt came there to go swimming. someone built a ram pump.)
“Everyone worked hard,” says
They played a free concert inside the
house, then came back later for a concert Molto Bene co-founder Mike Kohn,
on the beach, playing to a crowd of “some more than others, but people
helped maintain things, grow things,
mend fences. Those who didn’t work
as hard physically might bring humor,
music, and other support to the group.”
That unequally shared workload, in
other places, caused friction. At Trillium,
Chant says, “The real workers were
always badmouthing people who were
sitting around the pond in the sun, doing
crafts and playing music.”
The best thing about living in
community for Bryan was “conversation,
singing, songs, music, lovemaking,
sharing the work.” For Lori, it was
getting to know what it was like to live
in nature “on a basic level: creating our
own homes—no electricity for common
conveniences—the beauty of the area. I
got really strong walking from the Big
House to my own house in the dark,” she
says. “It was considered wimpy to use a
flashlight in the full moon.”
“Good fences make good neighbors”
(Robert Frost). Relations between the
communes and the larger community
were generally good. Molto Bene’s
neighbors “accepted us for the hard-
working people we were,” Mike says. A
neighbor of Laser Farm, Charlie Elmore,
of a generations-long Applegate family,
was “one of our best allies,” Bryan says.
The Elmores, for instance, helped with
the haying. “They were very supportive
in a joking way,” Bryan says. “They were
amused by us.”
Diana Coogle • dicoog@gmail.com
Note: Part 2, in the Summer Applegater,
will focus on difficulties and fond memories
of communal living.
spacious and airy with sophisticated
decor and countless amenities, including
kitchenettes. Cherie customarily
welcomes the guests, “staging” the suites
for their arrival and presenting them with
gift certificates for local restaurants and
the GoodBean coffee shop. Elan is close
to the Britt grounds, tucked quietly off
the main drag. The art gallery is used for
a myriad of purposes, including private
dinner parties for guests.
• • • • •
Horsefeather Farms Ranchette
animals, relax on the Applegate River,
and, in season, enjoy the lush gardens.
As an option, you can have breakfast at
the nearby Applegate Cafe included with
your stay.
• • • • •
Jacksonville Inn
Experience being
a ‘local tourist.’
■ APPLEGATE INNS
Continued from page 1
seven large rooms with different themes
reflecting the history and character of
the area, such as the Gold Mining and
the Cattleman rooms. Each room has a
spa tub and a deck overlooking the river.
There is a honeymoon suite (see photo,
above), as the lodge hosts between 25
and 40 weddings a year. The lodge also
has live music events, a restaurant, and
a bar. In the mornings, guests enjoy
complimentary bagels and coffee. And
the lodge is pet friendly!
• • • • •
Bybee’s Historic Inn
Built in 1857, Bybee’s Historic
Inn is a grand-luxury, Victorian bed-
and-breakfast just one mile from
downtown Jacksonville. An authentic
Victorian kitchen has a huge antique
stove from which delicious three-course
breakfasts are made to each guest’s
dietary requirements. Six themed rooms,
lavishly decorated, are outfitted with
romantic bathtubs and luxury linens.
Complimentary wine, custom-made
treats, and rides to town are all provided
for guests. Bybee’s hosts weddings and
special events, too. When owner Tina
Marie was inspired to create a historic
retreat, co-owner and cousin, Vikki
Lynn, couldn’t resist being swept up in
the vision.
• • • • •
Elan Guest Suites
Cherie Reneau and Duane Sturm,
proprietors of Jacksonville’s Elan Guest
Suites, conceived of and built this
boutique hotel and art gallery in 2005-
2006. According to Cherie, Elan was
invented as it evolved. Original art
graces the walls of the suites, which are
Located on the Applegate River
in Applegate, Horsefeather Farms
Ranchette is an animal lover’s paradise.
Maryanna Reynolds (see photo, above),
who, with husband, Neal, also owns the
Applegate Store and Café, moved here
14 years ago from Santa Rosa, California,
so they could have all the animals their
hearts desired. The ranchette is a rustic
bunkhouse with a separate bedroom with
a king-sized bed, a wood-burning stove,
bunk beds, a kitchen, and a full bath. It
can accommodate couples, families, pets,
and even a horse or two! There, you can
have a true taste of country life in its cozy
warmth, introduce your kids to farm
Built in 1861, the Jacksonville Inn
is a historic landmark with eight guest
rooms themed and decorated to reflect
Jacksonville’s rich history. Furnished
with antiques, the rooms have various
amenities, including a spa tub for two
in the Peter Britt room. In another room
a brick in the wall hides a treasure trove
of notes left behind by past occupants.
Off-site, the Jacksonville Inn offers four
luxurious private cottages with king-sized
beds, flat-screen televisions, whirlpool
tubs, and steam showers. The presidential
cottage is truly fit for a president and
was once occupied by former president
George W. Bush and first lady Laura
Bush. All accommodations include a full-
service breakfast in the Jacksonville Inn’s
dining room. Wine Spectator and Wine
Enthusiast magazines have given the inn
high accolades. Look to the Jacksonville
Inn for its after-Britt festivities and late-
night menu.
See APPLEGATE INNS, page 13