The Amish in Montana trace their roots back to 16th-century southern Germany. Following alleged corruption in the church, many groups emerged seeking radical change, such as the Amish. Facing persecution, they fled across Eastern Europe and eventually settled in the United States.
Today, Montana is one of the many places the Amish call home. They live off the land in remote regions of the state. Four hundred years later, not much has changed in their way of life.
Who are the Amish of Montana? Let’s have a look.
In this article:
- 11 facts about Montana’s Amish
- Amish books
- Who are the Amish of Montana?
- Where do the Amish in Montana originate from?
- What’s the lifestyle of Montana’s Amish?
- What are some rules of Montana’s Amish communities?
- What language do Montana’s Amish speak?
- Amish cuisine
- Clothing of Montana’s Amish
- What do the Amish in Montana do for a living?
- Order Amish furniture online
- Societal structure
- Religious practice and service
- What’s the difference between the Hutterites and Amish in Montana?
- FAQ – Amish in Montana
11 facts about Montana’s Amish community
Below are eleven facts about Montana’s Amish community:
- Eastern European origins. The Amish communities in Montana originate from south Germany and the surrounding areas (Switzerland, Italy, etc.).
- 400 years of migration. They trace their origins back to the Anabaptists of 400+ years ago, formed during the Radical Reformation.
- Religious service once in two weeks. The Amish generally attend a long religious service every second Sunday.
- No vehicles. The Amish only travel by horse and buggy.
- No phones. Generally, the Amish reject modern technology such as phones, electricity, and automated farming equipment.
- Pacifist. Amish are pacifists and do not join the military.
- Communal lifestyle. While they are not strictly communal and private property is permitted, they are community focused and help each other as needed.
- Self-sufficient. The Amish generally grow and eat their own food.
- Rumspringa. From ages 14 – 18, Amish children are permitted to leave the colony, join the ‘English world’, and decide for themselves if they wish to leave entirely or return.
- They sing from the oldest continuously used Christian songbook.
- They are bilingual, speaking German with each other and English with the ‘English world’.
Let’s take a deeper look into their culture and discover who, exactly, are the Amish in Montana.
Who are the Amish of Montana?
The Amish in Montana are direct descendants of Anabaptists from the Radical Reformation of Europe in the 16th century. Today, they live in remote areas of Montana, isolated from city life. They live off the land, reject most technology, and live a communal lifestyle.
Where do the Amish in Montana originate from?
400 years ago in Europe, alleged corruption within the church triggered the Radical Reformation, from which multiple religious groups emerged desiring change. Facing prosecution, many of these groups fled from country to country. The Amish ultimately settled in the United States in the 17th century.
The Amish originate from the Swiss Reformation, led by Jakob Amman, which later evolved into the Swiss Brethren, and further divided over the following centuries. This resulted in several groups of Amish (Old Order Amish, New Order Amish, various groups of Amish Mennonites, Beachy Amish, Old Beachy Amish, and others).
Each group varies slightly in its practices, beliefs, and dress. The conservative Amish groups are generally referred to as Old Order Amish.
How did they end up in Montana?
When the Amish came to the United States, they settled in Pennsylvania for the lack of religious persecution and attractive land offers. Over the 18th and 19th centuries, waves of Amish immigrants arrived in the United States, settling in various states. The first Amish appeared in the state in 1903, though they did not establish a long-term Montana Amish community.
The Amish in Montana have had a continuous presence here only since 1974. They first settled in Rexford, with the intention of returning to their agricultural roots.
The Amish in Montana live in remote areas of the state, isolated from cities in towns, living in relatively the same way they did 400 years ago. Unlike other Anabaptist groups, like some Mennonites and Hutterites, they reject modern technologies, such as telephones, automobiles, and farming technology.
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What’s the lifestyle of Montana’s Amish community? Work, community, and faith
The Amish in Montana live in isolated communities in remote areas of the state. They value work, family, and community, and they obey the rules of their faith. Families have many children and in their free time, they value socializing with neighbors and relatives.
At their core is the belief in humility, calmness, composure, and pacifism. Their faith-based rules governing their lives are laid out in the “Ordnung”, which baptized male and female members vote on twice a year. For example, they are communal but can own property and earn salaries.
They generally don’t drive automobiles and reject labor-saving farming technology. They drive horses and buggies and use non-mechanized farm equipment, such as homemade baskets during the vegetable harvest. But there is a reason for this.
Why do the Amish reject cars, phones, and other technology?
A key concept for understanding Amish practices is the high value they place on Gelassenheit (humility, calmness, and composure). Non-Amish may understand Gelassenheit as reluctance to be forward or self-promoting.
Some of their primary faith-based values are work and community, which serves as a motive for rejecting labor-saving technologies. Technology can reduce the need for work and reliance on the community.
In their view, electricity can spark competition for status products, and photographs may cultivate vanity.
Which Amish communities use which technology?
What technologies do they actually use and which ones do they reject?
Let’s have a look.
This chart outlines which technologies are used by which groups.
The groups at the bottom are generally the more liberal ones.
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What are some rules of Montana’s Amish communities?
Here are 12 common rules found in the Ordnung of many Amish communities:
- Cars are forbidden
- Electricity and electrical appliances are generally forbidden with exceptions for medical needs
- Eight grade is the maximum education level permitted in some communities
- Work each day except Sunday
- Attend a longer religious service one Sunday every two weeks
- Divorce is forbidden
- Adult baptism
- Photos aren’t allowed in some communities
- The dress code for men and women is strict and requires plain-colored clothing
- They are pacifists and do not join militaries or fight wars
- Beards represent marital status, and unmarried men generally don’t sport beards
- Mustaches are generally forbidden, as they associate mustaches with the military, which they strongly oppose according to their pacifist beliefs.
Can the Amish leave the colony?
Members of the Amish community aged 14-18 participate in Rumspringa, a time in which they leave the colony to experience life with the ‘English world’. During this time, they decide if they want to leave the colony for good or return.
Some Amish communities also take vacations to other states. For example, Sarasota, Florida, is a popular vacation destination for some Amish communities in the eastern United States.
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What language do Montana’s Amish speak?
All Amish communities speak some form of German, such as Pennsylvanian dutch, Bernese German, or the Low Alemannic Alsatian dialect. The primary language among Old Order Amish is Pennsylvanian Dutch. Like many other Anabaptists, the Amish are bilingual, speaking German on the colony and English with nonmembers.
Amish cuisine
Food is a major part of Amish culture and today’s Amish food has been shaped by their lifestyle and the resources available to them over the past 300 years.
Traditional Amish food includes things like:
- Mashed potatoes & gravy
- Seasoned vegetables
- Homemade bread
The Amish, like other Anabaptist groups, are also known for their wonderful baked goods.
Clothing of the Montana Amish
The Amish in Montana select fabrics and sew their clothing by hand. Their dress code requires solid, plain-colored garments.
The way they fasten their clothing varies across communities. Buttons are seen as flashy among certain Amish communities – these groups use metal snaps or hook and eye closures.
Men’s clothing
Men generally wear:
- Solid-colored, collared shirts
- Wide-brimmed hats
- Jackets
Mens’ pants generally have no outside pockets.
Women’s clothing
Female Amish wear:
- Calf-length dresses of plain colors
- Bonnets
- Aprons
Women’s bonnets and Prayer kapps represent unity through religious faith among each woman who wears one.
What do the Amish in Montana do for a living?
Overall, Amish work in various occupations. Many work the land as farmers, while many earn a living from Amish-owned establishments, such as:
- Small shops
- Carpentry businesses
- Construction companies
Some are even employees of non-Amish companies.
Amish woodworking and furniture
Many Amish are well-known as expert woodworkers. Amish furniture has a reputation for being extremely well-built with simple, attractive esthetics.
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Societal structure
Amish have a less formal structure among their communities than, for example, the Hutterites. In Hutterite colonies, there is the “farm boss”, “business boss”, etc. In Amish communities, there are no such leaders of societal segments.
Each man in the Amish community is in charge of his livelihood and is responsible for his family’s own finances. At the same time, the Amish focus on helping community members when needed.
Religious practice & service among Montana’s Amish
The frequency and duration of religious service among Montana’s Amish differ slightly from other Anabaptist groups, such as the Hutterites.
The Hutterites attend a half-hour service almost every day, and a one-hour service every Sunday.
However, the Amish attend one longer service every second Sunday. In-between Sundays are for family bonding and community activities. The Montana Amish also attend religious services on religious holidays, as well as marriage and funeral ceremonies.
What’s the difference between Montana’s Amish and Hutterites?
Hutterites and Amish are two of the many Anabaptist groups that trace their roots to 16th-century Europe. However, there are slight differences between the two, such as their farming practices, acceptance of technology, religious practices, the location of their colonies, and more.
| Amish | Hutterites | |
| Modern technology | Generally rejected | Generally accepted |
| Religious service | One long service every two weeks | Church service almost every day |
| Communal living | Less strict, each family is generally responsible for their finances; property ownership | Communal; No property ownership |
| Clothing | Handmade | Handmade |
| Community location | Remote areas, away from city life | Remote areas, away from city life |
| Countries | U.S. (northwest, midwest, and eastern) | Northwest U.S. and Canada |
| Education | Stops after grade 8 | Children are generally allowed to receive higher education |
Learn all about Montana’s Hutterites here.
FAQ – Amish in Montana
Below are answers to commonly asked questions about the Amish in Montana.
Where do most Amish live in Montana?
Amish communities in Montana are located in Lincoln County, Fergus County, Jefferson County, Lake County, and Rosebud County. They are spread out across the state, from Rexford in the northwest to Rosebud county in the eastern plains.
How many Amish colonies are in Montana?
There are 5 Amish communities in Montana across the state, from Rexford in the northwest to Rosebud county in the east. In 2024, the Amish population in Montana is roughly 1,300 members.
How many Amish live in Montana?
As of 2024, the Amish population in Montana consists of about 1,300 members.
What are the Amish people called in Montana?
The Amish in Montana are called Amish. This group is different from Hutterites and Mennonites. All three gropus trace their roots back to a similar region of Europe during the Radical Reformation. Mennonites and Hutterites also have communities in Montana.
Where else do the Amish live, besides Montana?
Amish communities are located across the northwest, midwest, and northeast United States. The highest concentration of Amish communities is in Pennsylvania and the surrounding states of the midwest. There are almost no Amish communities in the southwest United States.
Which US state has the most Amish?
According to an Elizabethtown College study, Pennsylvania is home to the largest population of Amish, containing over 74,250 Amish residents.
Ohio has the second-largest Amish population in the United States, with 73,780 Amish residents.
Dive deeper into Amish culture with Amish Books
Want to take a deep dive into Amish culture? Then these selected books are for you.
They offer a unique glimpse into the lives of the Amish. Enjoyable, pleasant reading for anyone interested in the life and history of the Amish.
The Amish
(87 ratings)The best Amish book if you know a lot about the Amish, or if you know nothing about the Amish. There is a wide variation of customs between the hundreds of Amish communities. This is the best book to start from, for everyone.
Amish Friends From Scratch Cookbook
(551 ratings)Skip the factory-made shortcuts and start from scratch with splendid, traditional Amish recipes in this wonderful Amish cookbook!
Amish in Their Own Words
(44 ratings)The writings of Amish people across North America are compiled from the first 25 years of monthly Amish magazine “Family Life”. Articles, history lessons, parables, questions, and challenges offer a wide spectrum of human experience, from the Amish point of view.
