The Carl A. Rubino Hamilton at The Other Side Series presents "The Oneida Community: Free Lovers or Public Menace?" featuring Christian Goodwillie, director and curator of special collections and archives.

From 1848 to 1880, the Oneida Community, located 20 miles west of Utica, practiced a unique system of complex marriage that eventually included a planned breeding process. Their practices drew outrage from a Hamilton College professor, who began a campaign to shut the community down.

The community's public image was further tarnished by the 1881 assassination of President James Garfield by former member Charles Guiteau—events depicted in the 2025 Netflix series "Death by Lightning." Goodwillie will discuss the origins, history, and social and sexual practices of this famous experiment while offering corrections to the Netflix depiction.

• When: Wednesday, Feb. 18, 7–9 p.m.
• Where: The Other Side, 2011 Genesee St., Utica
• Cost: Free and open to the public; donations welcome.