Ripon in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

The Long Way Home

Photographed by Joel Seewald, April 11, 2026

1. The Long Way Home Marker

Inscription. This mural depicts the original Long House of the Wisconsin Phalanx, the first settlers of the Ripon area, who arrived on May 27, 1844. In a valley between two hills, these settlers founded the community of Ceresco, constructed several commonly owned dwellings and created a communal society of Utopian ideals on the Wisconsin prairie. Ripon College Professor of Art Rafael Francisco Salas designed and created this mural to reflect the optimism that inspired the creation of Ripon and the city's transcendence in the face of conflict.

"The Long Way Home" was formally introduced in September 2014, with support from Ripon College's 14 for '14 initiative and Farrell's Fine Furnishings LLLC.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical date for this entry is May 27, 1844.

Location. 43° 50.678′ N, 88° 50.339′ W. Marker is in Ripon, Wisconsin, in Fond du Lac County. It is on Watson Street north of Blossom Street, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 220 Watson Street, Ripon WI 54971, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Wisconsin’s Fox River Valley.

It is also in the American Midwest,

on the Great Lakes,

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: 300 Watson Street (within shouting distance of this marker); Ripon College (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Rotary Square

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(about 400 feet away); First Congregational Church of Ripon (about 400 feet away); Birthplace of the Republican Party (about 600 feet away); Grand View Hotel (about 600 feet away); 401 Watson Street (about 700 feet away); 126 E. Jackson Street (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ripon.

Another marker is no longer nearby. 401 Watson Street (was about 700 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).

Also see . . . Ceresco, Wisconsin. Excerpt from the Wikipedia article:

Ceresco, also known as the Wisconsin Phalanx, was a commune founded in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States in 1844 by followers of the communitarian socialist ideas of Charles Fourier. Approximately 180 people lived in the Association at its peak, farming nearly 2,000 acres. It was one of the three longest-lived Fourierist Associations in the United States, dissolving in 1850, and was unique for having assets which exceeded liabilities at the time of its termination.

Since the Fourierist Association had registered their community under state law, the village of Ceresco, Wisconsin survived the collapse of the utopian socialist
Photographed by Joel Seewald, April 11, 2026

2. "The Long Way Home" and Marker
experiment of the 1840s. Remaining members of the Wisconsin Phalanx later formed a living cooperative and study group called the Ceresco Union in 1855, espousing the doctrines of religious freethought and interpersonal free love until dispersed by a mob of outraged citizens.

In 1858 the remaining inhabitants of Ceresco were annexed by the nearby town of Ripon.

(Submitted on April 27, 2026, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.)

Credits. This page was last revised on April 27, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 27, 2026, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. This page has been viewed 11 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 27, 2026, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.