California's Fleeting Red Dance: Llano Del Rio

Birthed in the wild scramble of California's Antelope Valley in 1914, Llano Del Rio made its entrance. Conducted by Job Harriman, a socialist renegade, it was America's fleeting flirtation with communism, performed on a Californian stage. Influenced by the Socialist Party, the city followed a circular rhythm, with admin buildings, eateries, churches, schools, and markets all in step. Five pioneers set foot on Llano Del Rio on May 1, 1914.

By mid-1915, over 1,500 dancers had considered it home, with farmers tip-toeing to the rhythm of the harsh, sandy terrain, growing alfalfa, corn, and grain. But the music screeched to a halt. The water supply from Big Rock Creek proved erratic, the soil underwhelming, and the settlement too far from other cities to establish a self-sustaining trade. Regrettably, fate compelled the townsfolk to abandon it for New Llano, Louisiana in 1918, leaving behind concrete mementos of the floundering communist experiment.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons