Montana Amish Help English Neighbors Restore Washed-Out Road
The Amish community in Musselshell County, Montana is one of ten in the state. It is part of a rise in interest by Amish in Montana, one of a half-dozen new settlements created there since 2015. Like most if not all Amish settlements in the Treasure State, this community qualifies as “remote”.
It lies near the town of Roundup, so named due to it being a place for cattlemen to “round up” their animals along the nearby Musselshell River. The entire county has fewer than 5,000 people living in it. If you live out here, you need to be at least somewhat self-sufficient.
Following recent flash floods in the area, the Amish along with their English neighbors found themselves without an access road to their properties. The floods had washed it away, and responsibility for repairing it fell on the residents, not the local government.
The Amish have taken the lead in helping rebuild the road, along which are seven homes affected by the washout. We get the story via ktvq.com:
ROUNDUP — Regaining access to freedom has been the main goal for residents onLog Cabin Road just southeast of Roundup after flash flooding washed away their only road access two weeks ago.
Log Cabin Road, Bender Road and Kelley Road all experienced damage during the flooding. Monday, the only way to get to the seven homes on Log Cabin Road was by ATV through private property. By Thursday, residents have created a new road.
This video report shows Amish at work and provides commentary from English neighbors.
You can really hear the admiration and gratitude in the voices of locals describing the leadership and effort put in by their Amish neighbors to repair the road.
They’ve had to spend about $10,000 to restore the road. In addition to helping rebuild the road, the land which it is built upon actually belongs to a member of the Amish community.
I always like to see these stories of Amish and English neighbors working together. And when you’re in a place as off-the-treaded-track as these communities in Montana, relying on one another becomes even more of a necessity.
The Montana Experiment
It will be interesting to see just how well the Amish will do without a large population to work for nearby. The English that live in these sparsely populated areas often see their children leave, because of the lack of opportunities. The fields are not as fertile as further east, and it’s prone to dry spells. It’s beautiful alright, but even the industrious Amish will be tested.