LEARN ABOUT THE HUTTERITE COLONIES OF CENTRAL MONTANA

History

The Hutterites are a religious group originating from the Reformation of the 16th century.  In the early 1520’s, the ferment identified with Martin Luther and the Reformation spread to a group in Switzerland that came to be known as the Anabaptists as they believed in the rebaptizing of adults.  The Anabaptists additionally shared a belief in the separation of Church and State and they were committed pacifists.  The branch of the Anabaptists that we know as Hutterites was founded in Moravia in 1528 by Jacob Hutter and is distinguished from other Anabaptist sects such as the Mennonites and the Amish by its belief in the community of goods in which all material things are held in common.  The Hutterites survived periods of persecution and suffering alternating with periods of prosperity leading to their eventual migration to North America in 1874.  Initial colonies were established in the Canadian Prairie provinces and the Dakotas and they prospered until great tension developed during World War I as a result of their pacifist beliefs.  Those tensions gradually disappeared during the great depression and during World War II, the Hutterites again refused to participate, but engaged in other forms of alternative public service.  Today there are about 45,000 Hutterites living on 460 colonies of which about 50 are in Montana.  Additional  information on the history and beliefs of the Hutterites are at www.hutterites.org. 

Hutterite Life Today

Hutterites are a communal people living on scattered bruderhofe or colonies throughout the prairies of North America.  Their religion is unique in that all material goods are held in common.  All members of the colony are provided for equally and nothing is kept for personal gain.  In every Hutterite colony, the minister or spiritual leader is also the chief executive and he, along with an advisory board, makes the day to day decisions.  The advisory board consists of the minister, the colony manager, the farm/ranch manger and two or three witness brothers (deacons) who are elected for life.

Early education has always played an important role in Hutterite life and usually takes place in public schools located at the colony. More recently, many young colony children go on to public high schools and some are beginning to pursue college degrees.  The Hutterites are by nature very hospitable and neighborly and frequent opportunities are found for visiting and joint projects with neighbors or other colonies.  Wonderful insights into daily life on a Hutterite Colony are in the book by Lisa Stahl, My Hutterite Life.  Another great source is Bill Allard’s articles in the National Geograpic.  See www.nationalgeoraphic.com and search on Hutterites.  A distinguishing characteristic of the Hutterites is their entrepreneurial spirit and initiative.  A visit to a colony always has surprises in terms of produce or crafts or unique services that fill a niche in the local economy.
 
 

VISIT AND LEARN ABOUT COLONIES IN THE LEWISTOWN AREA

Ayers Colony

Hello!  My name is Marilyn Stahl and I’m a resident of the Ayers Colony.  We are located about 6 miles west of Grass Range, 23 miles east of Lewistown on Highway 87.  The Hutterites at Ayers Colony came from Austria to Huron, South Dakota where they had resided since 1874.  They purchased their land in Montana from former Montana governor Roy E. Ayers in 1944.  The Colony currently has 9 families with a total population of 42 persons.  Our Colony was the first to record Simmental cattle in the United States.  We had cow number 22 in the American Simmental Association and sold bulls and club calves all over the US and Canada.

We have lots of special activities at the Colony that we are proud of.  My mother, Anna Stahl, always has some prized poultry she enjoys raising and my brother Bill is Chief of the Cheadle Rural Fire Dept and is always happy to show off his latest fire fighting equipment.  My Dad, John Stahl, loves to give tours of the Colony’s modern meat processing facility that handled over 700 animals last year.  In addition to my work at the Colony, I have been a first responder for the Grass Range Ambulance District for over 10 years and have recently been elected Chief Election Judge for the Grass Range Election District.  Another specialty of our Colony is catering meals for special occasions with such delicacies as roast pig or roast quarter of beef.

We always welcome visitors to the colony with advance notice.  Give me a call at 406-428-2362 and we can discuss your interests and the kind of visit that you’d find most rewarding.

 

King Colony

Hello!  My name is Rita Hofer and I am pleased to introduce to the King Colony.  We are located about 10 miles west of Lewistown on Highway 87 and then 2 miles north along Kolin/Ross Fork  Road.  Our Colony now owns the King Ranch which was one of the most famous and prosperous ranches in this part of Central Montana.  It was first settled by Christ King in 1881 and the original cabin he built still stands on the property. The Ranch was operated by two sons, Anton and Joseph, until a combination of difficult economic conditions during the Great Depression and Joseph’s death in 1934 led to the sale of the Ranch to a Hutterite  Colony led by Reverend Joseph Stahl in 1935.  Our Colony now has 13 families and a total population of 55 people.

Many of our farm and ranch operations are for our own consumption, but we do have a commercial dairy and cow/calf operation.  I keep very busy with work at the Colony but also find time to Chair the local School Board and work as a precinct election worker.  I am especially proud of the pheasant wreathes and I also do sewing craft work.  My husband “Shorty” (Walter) Hofer works with the farming.  I have always been an advocate of higher education for the children and am especially happy that my son Wesley is pursuing his college degree on line.

We often have visitors and I enjoy sharing the history of the ranch with them as well as giving them a glimpse into contemporary Hutterite life.  If you would like to visit, call me at 406-538-8840 and we can discuss a convenient time and the things that would be of most interest to you.

 

Spring Creek Colony

Hi!  My name is Kathy Walter.  I am a member of the Spring Creek Colony located 14 miles northwest of Lewistown on Highway 426.  Our Colony has a long history that goes back to 1912 when the King Ranch sold the lower (north) portion of their Ranch to a Hutterite Colony led by Jacob Stahl of Wolf Creek, South Dakota.  During World War I, however, persecution of the Hutterites due largely to their pacifist beliefs and German heritage led them to sell the Colony and emigrate to Canada.  Subsequently, in 1946, Jacob Walter and Paul Walter led a colony that that once again purchased the ranch.  Today, we have about 20,000 acres with 13 families and a total population of 46 people. Like the King Colony, we have a commercial dairy and a cow/calf operation in addition to much agriculture that we pursue for our own consumption.

We stay very busy at the Colony but find time to do volunteer work with the rural fire department in Moore.  If you come visit, I’ll be sure to show you our beautiful new kitchen and dining complex of which we are very proud.  We also have special interests that we pursue when time permits.   I am particularly known for my wild Chokecherry and wild Juneberry jellies and syrups.  My husband Jim is quite a builder and recently has been making sheds and small storage buildings for people in the area. 

If you are interested in learning more about our Colony, I’d be happy to talk with you about a convenient time for a visit and the things in which you’d be most interested.  Just give me a call at 406-538-5160.