The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-02-20
THE sEPARATIsTs OF zoAR.

A Queer Old World Village in Central
Ohio-One Instance in Which COM
mon Ownership Has Worked Success
fully-A Community in Which Peace
and Prosperity Abide.
One of the most picturesque villages
i'll this country is the little town of
Zoar with it's peculiar history and its
peculiar people. 1t lies in a fertile val
ley, Watered by many springs and
threaded by the Tuscarawas river.
It's inhabitants are mainly descend
ants Of the original settlers, who came
from Wurtemburg, Bavaria and Baden
IN the year 1917 to escape religious per-
secution in their mother country.
These refugees were called Separatis.s
on account Of their withdrawal from,
the Lutheran and Romans Catholic
faiths
The separatists, three hundred and
fltty in number, arrived at Philadel-
phla IN destitute condition, and We're
given shelter by the friendly Quakers
in the City of Brotherly Love. The
leader of the prosecuted religionists
was man of strong character and
great intellect, Joseph Bimeler by
name. To his efforts are due the pres
| ent prosperity and well-being of the
Socitey of Separatists of Zoar.
| After a few months in America Mr.
Bimeler effected the purchase of a tract
of land, fifty-five hundred acres in ex-
tent, situated in the unbroken forests
|
| OF OHIO. TO obtain this he gave his
note for the entire fifteen thousand
dollars of purchase money
In the autumn of 1917 a number Of
| people were sent to Ohio to provide
| habitations for these to follow. In The
spring of 1918 the mass of emigrants
arrived at the settlement, which was
named Zoar in honor of the city t.
which Lot fled from Sodom. After {
year and half of extreme restitution
a community of property was pro
posed, and finally in February, 1882
the Society of Separatists of Zoar wa.
Incorporated under the laws of Ohio
and has since remained in effect
The corporation owns and control.
everything. Individuals possess NJ
separate rights of property, the theory
being the greatest good to the creates
number. The members contribute
their labor and time to the community
receiving in turn the necessities of life
Everything beyond that goes to a com
mon fund. The children of member
can be admitted to the society on at
tanning majority, but are required t,
undergo a years probation before ad
mission to full membership
During the construction of the Obi
Canal, which passes through Zoar, tn
Separatists took a contract, and al
able bodied members worked there un
til its completion, thus earning mucl
of the money to pay for their land.
The present society numbers abou
three hundred. The people are quie
and moral No member has ever bee
expelled Joseph Bimeler was tn
leader in religious as well as in mu
nicipal affairs. All religious service
We're conducted by him, and so muc
were his sermons admired that afte
his death they were written from mem
DRY by one of his congregation, an
from that time forward to the presen
day these diScourses are read in tn
Zoar house of worship in preference t
more modern or original efforts. TIL
honor of reading them is conferre
upon the oldest man in the community
The older buildings in Zoar ar
rooted with red tiles, some of ther
moss grown and spotted with age, Civ
ing to them a picturesque effect to h
found nowhere else in America. 9th
ers are shingled in an old-fashioneC
side-lapped manner, and the littl
wooden slabs on some of the roofs ar
SO curled and warped by wind an
weather as to present a frilled appear
ance as novel as it is attractive.
Although behind the times in a
buildings save the new hotel, in som
respects Zoar is more modern. Fac
Continued on Tenth Page.)