Cassadaga, Florida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cassadaga
Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp
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| Nickname(s):
"Psychic Capital of the World"
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 Cassadaga
Location in Volusia County
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Florida |
| County | Volusia |
| Established | 1894 |
| Founded by | George Colby |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code(s) |
32706
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| Area code(s) | 386 |
| Website | www.cassadaga.org |
Cassadaga is a small community in Volusia County, Florida, USA. It's known for being a special place where many psychics and mediums live. Because of this, it's often called the "Psychic Capital of the World"! The name Cassadaga comes from a Seneca Indian word that means "Water beneath the rocks."
The Story of Cassadaga
The story of Cassadaga began around 1875. A man named George P. Colby, from New York, started the Southern Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp Meeting Association. George Colby was a trance medium. This means he believed he could communicate with spirits while in a special state. He traveled a lot, giving readings and holding seances, which are meetings where people try to talk to spirits. He was very well-known for his abilities.
George Colby said he learned a lot from his spirit guides. One of his spirit guides was a Native American named Seneca. Seneca appeared to Colby during a seance in Iowa. According to Colby, Seneca told him to travel south to Florida. Colby followed these instructions and found a place near Orange City. He believed this was the exact spot Seneca had shown him in his vision.
Colby arrived in Florida in 1875. On December 18, 1894, the group officially formed The Southern Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp Meeting Association. A short time later, on January 3, 1895, Colby gave thirty-five acres of land to the association. In the early days, many well-off and educated people came to the Spiritualist Camp. The camp later grew to its current size of fifty-seven acres.
Cassadaga Camp Today
Today, the Cassadaga Camp has many interesting places. You can find the Cassadaga Hotel, a main auditorium, and The Colby Memorial Temple. There's also a community library, the Caesar Forman Healing Center, and a Camp bookstore. A welcome center helps visitors learn about the area. The Andrew Jackson Davis Educational building is used for music and gatherings. Nearby, you can visit Colby-Alderman Park.
The people at Cassadaga teach about Spiritualism. They say it's a "science, philosophy, and religion based upon the principle of continuous life." This means they believe life continues after death. They follow nine simple principles to guide their lives. On March 14, 1991, the Southern Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp became a U.S. Historic District. This means it's a special place with important history.
Cassadaga in Pop Culture
Cassadaga has inspired many artists and writers! Here are some examples:
- The band Bright Eyes has an album called Cassadaga. The town is mentioned in their song "Four Winds".
- Tom Petty's song "Casa Dega" talks about psychics.
- Gemma Hayes has a song called "Lucky One (Bird of Cassadaga)" on her first album.
- A big part of Stanley Elkin's novel George Mills happens in Cassadaga.
- The town was the idea for a place called Grange in the Carl Hiaasen novel Lucky You.
- It was featured in a 2008 BBC show called Around the World in 80 Faiths.
- The town is briefly mentioned in the 2009 movie Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant.
- Cassadaga was featured in an August 2010 episode of The Glades TV show.
- Parts of the town were shown in the 2003 film Dunsmore.
- The film Cassadaga is set in the town and was inspired by its history.
- Cherie Priest's novel Brimstone mostly takes place in Cassadaga in the 1920s.
- An episode of the TV show Freakylinks called "The Harbingers'" was set in Cassadaga.
- The Amy Hempel story “Cloudland” partly takes place in Cassadaga.
- The town is mentioned in Heather Graham's novel Unhallowed Ground.
- Jamie Loftus explored Cassadaga in her podcast Ghost Church.
