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It is hard to imagine a location more ideally suited for a holy city than California's Santa Cruz Mountains. Here William E. Riker, who styled himself "The Comforter" and "The Wisest Man on Earth" created an utopia for himself and his two to three hundred disciples. Riker, who hinted he might be – if not God himself, so at least the Holy Spirit reincarnated – created his own religion. And in a state known for its countless weird cults, his was probably one of the strangest.

Even though Riker's city is still on the maps, and road signs point the way, few traces of Holy City remain today. It is now just a bend in a dusty and little traveled mountain road, but it wasn't always like this.

Photo: The Wisest Man on Earth.

Two views of Holy City in the 1930s.

Holy City, California, can still be found on the maps, even though the town is long gone.

In its heyday, it sported several restaurants, a brewery, gas station and garage, a printer's shop, a radio station, even a zoo. The two hundred or so inhabitants had handed over all their worldly belongings to Riker, in order to join his flock. In return, he looked after their worldly as well as spiritual needs. Clothed and fed, they worked hard and gave up everything to be his disciples. However, one particular institution was spectacularly absent from such a spiritual city. It had no church.

According to newspaper reports from the time, Holy City was a scandalous place, where all kinds of despicable behavior was condoned. The reports didn't affect Riker, however. He seemed to thrive on scandal, a true believer in the old slogan that all publicity is good publicity.

Over the door to Riker's office a sign proclaimed, "Headquarters for the world's perfect government." Fittingly for a the world's wisest man, he had the solution to all political as well as spiritual problems.