Picture courtesy of Historic Bethel German Colony, inc..

Picture courtesy of Historic Bethel German Colony, inc..

During the late 18th and early 19th century, many communal colonies were established in the United States. Examples of these are the Amana colonies in Iowa, Zoar in Ohio and New Harmony in Indiana. Bethel German Colony, similar to those colonies, was founded in 1844 by Dr. Wilhelm Keil, a charismatic religious leader who sought to create a harmonious, nurturing community for its citizens.

Today, the village's survival is dependent on its history as the most successful utopian society established in 19th century Missouri. Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, 1970, Bethel remain as much as it did 150 years ago. 32 of the original colony structures are still standing and serve as a catalyst to organize some of the descendants of the 19th century settlers, to dedicate themselves in the preservation efforts to the architectural structures and customs of the original colony.

Keil was born in Prussia on March 6, 1812. During his lifetime, he shifted occupations many times. In Darmstadt, he was a milliner, in New York, a tailor, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a druggist and doctor. After being converted to German Methodism by Dr. William Nast, he became a preacher. Soon he separated from the Methodist Church and became an independent preacher. When Keil began preaching in Pittsburgh, he found a nucleus for a Christian communal society within a group of people who had split from the Harmonist Society. These were joined by other converts to Keil’s doctrine of Christian communal life. Promised nothing but bread, water and hard work by Keil, his followers sold their property in Pennsylvania, Ohio and other states and undertook the arduous journey to the Far West to establish their colony on the sparsely settled prairies of north Missouri.

Step back in time to the days when communal societies were a way of life - when no doors were locked - for what was yours was also your neighbors.

Fervently believing in the value of Christian communal living, in 1844 he purchased 2,560 acres in Shelby County, where the group formed the Society of Bethel (in 1972 emerged as The Bethel German Communal Colony, and today is Historic Bethel Colony), in its heyday ten years later, the colony held over 4,000 acres of land. Agriculturally self-sufficient, settlers shared their land, property and labor successfully supporting thriving industries including a tannery, lumber mill, flower mill, tailor shop, carding and spinning operation, and distillery. The bricks, to construct the buildings, were also made on site.

The colony had 35 very successful years, but following Kiel's death in Oregon in 1877, struggled and then dissolved slowly between 1879 and 1881, due to a lack of strong leadership.

Throughout the last three decades, Bethel has garnered a regional reputation for its festivals. Holding four to six each year, past events have included the Harvest Fest, Christmas in Bethel, the Fiddle Fest, and the World Sheep Fest, in addition to wood carving, antique, and quilt shows and sales. This year, 2006, the Fiddle Fest will be held in June, as the World Sheep Fest, the Wildflower Fest, and Fall Heritage Fest in Sept., and Christmas in Bethel in December, all have gained particular popularity. The Bethel Brass Band, an institution for over 150 years, performs at most of the annual festivals.

Local businesses cater to the historic atmosphere found in Bethel, and the residents take pride in preserving old German customs. Gift shops sell the wares of local craft persons. Since 1987, the Bethel Youth Fiddle Camp has exposed children in the region to the instrument and the many traditions surrounding it in frontier history. Efforts continue in Bethel to preserve and interpret the history of Germans in the state and of utopian societies in the United States.

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