The Largest Old Order Amish Settlement West of the Mississippi River

This charming community has antique shops, gift shops, Amish Bakeries, restaurants, Amish stores, craft stores, bulk food stores, and more. Come "Step Back In Time" and enjoy a slow paced getaway in this fast paced world!

Jamesport and It's History

The first white man to buy government land in this area was Jesse Harris in 1830. The log cabin he built to house his family in 1836 now stands in the Jamesport City Park. His neighbors were the Sauk and Fox Indians. The Jamesport area was located on prairie land between the East and West Grand Rivers. The area was dotted with hardwood trees, many hundreds of feet tall and 4 foot through. The surrounding plains were covered with prairie grass so tall they would hide a horseback rider.                                                                     The town was first known as Auberry Grove, after Thomas M. Auberry, later being changed to Grant. The town was laid out in 1857 by Dr. James Allen and James Gililan. The first train steamed into town on June 25, 1871. The town was incorporated as a city in 1872 and it's name changed to Jamesport.                                                                                                                                                                                                            The first Amish people came to the Jamesport area and settled in 1953 and it has grown to the largest settlement in Missouri.Currently there are 150 families living in the rich farm land of the area.                                                                                                                                     The Old Order Amish are direct descendants of the Mennonite Anabaptist, a group that formed during the Reformation in Germany and Switzerland, founded by Jacob Amman in the late 1600's. He felt like the Mennonites were too causal in their religious observance. The Amish arose as a distinct community of believers whose lives were harshly governed by Biblical law. In the 1720's the first group of Amish emigrated to America seeking religious tolerance and good farm land. Today there are Amish settlements in at least 19 states and Canada. Persons professing the Mennonite faith settled in the Jamesport community in the early 1990's and the population continues to grow.              The Amish live in modest homes of rural farms, and travel by means of horse drawn vehicles. Their peaceful lifestyles evolve around a close-knit family, the discipline of their faith, and the utilization of the land. All of which can be seen as you travel the rolling hills and countryside in our area. Their religion forbids any reliance upon technology, so they don't use electricity. The tools and farm implements are from by-gone era, and are antiques and replicas of pre-World War 11 relics. Field work is done with the aid of horses and horse drawn implements.The young and old alike work side by side to insure the acquisition of a trade and to work for a common family goal. Skills are passed down from generation to generation. Amish women spend their days caring for the young children, working in a kitchen and teaching the children their heritage. Children are considered to be a gift from God. They are raised in a loving environment, instilled with traditional values and taught the importance of their heritage. They attend one of 8 parochial one room schools in the area and only go to the 8th grade.