The Clark, Missouri, Old Order Amish Settlement is located in north central Missouri (Randolph County). The first Amish families moved into this area in 1953, although church services did not begin until a year later. Settlers were mainly from Iowa who were seeking greater freedom in the education of their children. In 1986 there were six church districts (congregations) serving a population of more than 1,000. The settlement maintained nine Amish schools with nearly all of its school-age children attending these rather than public schools. The Clark community was unique in 1986 in that its 124 families lived in a tightly knit area with Amish farms adjacent to each other for miles along its country roads. An earlier settlement, also from Iowa, but located 10 mi./16 km. farther east, disbanded in 1918. The Clark community was one of the largest of 12 Amish settlements in Missouri.

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 5, p. 165. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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