It was 1967, and the ‘high priest of LSD,’ Timothy Leary, was in Arizona scouting locations for a new colony of psychedelic drug users. He was interested in the Chiricahua Mountains, near Douglas, and said he wanted to ‘study’ the drug-oriented religions of the southwest Indians.
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Star files
Timothy Leary
When he arrived at the airport, Leary was dressed in white shirt and pants with an silver LSD medallion around his neck. His traveling party included seven colorfully dressed “flower children.” He told the media that they were traveling by “psychedelic airline” to Douglas. Leary proudly told the assembled press “The pilot of our plane was a member of the military in the Pentagon just a few weeks ago — now he’s one of us.”
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After a few days touring the area, Leary returned to Tucson. He canceled his plans to visit an LSD colony in Taos, N.M. and was heading back to New York. Impressed with the area he had visited, Leary said “I’ve been amazed at the number of sympathizers we found in the Bisbee-Douglas area.” He went on “I should be back in Arizona very shortly.”
Whether Leary returned “shortly” is unclear. But, in December 1967, friends of his established what they called “a colony of producing artists.” They had leased a small ranch, which they intended to eventually buy. It was in the Chiricahuas near the ghost town of Paradise.
One of the leaders of the group objected to being labeled “hippies.” They considered “hippies” unclean and lacking in morals. “The last person in the world we want around is a hippie,” he said. He added that Leary had no direct connection with their venture.
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