Who Are the Hutterites and How Many Live in South Dakota?

Published June 4, 2023 By admin with Comments 0

The Hutterite sect traces its roots back to the 16th century, with its founder, Jakob Hutter, in what is now parts of Austria and Italy. In the 1870s, nearly all of them emigrated to the United States and Canada, including the Dakota Territory.

Since their arrival, the Hutterites have made several spots in South Dakota their home and their population is bigger than you might think.

Some of the first Hutterites to come to what is now South Dakota settled along the Missouri River near the town of Springfield. This was eventually named the Bon Homme Colony. These days there are at least 62 colonies in the Mount Rushmore State, and a population of around 40,000 spread across Western Canada, Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Minnesota. While the majority of Hutterites live in Canada, South Dakota has the largest number of colonies in the United States.

Another important aspect of Hutterite life is agriculture. In fact, over 10 percent of South Dakota farmers are Hutterites.

Some South Dakota Counties have a fairly large Hutterite population. The four highest are:

Faulk County: 19.8%Hanson County: 15.1%McPherson County: 12.16%Clark County: 11.32%

While the Hutterite sect shares many similarities with the Amish, there are also some stark differences:

Content retrieved from: https://973kkrc.com/ixp/481/p/who-are-the-hutterites-and-how-many-live-in-south-dakota/.