George P. Colby was born in the state of New York in 1848, but moved to Forestville Township, Minnesota when he was a child where he lived on a farm with his devoutly Baptist family. Shortly after his baptism at the age of twelve, Colby was visited by the spirit of his uncle. His uncle told him he had great psychic ability and would found a spiritual center in the south.

Heeding his uncle’s advice, Colby developed his mediumship skills during his teen years, practicing trance clairvoyance, spiritual readings, and healing. He was regularly punished and beaten by his parents for his actions until he left his home and church in 1867.

Colby became a traveling medium, conducting private readings and parlor séances. He worked with several spirit guides including a Native American named Seneca. It was Seneca who told him to visit Theodore D. Giddings in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The spirit then instructed the two of them to find land in Florida on which to build a spiritualist center.

Colby purchased land, built a house and farmed the new property which he called Southern Cassadaga, at the same time traveling and working as a medium.  In 1893, Dr. William Rowley opened a winter camp for spiritualists in De Leon Springs, Florida. His group, The National Spiritual and Liberal Association, outgrew their original location. Emma Huff convinced them that part of Colby’s property would make an ideal camp. Under the direction of Thomas and Marion Skidmore, Abbie Pettengill, Emma Huff and others, they obtained the property and created the Southern Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp Meeting Association in 1894. Colby offered the use of his home for the grand opening, was elected its first president, and worked at the camp as medium and orator.

After many years traveling as a medium, lecturer and spiritualist leader, Colby’s health began to deteriorate. The Florida climate renewed him for a time, but it did not last. In 1933, at the age of 85, Colby was forced to give up his travels. He was provided with a place to live, and the camp members saw to his needs until his death in July of that year.

After Colby’s passing, Cassadaga encountered resistance from local Baptist churches, but during the 1960s enjoyed increasing popularity because of New Age influences. Today, the camp consists of approximately fifty-five homes located on over fifty-seven acres.

Cassadaga is the nation’s only year-round Spiritualist community. Many of its 200 residents are mediums and healers. The town looks much as it did a century ago, with cottages lining the tree-shaded streets. Guests may stay at the Cassadaga Hotel built in 1927 and visit the central auditorium, Colby Memorial Temple erected in 1923, community library, Andrew Jackson Davis Educational building, Caesar Forman Healing Center, Camp Bookstore, and welcome center. The Camp was designated a Historic District and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.

Awtry, Marilyn J. 2014. Cassadaga: Where Spirits Meet. Shen-men Publishing.

https://medium.com/florida-history/the-mystery-and-spirit-of-cassadaga-8a0058b024b1

https://www.cassadaga.org/