October 11, 2006 Dansk tekst til venstre English text on the right Dagens baghave: Backyard of the Day: Colony Olivenhain, Encinitas, California The old Colony Olivenhain buildings are located on Rancho Santa Fe Road in what is today Encinitas in San Diego County, California.   Vi camperede ved Colony Olivenhain i Encinitas. Olivenhain var et tysk-amerikansk kollektiv, som oprindelig hed "Olivenheim," et navn, der hurtigt blev lavet om til det mere engelsk-lydende "Olivenhain". Kolonien blev grundlagt i det nuværende Encinitas i 1884 af en gruppe på omkring 60 voksne og børn, der kom til San Diego fra Colorado med damplokomotiv. De levede fortrinsvis af landbrug, men kolonien gik under efter kun tre år, mest på grund af uregelmæssig vandforsyning. Om sommeren var bønderne plaget af tørke, om vinteren af oversvømmelser. Kolonisterne gravede den ene brønd efter den anden, men alle viste sig at være tørre eller kun indeholde små mængder alkalint brakvand. Inden århundredeskiftet var langt de fleste kolonister flyttet til omliggende områder. We day camped at Colony Olivenhain in Encinitas. Olivenhain was the German-American socialist colony of "Olivenheim," a name which was soon anglicized to "Olivenhain". The colony was established in present-day Encinitas in 1884 by a group of about 60 adults and children who came to San Diego from Colorado by steamer. The colony supported itself mainly by farming, but lasted only about three years, failing primarily due to a lack of consistent water supply. In the summer the farmers were plagued by droughts, while in the winter occasional torrents of rain flooded the area. The colonists dug well after well, but they all came up either dry, or yielding only small amounts of alkaline brack water. By the end of the century almost all of the colonists had left for neighboring areas.     Olivenhain Forsamlingshus, som stadig er i brug, er bygget sidst i 1894 eller først i 1895. Tømmeren, Bill Dommes, som stod for opførelsen blev betalt $6.00. Huset, som er dækket af rødtræstømmer, bestod af et rum på cirka 8 x 11 meter over et kælderrum. Det så stort set ud, som det gør i dag, bortset fra, at der indeni var en musikscene, en lang bar, og en kakkelovn. Omkring 1900 var forsamlingshuset berømt vidt og bredt for dets lørdagsballer. The Olivenhain Meeting House, which is still in use, was built in late 1894 or early 1895. The carpenter, Bill Dommes, who was in charge of construction was paid $6.00. The hall, covered in redwood siding, contained one room, 28' x 36', over a basement. It stood much the same as today, only the interior included a music stage, a long bar, and a pot-bellied stove. Around the turn of the 20th century the hall was known far and wide for its Saturday night dances.

Den lillebitte Lickert hytte er det eneste tilbagestående eksempel på et typisk hus i kolonien, skønt der engang var mange af de små hytter i kolonien. Denne hytte, bygget i 1885, måler kun cirka 3½ x 4½meter, men Charles Lickert (oprindelig Lückert) boede ikke blot i det lille hus, han lod det også bruge til søndagsskole og gudstjenester. Charles, som var pebersvend, giftede sig med Anna Petersen og deres første datter, Anna Christine, blev født her, før de forlod Olivenhain og flyttede til San Diego i 1890. The tiny Lickert Shanty is the only surviving example of the typical colony dwelling, although there were dozens of these one-room shanties in the colony. Although this shanty, which was built in 1885, measures only 12' x 14', Charles Lickert (originally Lückert) not only lived in the tiny shack, but even used it to hold Sunday School classes and church services. The long-time bachelor married Anna Petersen and they had their first daughter, Anna Christine, before leaving Olivenhain and moving down to San Diego in 1890.

Germania Hotel var Olivenhains største og dyreste bygning. Det blev bygget for Herman og Catharine Baecht, som var blandt de oprindelige Olivenhain pionerfamilier, der ankom i 1884. Selvom det var bygget til at være hotel, var det ikke centralt beliggende, og det blev for det meste brugt til indlogering. Med Baechts-familiens ti børn, var huset sikkert også mere beboelsesvenligt, når der var få gæster. The Germania Hotel was Olivenhain's largest and most expensive structure. It was built for Herman and Catharine Baecht, one of the original Olivenhain pioneer families arriving in 1884. Although intended as a hotel, it was not centrally located, and served more often as a rooming house. With Baechts' ten children the house may really have been most comfortable when business was slow.

Day Camping/Boondocking Information Colony Olivenhain is a decent spot for day camping. No information on overnight camping, the area has no signs posted. Facilities: Picnic area Museum (outdoor only) Free parking More Historical Sites Here More California Travel Information Here YESTERDAY TOMORROW