25 Photos of What Life in Jonestown Looked Like Before the Unthinkable Happened

Life inside the Kool-Aid cult.

Published 3 days ago

In 1976, a San Francisco church called the Peoples Temple packed up and moved to a settlement in Guyana, led by their "prophet", Jim Jones.

On the surface, Jonestown appeared to be a relatively happy place to live, with its citizens farming, children going to school and even having concerts. But in 1978, under the paranoia of a potential invasion, Jim Jones convinced nine-hundred of his followers to join him in drinking cyanide and committing “revolutionary” suicide.

Here are photos from before the insanity, when Jonestown was a small religious farm - but still run by a psychopath in sunglasses.

1
Jonestown cottages seen from above
Jonestown, Guyana 1974-1978

2
Luvenia "Mom" and David "Pop" Jackson with Jim Jones
Jonestown, Guyana 1974-1978

3
The People Temple members on a bridge
Jonestown, Guyana 1974-1978
4
Jonestown, Guyana 1974-1978

5
Jonestown Band performing
Jonestown, Guyana 1974-1978
6
Trisha Cartmell (right) and Peoples Temple children singing
Jonestown, Guyana 1974-1978
7
Jim Jones (Center), surrounded by Peoples Temple members
Jonestown, Guyana 1974-1978

8
Peoples Temple members working in fields
Jonestown, Guyana 1974-1978
9
Peoples Temple memebers working in a field
Jonestown, Guyana 1974-1978
10
Peoples Temple children's performance
Jonestown, Guyana 1974-1978

11
Jim Jones and his followers posing for the camera
Jonestown, Guyana 1974-1978
12
Peoples Temple children working in fields
Jonestown, Guyana 1974-1978
13
Jim Jones with toucan
Jonestown, Guyana 1974-1978