Hazleton Old Order Amish Settlement (Hazleton, Iowa, USA)
1955 Article
The Amish settlement in Buchanan County, Iowa had its beginning in the fall of 1914. In that fall and winter seven families from Johnson County, Iowa, migrated to Buchanan County to make their home. They chose this location because it was a level country, land values were not too high, and it was not too long or too difficult a move. A number of other families came later from Johnson County but the larger number of later settlers were from Kansas. There were also families from Wisconsin and Indiana as well as some others. The people live mostly in Buchanan County, but there are some in Blackhawk County and adjoining counties in northeastern Iowa. The addresses most common were Oelwein, Fairbank, Hazleton, and Independence.
The primary motive for a new settlement was dissatisfaction with the Amish churches in Johnson and Washington counties, Iowa. The churches in Buchanan County were somewhat more conservative in attire, as well as in some other things. The first ministers were William Miller and Jerry Stutzman. The settlement grew slowly at first, then more rapidly, and in the early 1950s there were six congregations, each with its bishop and other ministers. -- Thomas H. Miller
1990 Article
Hazelton, Iowa in Buchanan County, is 25 miles (40 km.) east of Waterloo. Amish families settled here in 1914, coming from the Kalona Amish community, seeking a more conservative church discipline. In the 1980s the Hazleton settlement was known for its conservatism and slowness to change in Amish customs. It is, therefore, a suitable location for families who are uneasy with change and who held strong convictions about more traditional and stricter lifestyles. In its 72-year history, it grew to six church districts (congregations) with an estimated population of 1,200 in 1987. Migration of several families to one of Iowa's other three small Amish communities kept alive the zeal to develop and preserve an ideal, more perfectly nonconformed Amish tradition. -- Samuel L. Yoder
2017 Update
In 2013 there were seven church districts (congregations), twelve schools, and about 180 families, with a population of over 1,100.
Bibliography
Donnermeyer, Joseph F., et al. "The Amish Population: County Estimates and Settlement Patterns of the 'Old Orders'" Paper presented at the 75th annual meeting of the Rural Sociological Society, Palmer House, Chicago, Illinois (27 July 2012): 45.
Karlan Keim Family. Amish Communities of Iowa/Minnesota 2015. Drakesville, Iowa: Karlan Keim Family, 2015: 311-379.
| Author(s) | Thomas H. Miller |
|---|---|
| Samuel L. Yoder | |
| Samuel J. Steiner | |
| Date Published | August 2017 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Miller, Thomas H., Samuel L. Yoder and Samuel J. Steiner. "Hazleton Old Order Amish Settlement (Hazleton, Iowa, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. August 2017. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Hazleton_Old_Order_Amish_Settlement_(Hazleton,_Iowa,_USA)&oldid=165883.
APA style
Miller, Thomas H., Samuel L. Yoder and Samuel J. Steiner. (August 2017). Hazleton Old Order Amish Settlement (Hazleton, Iowa, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Hazleton_Old_Order_Amish_Settlement_(Hazleton,_Iowa,_USA)&oldid=165883.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 460; vol. 5, p. 364. All rights reserved.
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