It was mid-1967 when a busload of well-meaning, nature-loving kids from California turned up on the outskirts of Mythic Wood. They’d heard stories of a new logging operation that was set to begin, intent on clearing acres of the forest surrounding Mith-Ih-Kwuh Valley. They were forward thinkers, concerned about the planet even then. The citizens of Mythic Wood, especially the Rocklin family, didn’t take so kindly to outsiders, but the hippies were on a mission. They set up tents on the land that was to be cleared and started a standoff with the logging company that would last a full two years. During that time, the new arrivals tried to prove their worth to the people of Mythic Wood, but were met, for the most part, with skepticism and derision. Still, the hippies held firm. They passed their time learning new skills, and as word spread of the "tent-in", others turned up to add their voices and bodies to the protest.
The Seeds of Community
A solar-powered cob house
Before long babies were being born and the citizens of the tent community were working together to build cob houses and make a more permanent settlement. Trades were learned or perfected; candle-making, raising livestock, weaving, teaching, just about anything that was needed within the tight-knit community was learned by someone as the need arose. Their industrious methods gained them some ground with a small segment of Mythic Wood, and a limited amount of trade started between the two communities.
By the time the government finally ordered an end to the logging there was a fair sized settlement, with cob houses, gardens, and even wells. Dubbed ‘Haven’, they attracted the attention of some generous benefactors who worked to set zoning regulations and secure the land for their use. The group were fairly well left alone for several years, although there were always those little incidents of verbal abuse and general distrust. When the government stepped in once again, it was to try and use new laws and regulations to oust the hippies once and for all. Again, the benefactors stepped up, securing legal defense, and providing the alterations to Haven that were now required. Electricity was run to the little community, although not all of the houses were connected, and they supplemented state power with a foray into solar energy. By the time all was said and done, there was no longer anything the state government could cite in their quest to rid the area of the hippies.
The settlement’s size waxed and waned as some moved on and others arrived to try a more simple way of life. There was rarely a blip in their skill set, as others took up the mantle for needed resources if someone with knowledge was lost. A second generation was born into the settlement, being brought up knowing both the ways of the land and the ways of television (although reception was terrible until they were introduced to cable in the early 80’s). Most of the residents viewed the available modern amenities as treats, and not something they particularly relied upon. Even the subsequent generation seemed to embrace this, seeing stereos and television as more of a luxury than a necessity.