Kansas features a few very old yet small Amish communities
Kansas has long been home to Amish, but has never had a very large Amish population.
Amish communities in Kansas are either very old–at over 100 years in existence–or very new, having been founded in the past decade.
Kansas is home to just a few small Amish communities
Today’s Kansas Amish population is about 1,500, found in 7 settlements and 11 church districts (Young Center 2010).
Kansas Amish settlements:
- Yoder-the Yoder settlement (also referred to as Haven), the largest of the Kansas Amish communities, is located in Reno County in central Kansas.
- Hutchinson-the Hutchinson community of 2 church districts is located just a short distance from the Yoder/Haven settlement
- Garnett-Garnett in Anderson County has existed for over 100 years and is home to 2 church districts
- Young Kansas Amish settlements-at least 4 Amish settlements have been founded in the past five years in Kansas
Yoder Amish settlement
The village of Yoder has an interesting tale of origin. Yoder was founded by Eli M. Yoder, the son of an Amish bishop from Maryland. In the late 1800s Yoder came to the newly-minted state of Kansas to homestead in Reno County, settling in a location about a dozen miles southwest of the city of Hutchinson.
An Amish man and little one take in the view at Yoder Heritage Day in Yoder, Kansas
In 1886 the Missouri Pacific Rail Road constructed a track from Hutchinson to Wichita, which resulted in about 5 acres being split off from the rest of Yoder’s farm. Yoder used the separated area to construct a post office and general store, which became the nucleus of the village.
During the 1880s, Amish migrants from Shelby County, Illinois began to arrive and settle in the region, with the new village of Yoder becoming the center of the community (see GAMEO, “Yoder (Reno County, Kansas, USA)”).
Yoder is technically the largest Amish settlement in Kansas, but with only 3 church districts–making an Amish population of roughly 400–the community is small by most standards.
Amish at Yoder are among the most progressive when it comes to technology, allowing bulk milk tanks, rototillers, and tractors for field work (see Living Without Electricity, Stephen Scott and Kenneth Pellman). Due to the high heat in this region of the country some field work may even be done in the evening.
Although Yoder is the center of this community, and still maintains a post office, most Amish homes in this settlement are actually listed as Haven addresses.
Yoder is known to put on an annual Heritage Day celebrating its history and featuring a variety of events, including a buggy race in which Amish take part.
The Yoder/Haven community lies very close to a neighboring settlement lying near Hutchinson.
Hutchinson Amish settlement
The Hutchinson Amish settlement is in fact located to the southwest of the city of 40,000, near the hamlet of Partridge. What ended up becoming the modern-day Hutchinson settlement originated in an early community started around Partridge by Amish arriving at the same time as those who settled near Yoder. Only about 13 miles separate the two villages.
The Hutchinson Amish settlement numbers 2 church districts today. Like the Yoder/Haven settlement, it has seen little growth over its 125+ year history.
Garnett Amish settlement
The Amish at Garnett in Anderson County form the third old Kansas community, having been founded in 1903.
Anderson County is located in the eastern part of the state, roughly 50 miles south of Lawrence. Like its counterparts in Yoder and Hutchinson, the Anderson County Amish presence remains small today, at just 2 church districts in size.
The Amish community itself is located about 5 miles west of Garnett. Consisting of numerous scattered farms and homes, the settlement spans about 10 miles north to south, and six miles east-west (see Meindl, “Language Use in an Old Order Amish Community in Kansas”, p. 28). Amish at Garnett farm and have also branched out into small businesses, such as carpentry, cabinet making, dog breeding, and selling food products at markets (Meindl p. 32) (Read more on Kansas Amish furniture).
While all Kansas Amish use the horse-and-buggy, some allow tractor travel on roads
The Garnett Amish are liberal when it comes to use of technology. Like other Kansas Amish communities in Reno County, Amish at Garnett use tractors for farming. Tractors are also used for road travel when visiting town (Meindl p. 31).
Most Amish children in the Garnett community attend a small public school in the hamlet of Mount Ida at the southern end of the settlement. Unusual in Amish society, Sunday school is held by Amish in this community at two separate locations, as well as a summer Bible school (see Oklahoma-Kansas Directory, Yoder and Yoder).
The Garnett Amish settlement was founded by Amish from the Haven area of Reno County, KS. A year after the arrival of the Reno Amish, they were joined by 7 families from a Mississippi Amish settlement (GAMEO, “Anderson County, Kansas Old Order Amish Settlement”).
Over the course of the next century, the Garnett settlement fluctuated in size, never growing much larger than a few dozen families. Families moved away while others arrived from places such as Illinois, Oklahoma, Arizona, Oregon, Arkansas, Colorado, and other settlements in Kansas. A low point came in 1947 when the settlement had dwindled to five families (Meindl, p. 26) .
By 1959 the Garnett Amish community had reached a size requiring it to divide into a north and south district (Yoder and Yoder). Today the size of the community has changed little since that division, numbering about three dozen households (Meindl p. 29). The Amish in Anderson County maintain ties with those in Reno County (Meindl p. 102).
Young Kansas Amish settlements
A number of new settlements have been founded in Kansas over the past few years. Two communities were founded in Labette County in 2006, one at Parsons and another at Chetopa (see Luthy, Amish Settlements Across America: 2008).
Full speed ahead! An Amish buggy blasts forward at a race during Yoder Heritage Day
Small communities can also be found in Marshall County near Axtell and Marysville, and in Bourbon County near Fort Scott, which is a more conservative group than Amish in Reno County or Anderson County (Meindl 31; 100).
All the young Amish communities were but a single church district in size as of 2010, except for Parsons, which by that time had grown to 2 church districts in size (see Raber’s Almanac, 2010).
Historical Kansas Amish settlements
Amish began settling Kansas in the mid- to late-1800s, with communities springing up in various locations across the southern half of the state. Some of these communities were destined to last a long while–sometimes even a few decades–while others disappeared in a matter of years.
The first Amish presence in Kansas was recorded in Lyon County, where a settlement existed from 1869 to 1894. This community eventually disbanded, with families leaving due to poor harvests as well as likely over disputes regarding progressive ideas such as a plan to build a meetinghouse.
Another noteworthy settlement was found in Ford County at Dodge City, aka the “Cowboy Capital of the World”. Amish first began arriving to the area a few miles south of Dodge City in 1906, attracted by advertisements placed in the Sugarcreek Budget. Promoted in Amish circles by a local land agent, the settlement grew rapidly. Climate challenged the Amish settlers, however, and drought caused many to begin to move away, until the settlement expired in 1929.
A short-lived settlement existed near Hesston in Harvey County, today home to a large Mennonite population. The few Amish who settled here came from Pennsylvania beginning in 1885. Historian David Luthy explains that this small group never had a resident minister, and thus attended church with Amish-Mennonites who had arrived at the same time. After a few years most of the Amish families returned to Pennsylvania, bringing this settlement to an end in 1890.
The longest-lived of presently extinct Kansas Amish settlements was found at Conway Springs in Sumner County. This community lasted from 1914 to 1951. Other Kansas Amish communities were once found at Ness County (Arnold, 1894-1922), Meade County (Plains (1913-1923), as well as another settlement in Ford County (Bucklin, 1903-1922) (this section see Luthy, Settlements that Failed 1840-1960 pp. 123-164).
Kansas, an outpost of Amish settlement
Kansas has long attracted Amish settlement, though its low population today suggests that Amish communities have had difficulty flourishing in this Great Plains state. Like neighboring Oklahoma, Kansas has seen a fair share of Amish settlement throughout the years, but never much robust growth in its Amish population.
Even within its small population, however, Kansas Amish exhibit a degree of diversity. This can be seen reflected in the differences in Ordnung, or church standards and regulations, among the existent communities.
For instance the church standards of Amish in Reno and Anderson Counties are generally progressive when it comes to technology, seen in their allowance of a wide array of farm machinery, hydraulic power, as well as use of tractors for field work.
Amish in the community at Fort Scott, however, do not permit indoor plumbing or engines. Differences in Ordnung also reveal differing attitudes toward permissible social behaviors. For example, while the Thayer community permits smoking, Amish in the Anderson County settlement do not (Meindl p. 100).
For more information, see:
“Language Use in an Old Order Amish Community in Kansas”, University of Kansas PhD dissertation, Jörg Meindl
Oklahoma-Kansas Directory: Choteau, Clarita, Garnett, Haven, and Hutchinson (2004). Enos Yoder and Freda Yoder, ed.
The New American Almanac 2010, Raber’s Bookstore (Baltic, Ohio), Ben J. Raber
Amish Settlements Across America: 2008, David Luthy
The Amish in America: Settlements that Failed, 1840-1960, David Luthy
Living Without Electricity, Stephen Scott and Kenneth Pellman
“Amish Population by State (2010)”. Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies, Elizabethtown College (http://www2.etown.edu/amishstudies/Population_by_State_2010.asp;
Diener, Harry A. “Yoder (Reno County, Kansas, USA).” Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1959. Web. 20 November 2010. http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/Y61.html.
Beachy, Jonas S. “Anderson County, Kansas, Old Order Amish Settlement.” Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1953. Web. 20 November 2010. http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/A53503.html.
Photo credits: Amish buggy-Walt Hubis; Amishman and girl-Frank Thompson photos; Amish buggy on blacktop-Brent Danley; Amish buggy racer-Frank Thompson photos
44 responses to Kansas Amish
Wow, very interesting. The last bit of information really got me,,, an Amish order that permits smoking? I guess I never expected that at all! It also amazes me how settlements come and go. I really never thought of the Amish as being that mobile. I always thought once they settled they were there for good. But I guess just like the rest of us, we often need to move based on “job” availability. In their case, whether they can make a living in a particular area, whether it be farming or commercial. I am truly enjoying reading all the information, its quite an education. Thanks so much!
Kansas Amish
Amish in Kansas
I am writing in reference to the amish in labette county kansas, especially the one in parsons, They are a great asset to our area, providing a place to get fresh fruit an vegitables, dairy not to mention thier peacefull way of life.
I go regularly to thier store, they are kind and consitterate people.
John, I’m writing a little late here, but thanks for sharing. Labette Co is a small community but always good to see new groups doing well in an area.
Amish Store in Labette County
Where, exactly is the Amish store in Labette county? Is it in Dennis? I know there are several farms in the Dennis area that are Amish owned. It was fascinating to me recently to drive through the area and notice buggy tracks and “horse apples” on certain roads. Also noticed that they have a church building. Most of the stories I have read (fiction, but well informed writing) say that most don’t meet in a common building, but rather at individual farms. I have rarely seen horse and buggy traffic in or around Parsons, but occasionally in the summer I have seen an Amish farmer selling fresh vegetables along Highway 400.
Kansas Amish
delayed response
Actually, the Labette/Neosho Amish do not have a church. There is a small church near some of the original folks who settled here – which is in southern Neosho county, not Labette. But they worship in their homes, as is traditional – the church belongs to some other worship group. The store is in Neosho county – the same road as that church. It is the first e/w road in Neosho county – believe it is 20th? It is about two miles east of Gray. So you’d take Gray north (off of 400), past the bend in the road at the county line, up to the next road, turn right (east) about two miles. There is a hilled windmill out front, hard to miss. The northern labette/southern neosho Amish are a different settlement from the Chetopa Amish. The Chetopa Amish I don’t believe are Swiss, and they are stricter in some ways (according to my neighbors), but I have observed them to be far “fancier” (in dress and such) than my neighboring settlements. I believe that they also have a store – or have heard such, but don’t know where that would be located – somewhere in southern labette I would guess. Both groups grow/sell produce and also do carpentry work, both furniture and construction/building work.
As to the fellow who is/was interested in being a driver, I don’t have any contacts in the southern group. But if you write me at [email removed] I can give you some contact info for the Swiss group that are my neighbors. Sara
Kansas Amish
Nice people and hard workers! They have done work for us.
You read so many different things about the Amish…How can you tell what is true
Visit an Amish community and befriend them. They are wonderful people. Buy their eggs, milk, produce.
Sadly, a lot (if not most) of the “mobility” of the Amish is caused by disagreements in the community, caused largely by differences in opinions about the church’s standards or Ordnung. Totally understandable, beings that they come diverse communities and families.
Yes Mary, you are right, it certainly can come from disagreements but I also see some as an area that would not support their life style financially, either by poor farming or commercial business.
Cleone, it can be difficult to tell what is true and what is not. I think a lot might have to do with where the information comes from and making sure it is a reliable source. I believe Erik makes every effort to make sure what is posted here is reliable and true.
Kansas Amish
Amish views on smoking and tobacco
Good questions, smoking and tobacco are things most of us don’t immediately connect with Amish.
In fact you do see smoking in certain communities, and also tobacco cultivation, particularly in Lancaster County and its daughter settlements (some good friends of mine in Lancaster farm tobacco in addition to milking cows; tobacco is considered a helpful cash crop in the face of high land prices and also seen as an element of “family time” as the whole family participates in hand-stripping and sorting the leaves together in the fall/winter).
Some Amish criticize tobacco production and use as detrimental to their own and others’ health. Across Amish society tobacco growers and users are definitely a minority.
Ironically it is typically more “conservative” groups, those that allow lower levels of technology, that tend to be more open to tobacco use. A group that people often think of as progressive, the New Order Amish, is among the most anti-tobacco (and alcohol, for that matter).
A few posts that might be of interest:
http://amishamerica.com/what-foods-and-crops-do-amish-farmers-produce/
http://amishamerica.com/whats-the-difference-between-new-order-and-old-order-amish/
A good book that comes to mind is Richard Stevick’s Growing Up Amish: The Teenage Years. He addresses tobacco and alcohol use in a number of places in the book, among both youth and adults.
Kansas Amish
2 questions
Erik:
I am an average american that finds the Amish wonderful. What do I need to do to become Amish and also how do you accept people that are born a certin way like GAY into your community?
Craig Burge
Hi Craig, I am not Amish myself, but Amish consider homosexuality a sin and it is not openly accepted. As far as joining the Amish, there is a good post and comment thread linked in the sidebar, “So you want to join the Amish”.
Would you email me please have a few questions my email is DustyMcBride30@yahoo.com? Thank you
If it’s a general question please just post it here in the comment section. Others will see it too and may be able to help/benefit.
Amish move-a lot
One thing that I continue to be impressed by is how mobile Amish are (and have been historically). We tend to think of Amish as staying glued to one spot (and certainly this is the case with many, where family and occupational ties keep people in home communities, just like anywhere else), but in general they in fact do move and for a number of reasons, definitely including what you get at here Mary, probably more than we’d think.
If you read Amish historian David Luthy’s book Settlements that Failed 1840-1960, you frequently see communities going defunct many times at least in part to differences over church standards (and many of the groups disappearing in the 2nd half of 1800s were due to the influence of progressive religious movements as well).
Kansas Amish
I have learned a lot over the last few months reading this blog as well as a few books. It peaks my interest even more. I suppose we all have some pre-conceived ideas until we start researching more facts.
And that holds true with just about anything in life.
I’ll check out those posts too Erik. Thanks so much!!
Interesting that Kansas has so few settlements. There are quiet a few Mennonites down there…I wonder if a lot of the original Amish settlers moved onto Mennonite churches instead of moving away. Not that the communities didn’t thrive necessarily, they just shifted to another Anabaptist group.
yoder
i am commenting particularly about the amish around yoder. i live near there and can say that although they are completely accepted in the area, there is little respect given to thier ways. yoder sits on a major highway connecting hutchinson and wichita, with the workforce shortcut going right through town. for them to travel they have to deal with 65 and 70 mph speed zones just to get into town. more than once there has been major fatalities due to this. people just don’t give enough consideration to the fact they are not also driving 75. also the stores and restaraunts are owned by non-amish who exploit them for capital gains. such as the dutch kitchen, where they use the horse and buggy theme to attract customers to an over priced previously frozen meal. people wanting out of wichita are buying up thier land at outrageous prices, and driving up the land values at ridiculous amounts. no wonder they want to leave!
Kansas Amish
Lindsay that is right, that has happened in Kansas. Most of the remaining horse and buggy groups are pretty progressive on most fronts as well.
Hello, I am 19 years old and very interested in Amish society and living. I was hoping to get in touch with an Amish family for whom I could work and live with during my spring break from March 19 through 28. I have farm and manual labor experience and would apply myself very well. I was wondering how I might go about doing this or if you could put me in contact with someone. Thanks very much and God Bless!
Nathanael
Kansas Amish
Hi Nathanael, apologies I’m a bit late responding, but you might try this: http://amishamerica.com/how-can-i-stay-with-an-amish-family/
@Linsay & Erik; I grew up as a Mennonite in Kansas near Newton and we had several members in our church that had decended from Swiss-Amish that had settled in the area. The older ones did have a distinctive apperence, bowl hair cut,straw hat,vests, etc. but I didn’t really ponder on it at the time as “different” their children didn’t have distinctive dress but their surname were more typical “Amish”: Stoltzfuss, Hotstetler, Beiler, Yoder, Miller, Herschberger etc. I guess they got sick of just having church with the same 4 or 5 families and decided to worship in a larger setting, who knows?
About smoking it was more frowned on for younger men. Howevere, many old guys smoked pipes(never cigarettes or cigars) as just a relaxation not a habit and I knew of one man who made hand carved meershaum pipes for sale via mail. My grandfather smoked Prince Albert from a handmade corncob pipe but not in the house!
Kansas Amish
Hi Ivan, a big thanks for sharing this. I always enjoy reading perspectives from folks who would know these communities inside and out. Kansas is a place I’d love to visit (actually I have, but not Amish) and hope I’ll have the chance. I’m guessing there could be a variey of reasons why they or their predecessors might have left. I wonder did you all speak Deitsch?
Mein Grutfod unn Grutmutta rades dis, ja. Mie? och waut, soo ess daut, nijcht. (my grandparents did speak Plautdeitsch, yes. Me? not so much.) For them it was a first language, my grandmother was born in 1903 and she taught in the community schoolhouse until she married, she had a highschool diploma which was rare for the Menno women at the time. She knew “Hochklass” German too and really could read the bible, I don’t think my Grandfater could though. I was born in the 60s when a lot of the Mennonite & Breatheren churches influenced by the Mennonite World Conference were trying to phase out Plautdeitch for eccumenical and political reasons, they wanted everyone conversant with each other and with other protestant denominations. Also I speculate that a lot of the men who were objectors during WWII who served in the Civilian Public Service, felt conflicted about speaking a Germanic language. I only learned Deitsch as a way of spying on older family members because they used it when they wanted to discuss “grown-up” things.
Kansas Amish
Kansas farming
Hi Ivan ,
Would a Mennonite family consider
Farming land outside the immediate
Community. We have a farm north of
Ft. Scott, and interested in having a family
Help start an interesting farm operation .
Thanks jay
Ivan, I just saw your reply finally! Many of my friends from school went to Hesston College, and yes up in the area I’m from you see a lot of Herschbergers, Schwartzendrubers, etc. My best friend was a Roth, and I remember when her grandma went on a trip to Switzerland to see the family castle they descended from (though I’m not so sure about the castle part
Though to be honest the Mennonites in my area were by and large very progressive, and I had never heard them speak any German dialect nor dress or live plain lives.
Kansas Amish
kansas amish communities
Erik, I am intrested in moving to Kansas near an Amish settlement. I am an Amish Driver by trade and wish to continue doing this. I would love to be near Kiowa KS or Burlington OK. Can you tell me which one would be the closest. And if I could get in touch with The Bishop from there. My E-mail is john2willis@yahoo.com
Thanks, John
Hi John I am sorry I am not able to get you in touch with bishops in KS but you might be able to do so yourself in person. For the closest community, probably the best bet would be to check your possible destinations with the locations listed on this page via Google Maps or something similar. Hope it goes well for you.
Amish store
I live east of Hutchinson/Yoder. Can you tell me where the Amish store is that is over there. I would love to go there. I am very interested in thier way of life. We visited Pennsylvania and went to a couple of stores there. They have such wonderful foods and I liked the idea of buying in bulk. As I have been cooking from scratch for along time, I would like somewhere that I can find good food and baking supplies.
Kansas Amish
I used http://www.discoverbulk.com/ to locate
GLENN’S BULK FOOD SHOP
6405 W MORGAN AVE
HUTCHINSON, KS 67501-9024
620-662-2875
Hand Crafted Amish Goods?
I am originally from Pa and lived w/in 30 minutes of homeade baked goods, bulk stores, greenhouses, etc. All from the Amish community, and often when we needed a contractor that was excellent at his craft and fair priced we also relied on the Amish.
I live in Kansas City now and really want to find a local store carrying Amish crafted furniture like I would back home. SO reasonably priced and solidly crafted.. I’m not having any luck!!
Anywhere in KC or w/in an hour I could go to find such things w/out getting ripped off?? REALLY miss this great assett from back home and our Amish neighbors.
My email is felicity_cs@yahoo.com and I would LOVE to hear from someone who has a resource for me?
Kansas Amish
Amish Furniture
Christine,
There is a furniture store in Richmond, KS, just an hour south of KC that has all Amish handcrafted furniture. The furniture is beautiful, and you can choose from many designs, woods, and finishes.
Frontier Furniture
601 E Sunshine Dr.
Richmond, KS 66080
785-835-6440
Christine, you might have more success looking on the Missouri side of Kansas City. Erik has compiled a list of Amish furniture stores in Missouri at http://amishamerica.com/amish-furniture-missouri/. It lists Country Heritage Furniture, with a website at dnrfurniture.com, in Jamesport, MO, a horse-and-buggy Amish community.
If you desire bulk foods, baked goods and a deli, there is a store in Maysville, MO, run by “car Amish” or Beachy Amish. They dress much like the Amish, but drive cars.
The Old Cookstove
119 SE Rosa Rd.
Maysville, MO 64469
Phone 816-449-2285
Kansas Amish
Thanks so much! For some reason the links when I clicked on them wouldn’t work. I had to search by the names.. I have now spoken to he older gentleman that runs the place in Jamesport and hopefully will be making the hour and a half trip north soon!
Thanks so much!
Christine, you may also want to explore southern Missouri, specifically Seymour MO area where there is an Amish community as well. Erik could probably tell you more about them.
Here is a little bit more on the Amish settlement at Seymour, Missouri, which Carolyn mentions:
http://amishamerica.com/missouri-amish/#seymour
This community was recently in the news as well, with an Amishman appearing on a local TV station concerning buggy safety: http://amishamerica.com/how-much-should-be-done-to-improve-buggy-safety/
dress fabric ?
Hi, would anyone know where in Kansas I can find a dress fabric store. thank you
kitchen Cabinets
I am looking for a cabinet maker to make kitchen cabinets. Can someone help me with this matter? contact me at Legacyband@sbcglobal.net
Amish raised chicken
I live in KS and looking to buy chicken / beef from Amish farm for consumption. Any one knows of any Amish person sells them fresh?
Moving away from Amish in Leadmine,Mo
My wife and I are moving to Topeka Kansas, Please tell me these fine folks are up there,Everything we eat come from the Garden or the Amish.
Hi Eric, I live in La Cygne Kansas. (Linn County) Where is the nearest Amish store? I have not come across on one of your stores. Can you tell me where is the closes store I can visit?
Michael you’re about an hour from the community at Garnett (Anderson County). I’m not sure what kind of store you are looking for–the Anderson County community is small but long-established, so I’d think there’s a decent chance there are some businesses there such as a dry goods store.
Meat and Material in Yoder
I was passing through Yoder last week and saw ads for the quilting fabric store (which of course could be used for dresses) and saw the Yoder Meats store near the Yoder exit for the highway between Wichita and Hutchinson (96??). I believe you leave your car outside of the downtown area and walk in if you do not have a buggy, but I did not investigate further myself.
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