Shaker Cures: Natural Medicine in the Valley of God's Pleasure

The Shaker Historical Society & Museum, 16740 South Park Blvd., is proud to announce our Fall 2014 Exhibit, Shaker Cures: Natural Medicine in the Valley of God’s Pleasure, a look into the natural medicinal practices used by the Shakers.

Much scholarship has been centered upon Shaker natural medicines as a major industry in Shaker communities. This was not the case for the Shakers of North Union, who found success in animal husbandry and textiles. Even though natural cures were not their primary industry, North Union Shakers still grew the flora necessary to concoct natural Shaker remedies that were used within the community, and also sold their excess at Doan’s Corners and at markets in downtown Cleveland.

Shaker Cures will focus on the methodology of natural medicines on which the North Union Shakers based their practices, identify the herbs grown in North Union and their intended purposes, and explore the reasons why North Union did not have a large medicinal output in comparison to other Shaker communities that focused on large scale production and manufacturing of Shaker remedies.

The exhibit will be open to visit on Tuesday, September 2, 2014 through Sunday, November 16, 2014, and will be guest curated by Marilyn Miller, a summer intern at SHS and a history Master’s student at Cleveland State University.