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Some Americans in the nineteenth century felt the need to escape temporarily from problems such as overcrowding, stress, and a sense of disconnection from nature. All-purpose meeting halls like this one were typical in nineteenth century campgrounds. Cheaper railway fares and its Spiritualist connections lured thousands of Spiritualists to Lake Pleasant in Montague, Massachusetts, each summer to enjoy boating, walking, and visiting in the camp's relaxed atmosphere. Because Spiritualists believe in the ability of the living to communicate with the dead, the Lake Pleasant meeting hall hosted seances as well as concerts and lectures.