“Mary Purnell prophesied that the ingathering would occur when people drove by the House of David and said, ‘Look, that’s where it used to be.’ With its rubble-strewn grounds and dilapidated buildings, that time would appear to be now. The hard work in which the Israelites have engaged since the beginning of this century is nearing its final goal.” —Adam Langer in “The Last Days of the House of David,” Chicago Reader, June 30, 1994
It might not be the ingathering the Purnells had in mind, but Eden Springs is being restored. Slowly. When I visited in mid-April, dozens of people were on-site getting ready for the annual opening of the trains in May (the railroad operates on weekends from Memorial Day through Labor Day). The House of David no longer owns the land on which the park stands, and everyone on hand is a volunteer who wants to see the park thrive again for one reason or another: they live in the area and remember what the park used to be, they live in the area and heard from family members what the park used to be, or they’re railroad enthusiasts. It helps to see Eden Springs through their eyes.
This year they’ll play seven home games on their home field and 14 away games, including one in Lincoln Park on May 18. Taylor jokes about playing so close to Wrigley, “The problem with playing Chicago when the Cubs are in town is that everyone comes to see us instead of them and then we have to apologize.” Since he’s sort of the colony’s ambassador—and since everyone says the rest of the members are very into keeping to themselves—I ask him what he thinks about Eden Springs being revitalized. He nods his approval. “Everything’s up.”
Where to eat:
If you have the time, head another 50 minutes or so north along the lake to Holland and check out the New Holland Brewery. newhollandbrew.com.
Where to sleep:
It’s a campground! Besides the RV spots, they have camping cabins available for rent (rates vary). edenspringspark.com.
What to do:
The train runs from noon to 5 PM on Saturday and Sunday, $2. And City of David’s vintage baseball team plays at home on 5/31, 7/4, 7/13, and 8/31.
