Many Americans at the turn of the 20th century sought to escape temporarily from what they saw as the negative aspects of industrialization–overcrowding, stress, and a sense of disconnection from nature. In 1876, the New England Spiritualist Association acquired property at Lake Pleasant in Montague, Massachusetts. They believed they could communicate with the dead and each summer, they enjoyed seances, concerts, and lectures, along with boating, walking, and visiting in the camp’s relaxed atmosphere. The Lake Pleasant community flourished into the 20th century.