For people living in the East, Montana is one of those romantic Western states that make you think of big skies and freedom. And that also might explain why the state has attracted some Amish. The first permanent Amish settlers came to the Treasure State in the 1970s. Drawn by the scenery and hunting opportunities, Amish living back East visit Montana fairly frequently. The Montana…
It doesn’t get much more distant than Montana when it comes to the Amish. But distance hasn’t discouraged a few adventurous Amish souls from settling the 41st state. Â Today Montana is home to 5 Amish communities. Read more about the Montana Amish, their annual auctions, and–perhaps–the only Amish postmaster ever, in today’s State Guide entry on Montana Amish. Special thanks to James Anderson for providing…
The Great Plains have long attracted Amish settlement. Â However, Amish populations in most Great Plains states, such as Oklahoma and Montana, remain low. Kansas holds to this pattern; despite a history of Amish settlement stretching back 140 years, the Sunflower State is today home to only about a dozen church districts. There are some interesting communities in Kansas, however. Â The settlements in Reno County (Yoder;…
Just got a hot tip from the Young Center that the 2009 Amish population statistics are up at the Amish Studies web site. A couple quick things I noticed between this year’s and last year’s numbers:Â on the lower end, Arkansas has jumped from 1 to 3 settlements, and the Maine Amish, Montana Amish, and Kansas Amish have all added a settlement. Ohio, Pennsylvania, and…