From Wikipedia --
Voliva was born on a farm in Indiana on Mar. 10, 1870. In 1889, he entered Union Christian College in Mermon Indiana; he graduated five years later and became a minister. In 1898 he was drawn to the teachings of John Alexander Dowie and eventually joined his congregation, the Christian Catholic Church of Zion, Illinois.
In 1906, the congregation revolted against Dowie's leadership and elected Voliva head of the church, which Voliva then renamed to the "Christian Catholic Apostolic Church." He kept tight control on his some 6,000 followers, which made up the community, even up to the point of dictating their choice of marriage partners. The city of Zion was effectively controlled by the church; all of its real estate, while sold at market rates, was conveyed under an 1,100 year lease, subject to many restrictions and subject to termination at the whim of the General Overseer. Religions other than the Christian Catholic Apostolic Church were effectively banned - visiting preachers from rival sects were harassed and hounded out of town by the city police force. The police force evidently carried bibles in their belt along with their billy clubs?
Voliva diversified Zion Industries, an industrial concern owned by the church that manufactured Scottish lace, to include a bakery which produced the popular Zion brand fig bar cookies and White Dove chocolates. Zion was a one-company town and its workers were paid substandard wages.
He was also a firm believer in the Flat Earth theory. Check out this article from the October 1931 Modern Mechanix. Not bad on the smoking thing though! Having one good idea does not make all your ideas good!
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