Create a Community

[kola]

My apologies if this topic has been already discussed.

Could it be a possible reality for a group of folks to create their own self reliant community, free from most of the federal and state regulations, rules etc. I would imagine they would have to pay property tax on the land. If a group purchased a bare track of land (approx 2000 acres) could they form their own "free community" or would this be totally impossible. Has this ever been attempted before anywhere in the USA? Is this too far-fetched of an idea?

Kola

[yonder]

If you wanted to do this within the borders of the lower 48 contiguous states, the only remotest chance you have for something like that is within the LAKOTA OYATE borders.  And I must emphasize how remote of a chance you have of doing this without federal troops raiding you.

[Kat Kanning]

Like the free town project?

[John Edward Mercier]

There is some unincorporated lands in Success, NH. I can check, but I belief several religious factions are largely outside these controls.

[Kat Kanning]

If it's in Success, doesnt that make it incorporated?

[kola]

A good example is the Amish/Mennonite communities. Although I am not very knowledgeable about all of the specifics, they seem to do quite well with the system they currently have in place.

just some thoughts,
Kola

[yonder]

A good example is the Amish/Mennonite communities. Although I am not very knowledgeable about all of the specifics, they seem to do quite well with the system they currently have in place.

Free Talk Live recently talked about how the Amish have been butting heads with the statists lately.  Having grown up not far from their settlements in Pennsylvania, I can say that what freedom they do have they have to continually fight tooth and nail for, and they might not have quite as much freedom as many think.

[John Edward Mercier]

If it's in Success, doesnt that make it incorporated?

No, certain areas are named... but not incorporated.

Success, New Hampshire
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Success is an unincorporated township located in Coos County, New Hampshire, USA. It is located directly to the east of the city of Berlin, New Hampshire, and borders on the state of Maine.

As of the 2000 census, the township had a total population of 2. According to the United States Census Bureau it is one of only 5 places in the United States with a population of two people. The others are Twombly, Maine, Hove Mobile Park, North Dakota, Oil Springs Reservation, Cattaraugus County, New York, and Monowi, Nebraska.

As of 2005, one of the larger land owners in Success is the Androscoggin Valley Regional Refuse Disposal District.

Success was granted in 1779 and contained about 90,472 acres (366 km²). The grantees were Benjamin Mackay and about seventy others.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 59.2 square miles (153.4 km²), of which, 58.8 square miles (152.2 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.2 km²) of it is water. The total area is 0.81% water.

The highest point in the township is Mount Success (3,565 feet / 1,087 meters above sea level), a peak in the Mahoosuc Range.

[Lloyd Danforth]

Wasn't the FTP an epic failure?

Not yet

[Lloyd Danforth]

Oh!  I must have misunderstood! Nevermind!

[Russell Kanning]

I thought it was Free Grafton .... but then again ... it doesn't exist

[Kat Kanning]

The hush-hush project 

[kola]

What were the reasons for its failure and how come very few people participated?

KOla

[Pat McCotter]

What were the reasons for its failure and how come very few people participated?

KOla

Town not so keen on Free Towners 
Residents demand answers on project's intentions 

The Free Town Project wants to settle 200 libertarians in Grafton.


By BEVERLEY WANG
The Associated Press
June 20. 2004 12:01AM
 
GRAFTON - About 200 Grafton residents packed a town meeting yesterday, demanding to know what libertarians in the Free Town Project are planning for their quiet New Hampshire town.

"Why are you moving here? Why?" several people shouted.

The Free Town Project wants to plant 200 libertarian settlers in Grafton, population 1,200.

The weekend meeting drew a record turnout, forcing organizers to move from the town hall to the fire station. Grafton Focus, a community group, called the meeting to let Free Town Project members answer residents' questions.

Some protested the Free Town Project by parking a hearse outside the town hall with a sign that read "RIP Free State Project, Free Town Project."

For three hours, Grafton residents peppered Free State and Free Town representatives with questions about school funding, zoning and taxes.

But most of all, they asked why Free Towners want to move to Grafton en masse instead of individually.

One Free Towner, Bob Hull, has purchased 237 acres of land in Grafton, which he intends to subdivide and make available to people coming from other states.

"Some of the opposition's been painting a lot of nasty pictures of compounds and cults and really offensive characterizations like that," said Free Towner Mike Lorrey, who is also a Free Stater. "People just want to live in a neighborhood with people they can be neighbors with."

But some Grafton residents weren't ready yet to welcome them with open arms.

"What we're not really hearing from you is what you are all about," said Nancy Warren to cheers and applause.

The Free Town Project is a splinter group of the Free State Project, which is trying to lure 20,000 libertarians to New Hampshire by 2006. Free Staters insist their group has nothing to do with Free Towners, although their memberships overlap.

Many townspeople said they left the meeting with their questions unanswered.

"I don't think that there's a lot of thought given into the impact on the town," said Sue Jukosky, a 26-year Grafton resident.

Residents were upset by a Web site maintained by Larry Pendarvis, a Florida libertarian, that promises to pull Grafton from the school district and suspend the planning board, among other things.

The Web site reads: "We also intend to ensure that the Town Police are never allowed to waste valuable town resources . . . to oppress our residents by the investigation or enforcement of violations of Compulsory Schooling Laws, Drug Laws, Prostitution Laws, Obscenity Laws, or other Victimless Crime Laws."

Other Free Towners and Free Staters have tried to distance themselves from Pendarvis, also known as Zack Bass, an Internet consultant who runs a Filipina mail-order bride business.

"He's not the kind of person that represents the Free State Project," said Amanda Phillips, president of the Free State Project.

"We have 6,000 people who are great, responsible people who want to be good neighbors, and it's unfortunate we're being judged by one person,"said Phillips.

Free Staters last year chose New Hampshire as its staging ground, attracted by the state's "Live Free or Die" slogan and independent outlook. Loosely aligned by a desire for a society with smaller government and fewer laws, Free Staters advocate the legalization of "victimless crimes"such as prostitution and personal drug use. They also support home schooling, lowering property taxes and protecting Second Amendment rights.

This article is: 1300 days old. 

[Lloyd Danforth]

What were the reasons for its failure and how come very few people participated?

KOla

It was never intended to be as the idiot from FL described it. The plan was to maintain the good parts of Grafton like no of Zoning and such and neutralize the few statists.
It hasn't failed. The proportion of  Freeststers to population is higher than any other NH town. It is rural. Some Freestaters complain about that, just as many complain about NH for various reasons.
Anyone curious about G should contact me about a visit.  Don't forget about Burning Porcupine Festival in Grafton in July.