Introduction to Amish Settlement Failures
By the close of 2024, the total number of Amish communities, often called settlements, is projected to surpass 700. This marks a significant growth from less than 300 communities recorded in 1999. The rapid expansion of Amish settlements mirrors the striking increase in their overall population. Yet, alongside this remarkable growth, there exists a lesser-known aspect of Amish history—the communities that have failed to survive and are now considered extinct.
Photograph: An abandoned Amish schoolhouse in an extinct Amish community located in Arkansas. Photo credit: Don Burke.
Based on the comprehensive work of David Luthy’s revised 2021 publication, The Amish in America: Settlements that Failed, 1840-2019, complemented by John Hostetler’s seminal book, Amish Society, and John M. Byler’s Amish Homesteads of 1798, as well as resources from the Ohio Amish Library at Behalt near Berlin, Ohio, this article aims to shed light on seven intriguing facts related to settlements that no longer exist.
Defining an Amish Settlement
Before exploring these facts, it’s essential to understand what constitutes an Amish settlement. The most authoritative definition comes from David Luthy. In various editions of his work, Amish Settlements Across America (2009), Luthy describes a settlement as a locale where at least three Amish households reside, or two households if one is led by a church minister. Additionally, the community must have the capacity to hold a church service, and the Ordnung (church discipline) should prohibit the ownership of motor vehicles. Crucially, the families must identify themselves as Amish.
This definition emphasizes the importance of the church service as a core feature of community identity, aligning with sociological perspectives where a community is recognized by its shared social interactions and geographical proximity. As John Hostetler notes in his classic text Amish Society, a settlement is a congregation of Amish families living in close physical proximity, forming a contiguous relationship.
It’s worth noting that this minimalist definition, requiring only three or two families, is intentionally simple. The survival of such a small community is highly unlikely without additional growth. Conversely, a decline to just a few families often results in eventual extinction. Larger, more sustainable communities tend to have more robust populations and resources.
Seven Notable Facts About Extinct Amish Settlements
1. A Total of 270 Settlements Have Failed
Since the Amish first arrived in North America during the 1730s, approximately 270 settlements have failed to sustain themselves. It’s important to clarify that these figures represent attempts that began but ultimately could not be maintained, rather than initial efforts to establish communities.
2. Increasing Failures in the 20th and 21st Centuries
In the period before 1900, 37 settlements failed. During the first half of the 20th century, an additional 66 communities became extinct. As of recent decades, the number of failed settlements has increased further, with 167 communities disappearing over the past 74 years. Interestingly, during the early 1950s, fewer than 70 Amish settlements existed, yet over 800 new settlements were established, resulting in a failure rate of approximately 21% among new communities.
3. The 21st Century Trends
Between 1950 and 1999, 88 communities failed, and more recently, since 2000, an additional 79 settled communities have not survived. Despite these setbacks, the Amish population continues to grow, with nearly 400 active settlements today, and an average of roughly 17 new settlements founded annually.
4. Lifespan of Extinct Communities
The average lifespan of an extinct Amish settlement is approximately 18.5 years. Some communities lasted less than a year, often due to unsuitable environmental conditions or insufficient initial families. Others persisted over a century; notably, the communities of Plain City (1896-2011) and Hartville (1905-2007) in Ohio, both never large but located near expanding urban areas. Encroaching suburbs and rising land costs eventually led to their decline.
5. States with the Highest Number of Extinct Settlements
States such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and Missouri have historically hosted the most failed Amish communities. Many of the earliest extinct settlements, especially before 1850, were in Pennsylvania and Ohio, where pioneering efforts faced frontier challenges. Out of 37 early failures, only six occurred outside these two states, underscoring their historical significance in Amish expansion.
6. Notable Cases in Texas and Other States
Texas stands out with nine extinct settlements, despite currently hosting only one active Amish community in Beeville, Bee County. Many of these failures stem from transient work-related settlements where families did not plan to stay long-term. Similarly, North Dakota has a perfect record of four failed attempts, all in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Mississippi, Arkansas, and Georgia also experienced settlement failures, with Arkansas now having four thriving communities after seven earlier attempts.
7. Nine Principal Causes for Settlement Extinction
According to David Luthy’s comprehensive analysis, numerous factors contribute to the demise of Amish settlements. These include:
- Poor land quality and adverse weather, often causing early failures in western states.
- Conflicts with local school laws, particularly after the implementation of compulsory education laws beyond the 8th grade, which conflicted with Amish educational practices.
- Changing religious affiliations, leading communities to relax traditional Ordnung and permit motor vehicles or shift denominationally.
- Unfavorable location, such as remote areas too isolated or too distant from other Amish communities.
- Government regulations, including disputes over septic systems, road safety, and other local ordinances.
- Internal church conflicts, leading to disagreements over practices or community splits.
- Temporary settlements, where families work in transient roles without establishing permanent roots.
- Insufficient number of families, preventing community growth and sustainability.
- Lack of ordained ministry, resulting in communities unable to replace passing leaders or expand.
Since Luthy’s list, a potential tenth factor has emerged: development-related issues. Modern expansion, such as urbanization, industrial projects, or energy development, can lead to community displacement or decline. For example, during the 1950s, a proposed atomic energy plant in Pike County, Ohio, prompted most families to relocate due to fears of nuclear conflict and the influx of industrial workers. Today, ongoing energy projects like fracking in Pennsylvania have similarly impacted communities, such as Le Raysville, which faced extinction in 2021 due to increased industrial activity and transportation disruptions.
Further Research and Resources
Upcoming issues, such as the late Autumn 2024 edition of the Journal of Plain Anabaptist Communities, will feature detailed research on Amish community extinctions. Interested readers can register at plainanabaptistjournal.org. Past issues include numerous studies on Amish population dynamics.
For comprehensive data up to 2010, including both active and extinct settlements, refer to On the Recent Growth of New Amish Settlements by Joseph F. Donnermeyer and Elizabeth C. Cooksey, published in The Mennonite Quarterly Review. Updated statistics on current Amish communities are available through the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies’ dedicated webpage, which provides detailed lists and analysis of Amish settlements across North America.