THE ZOAR SOCIETY: APPLICANTS
FOR MEMBERSHIP
By EDGAR B. NIXON
The Society of Separatists of Zoar,
Ohio, was one of the
more successful of the many cooperative
communities which
appeared in this country during the last
century. Zoar was
founded by German peasants and artisans
who emigrated from
Wurtemburg in 1817 to escape the civil
and ecclesiastical perse-
cution to which they had been subjected
as members of the
Separatist faith. The Separatists were
dissentients from the
German Lutheran Church, pietists and
mystics, whose uncompro-
mising pacifism and abhorrence of
ritual, formalism and the regu-
lar clergy had made them unwelcome in
their own land. They
established a settlement in Tuscarawas
County, Ohio, in 1817,
and in 1819 they formed a Gutergemeinschaft,
or community of
property, which endured until 1898.1
Zoar, and the other religious societies,
such as Harmony,
Amana, and the Shakers, are sometimes
compared with the
Fourier phalansteries, of which Brook
Farm is probably the best
known. In point of fact, these societies
differed considerably
both in methods and objectives, although
they were on common
ground in their attack on the problem of
economic security. It
was largely this phase of their activity
which attracted popular
attention and applicants for admission.
Some of the letters writ-
ten by those seeking membership in the
Zoar Society are extant,
and of these the more typical have been
made the subject of
this paper. These letters are
descriptive, in a measure, of the
1 The Zoar Society was practically
self-contained economically, supplying almost
all the needs of its members through its
shops, mills, and farms. It was governed by a
board of trustees, regularly elected by
both men and women members. The trustees
contracted with each member to supply
him with maintenance in exchange for his
labor. The Society attained its greatest
prosperity in the middle years of the last
century, when it owned over 10,000 acres
of land, and was worth approximately a
million dollars. For accounts, see
Charles Nordhoff, The Communistic Societies of the
United States (New York, 1876); George B. Landis, "The
Separatists of Zoar," in
American Historical Association, Annual
Reports (New York, 1885-), 1898, 165-220; E.
O. Randall, History of the Zoar
Society (Columbus, Ohio, 1904); Edgar B. Nixon, The
Society of Separatists of Zoar, MS. (Doctoral
dissertation, in the Ohio State University
Library).
(341)
342 OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND
HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
place occupied by the Society in the
popular thought of the period,
and as such, may be of interest.2
The applicants represented various
classes of American soci-
ety, and widely separated parts of the
United States. Among
them were recently arrived German
immigrants, disillusioned by
the unexpected difficulties encountered
in the land of promise.
Others were farmers or mechanics, not
especially interested in
communism or Separatist doctrine, but
eager to find the security
which the world had denied them. Some
were attracted to Zoar
by religious reasons. A few represented
the so-called white col-
lar class of clerks, shopkeepers, and
teachers, who saw in Zoar
a Brook Farm that had succeeded. The
applicants learned of
the Society through various channels,
from former members, rela-
tives, chance acquaintances, and through
accounts in newspapers
and
periodicals. The Society never engaged in proselytism,
and with a few exceptions, non-Germans
were not admitted.3
Nevertheless, letters asking for
admission were received through-
out the period of the community's
existence and for years after
its dissolution.
The letters of application were read by
the cashier of the
Society, who acted as secretary. If an
applicant appeared to
possess the required qualifications, and
if there was a need for
his particular trade or craft, his
request was submitted to the
trustees, who then decided whether or
not he should be admitted.
If accepted, he signed probationary
articles which admitted him
to the first-class of membership. At the
conclusion of one year,
the probationer could ask to be received
into full membership,
and if no objections were raised by any
member, he was allowed
to sign the final contract. Children of
the community did not
automatically become members, but were
obliged to follow the
procedure described above.4
2 The writer is indebted to Dr. H. A.
Coleman, New Philadelphia, Ohio, for the
use of the applicants' letters cited in
this paper.
3 Unless otherwise indicated, the
applications cited below may be presumed to
have been rejected. Few of the replies
made by the Society have been discovered;
those cited are in the form of drafts.
Usually the action taken by the Society has
been ascertained from the endorsements
on the applicants' letters, or by an examina-
tion of the membership rolls in the Zoar
Historical Society MSS. Apparently many
new members gained admission through
personal application, and little is known of
the circumstances attending such
accessions.
4 Constitution of the Separatist Society
of Zoar, May 14, 1833 (in Zoar Historical
Society MSS.). This superseded the two
earlier constitutions of 1819 and 1824.
ZOAR SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP APPLICANTS 343
The general policy followed was
described by Jacob Sylvan,
one of the trustees, in a letter to
Charles Kielman, of the
Ebenezer Society,5 June 4,
1854:
Sincere applicants are usually not
denied admittance. These must
endure a probationary period, during
which time we learn to know them,
and they us, more intimately. After
this, they can decide whether or not
they wish to remain. The principal goal
and purpose of our Society con-
sists in this: living together as
brothers and sisters, and to fulfill this
mutual obligation, private ownership is
not allowed, nor will previously
acquired obligations be assumed. Who
would live with us must submit to
the existing order and mode of life. The
hours of labor are not less here
than there; however, no more is demanded
of anyone than what he is
able to do. Small regard is had for
wealth or poverty; much more for
integrity and faithfulness. All those
who assume membership with sin-
cerity are satisfied with their daily
subsistence, clothing, etc., and scorn
all other reward save that found in
God's religion. Thy further question
concerning marriage is regarded as most
pre sumptious, and is therefore
unfavorably received. To be sure,
marriage is not forbidden here, but
he who remains single does better.6
New members were received more freely
from 1819 to 1834
than in any succeeding period. The
greatest influx occurred from
1830 to 1834, when at least 170 men, women, and children
were
taken into the community. Most of these
were friends and rela-
tives of those who had emigrated from
Wiirtemburg in 1817.7
Accessions from this source abruptly
declined after 1834, due,
probably, to news of the cholera epidemic
of that year which car-
ried off a third of the population of
Zoar. However, correspond-
ence between the Separatists and their
acquaintances in Germany
continued until the middle of the
century, and occasionally
resulted in the addition of new members.
Some of the letters received by the
Society in 1848, and
in the years immediately following,
reflected the troubled times
of that period of revolution. George
Belque, of Rothenacker,
Wurtemburg, had written his
brother-in-law in Zoar, Ludwig
Birk, and, judging from the latter's
reply, had asked for financial
assistance to send his son's family to
America. In Birk's letter,
August 4, 1848, he said that it was
inadvisable to send the
amount requested, one hundred guilders,
in view of the disturbed
conditions in Germany, and suggested
that the money be bor-
5 The Community of True Inspiration, of
Ebenezer, New York, later removed to
Amana, Iowa, where it became known as
the Amana Society.
6 This, and the succeeding translations,
have been made from the German by
the writer.
7 Membership rolls (in Zoar Historical
Society MSS.).
344
OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
rowed by Belque's son from another
emigrant. Referring to
the revolution in Germany, Birk said:
I am afraid that your troubles will not
end soon, for from all indi-
cations the time of judgment is at hand,
and happy are those who can
remain under the protection of the
Almighty. The misfortunes to which
you refer are, of course, not unknown to
us here; we read of them daily
in the newspapers, and as I said, I am
afraid a great revolution is ahead
of you, in which thousands will be
killed.8
The letters written by recently arrived
immigrants often
contained interesting comments on the
localities to which they
had come. The following passage, from a
letter written by
Roman Blaser, of New Braunfels, Texas,
is typical of this group:
I was impelled to go to Texas because I
had heard this state highly
praised, and because conditions had
become too bad in Germany. But it
is certain that Texas does not suit me,
because in summer, or in other
words, the entire year, it is too hot,
but let a north wind arise then it
becomes so dreadfully cold that no one
can work, and the worst of it is,
people have no money. I am following the
potter's trade here, but am
doing poorly. In the last two years I
have not made enough to send
transportation money to my wife in
Germany, but I am still hoping she
will come this fall. So I would like to
ask you, if there would not be
something in my trade, or something
else, if not with you then in the
neighborhood, whereby I could support
myself with my wife and four
children. I have always heard the state
of Ohio highly praised, but
everyone says it is over-populated.9
However, none of the letters of this
class of applicants
possessed the eloquent appeal of the one
written by a resident
of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and
addressed to the "Hon. Com-
munity of the Zoarites":
A friend of mine gave me the direction
to your Seat, I hope you
excuse me the liberty I take to addresse
this letter to your Community:
I am a lost Sheep looking for a harbor,
and think by calling at your
Community I may find a place wher a
deeply improved man can find
Strength to continue the trial on this
Earth. I am a draughtsman by
trade but misfortunately for me my view
got to week to work any longer
in that business, so I did since some
times other kind of work specially
Garden and Farm Work, but couldn't find
till yet a place where really
peace is at home, that fetshes me to the
decision to join a religious
Community.
I have a small Capital on hand and I
like to place it the way to
secure me a home for ever, where I could
tend to the wellfare of the
Soul by doing not to rough Work besides.
My age is 35 years, unmaried,
and I got no Notion to get maried. I
would like to live on a quit place
where the true principles of God are in
use, by practising them I think men
only can get the true Spirit of God.
8 Translation.
9 July 10, 1852. Translation. According
to the endorsement on this letter. Blaser
was advised to look for employment in
Cincinnati.
ZOAR SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP APPLICANTS 345
Please let me know if you are willing to
receive me as member, I
could furnish good References if you
like to have some, I am a native
German, and dont feel happy till yet in
this Country, I am looking for
peace and am sure their is a place for
me where I find some.
Expecting a soonly favorable anser I
remain Respectfully yours
truly.10
As has been pointed out, many of those
who entered the
Society in the early years of its
existence were relatives of the
founders. They were probably impelled to
emigrate for political
and economic reasons as well as
religious, but they were undoubt-
edly at one with their predecessors in
spiritual matters. Many
of those who asked for admission in
later years avowed their
religious zeal, and some professed an
acquaintance with, and an
acceptance of, the Separatist faith.
Thus, a couple from Illinois
wished to become members so that they
might rear their children
among devout people.11 A group of
applicants from New Hamp-
shire, interested in religion, and
wishing to live a retired life,
thought that in Zoar they would be
protected from the tempta-
tions of the world.12 A New
Jersey factory worker asked to be
accepted as a "spiritual
member," and from Massachusetts came
the request of a man who said he had
some knowledge of the
Separatist faith and accepted it.14
Without questioning the sincerity of these
people, their let-
ters displayed no acquaintance, in the
slightest degree, with the
mystical pietism on which Separatism was
based, and, indeed, it
would have been surprising if they had.
One exception should
be noted, however, in the letter written
by the widow of a New
England circuit-rider,15 who
had learned of the Society through
an article in the New York Tribune.16
She expressed her sur-
prise and delight in discovering the
existence of a group of fol-
lowers of her patron saint, Jacob
Boehme, the Saxon mystic of
the sixteenth century, from whose
doctrines much of Separatism
derived. She described the difficulties
she had encountered in
obtaining literature concerning Boehme,
and then asked if a per-
10 Joseph Ulmer, March, 1877.
11 Johann Rossman, Hecker, Illinois, to
the Society, June 26, 1875. In German.
12 A. W. Birbeck,
Enfield, New Hampshire, to id., November 9, 1876.
13 Rudolph
Hoffman, Newark, New Jersey, to id., October 5, 1875. In German.
14 K. Codman (his mark), Turner Falls,
Massachusetts, to id., October 5, 1875.
15 Elisabeth G. Schermerhorn, East Limington, Maine, to id., October
23, 1859.
16 "The Separatists of Ohio,"
in the issue of October 19, 1859; reprinted from
"A Visit to the Village of
Zoar," in the Ohio Statesman (Columbus, Ohio), Septem-
ber 18, 1859.
346
OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
son could be a member of the Separatist
church although not a
resident of Zoar.
Sylvan, replying for the Society,17
said that the Zoar com-
munism had existed for forty years
according to the precepts of
the early Christian Fathers, but that
such a life was possible only
for those willing to practice the
greatest self-denial. To become
a member, it was necessary to live in
the community, for the
obligations of membership could not be
performed elsewhere, but
added that the Separatists would not
deny their friends and
brethren even though these were unknown
to them.
Some of the applicants assumed that
their offers to affiliate
had merely to be stated to be accepted,
and others obligingly
informed the Society what work they
would be willing to do.
A man from Montgomery, Alabama,
"brought up a merchant,"
asked for admission, and was refused. In
his second letter, he
said he had been of the opinion that
every good citizen "possessed
of principal" was always readily
admitted.18 A miller offered to
operate the Society flour mill and to
keep it in repair, provided
he be given joiners or carpenters to
assist him.19
Most of the applicants were aware of the
condition imposed
on those entering into full membership,
that all possessions had
to be surrendered to the Society, and
made known their financial
status. This usually amounted to a few
hundred dollars or less,
although some owned property worth considerably more. A
man
from Michigan, addressing his letter
"To the Socialists at Zoar,"
said:
I could only add to the wealth of your
organization 500 dollars in
money. Will you as brethren of one great
family of the world pleas
answer this question immediately for
which you will have my heart felt
thanks. I visited your boddy some 5
years ago. For god & humanity, I
am your well wishing friend in the great
Cause in which you are
engaged.20
An Indiana farmer had more to offer. He
was willing to
relinquish his farm, valued at $5000, to
the Society, should he
and his wife be accepted. Alone in the
world and both past
17 November, 1859. In German.
18 W. P. Carter to the Society,
September 1; October 9, 1876.
19 John Miller, Forrest Mills, Missouri,
to id., January 16, 1860. In German.
20 Samuel Massey, Berrien Springs,
Michigan, to id., October 5, 1868.
ZOAR SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP APPLICANTS 347
fifty years of age, they did not like
their neighborhood, but had
no desire to "wander about the
world."21
Few of the letters suggested that their
authors had lived
other than prosaic, uneventful lives. Of
the exceptions, the let-
ter of one Oscar Nixdorf, of Union
Village, is interesting. He
had been born in Prussia in 1834, and
educated for the priest-
hood. Coming to the United States in
1860, he continued his
studies at St. Vincents, Westmoreland
County, Pennsylvania, but
had withdrawn after three years,
"feeling that cloister life was
not my calling." For six years he
had tried a number of occu-
pations, and for varying periods had
been a yardman, barkeeper,
gardener, teacher of French and English
in Montreal, soldier, and
hospital attendant. Now he wished to
settle down in some quiet
place:
Everything I have heard of Zoar, leads
me to believe that it would
be such a place; the communistic idea,
where all work for one goal, seems
to me most admirable .... All my life I
have felt the need of working
for a definite objective. ... I have
heard of the Shakers, but aside from
their dancing, that is, their modus servi,
they are an English community,
and I prefer a German one.22
Charles Nordhoff's The Communistic
Societies of the United
States was responsible for several letters of application in
the
years following its publication in 1875.
A teacher and physician
from Marietta, Ohio, wrote:
I have been reading an account of your
community in Nordhoff's
book and have been captured by it. I
have always favored the Commune
system based on morality and industry
but did not know of the existence
of Zoar. Had I known of you years ago I
should have sought the priv-
ilege of uniting. Of all the Communes I
have read about, yours meets
my most unqualified approval.23
Although many of the applicants
described their economic
vicissitudes in detail, few displayed
any bitterness or class con-
sciousness. Some were familiar with the
various Fourier col-
onies of the period, but few indicated
any interest in Marxian
socialism. One man, describing himself
as a socialist in prin-
ciple, said he would like to become one
in practice, if he could
find an organized group in the United
States holding views sim-
21 Christian L. Schaueffler, Brookville,
Indiana, to id., May 16, 1882. In German.
22 September 21, 1869. In German.
23 T. H. Rose to the Society, July 14,
1877.
348 OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL
QUARTERLY
ilar to his own as to the unity of
energy and capital.24 Another,
formerly a member of a Shaker community,
wrote:
I have been looking at the growing
difficulties between Capital and
Labor and I can see no way for Labor to
successfully compete with Capital
but by combining together in communities
of joint interest, and I believe
in this so firmly that I am willing to
give my life and strength to the
cause and in looking over all the different
Communities of America I see
no one where I could cast in my lot with
so good will as with you at
Zoar.25
A large proportion of the letters date
from the period 1875-
1880, and doubtless the widespread
unemployment of those years
caused many to look enviously at those
communities, which, like
Zoar, Amana, and Harmony, continued to
maintain their mem-
bers in security. Those attracted to
Zoar by its cooperative char-
acter forgot, however, that the
Separatists were more interested
in spiritual regeneration than in social
reformation. There is
little to indicate that any of the
members of the Society were
aware of the implications of the social
unrest of the period.
In this regard, a revealing passage is
found in a letter written
by Simon Beuter, of the Zoar Society, to
his friends, Henrici
and Lenz, of the Harmony Society, April 22,
1878. In speak-
ing of a man who had recently been
admitted to the Society,
he said:
He came here as a visitor in March from
Columbus, O., and repre-
sented himself to be a
communist--although as to the sort of principles
on which his communism is based I do not
know--I only know this, that
when I talked with him and presented him
with the true basis of com-
munal life, he invariably agreed with
me, which strikes me as a bit hypo-
critical.... I cannot decide whether the
man is sincere or not, but he
does not appeal to me. I don't like to
be a pessimist, would much rather
be an optimist, but the communistic revival
of these times has given rise
to so many marvellous theories, that one
has to be especially careful.26
Occasionally members of other
communities asked to be
received into the society. Sylvan's
reply to a member of the
True Inspirationists has been quoted
above. Several applications
were received from members of Shaker
communities, although,
as far as is known, the only Shaker to
gain admission was one
Amasa Blodgett, who came from his native
New Hampshire in
1841.27
One applicant, writing from South Union, Kentucky,
said that he had lived with the Shakers
for three years, but had
24 Samuel E. Massey, Abingdon, Illinois,
to id., May 9, 1860.
25 Sylvester Brewer, Lewisburg,
Kentucky, to id., June 19, 1876.
26 Zoar Historical Society MSS.
Translation.
27 William A. Hinds, American
Communities (Chicago, 1902), 101.
ZOAR SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP APPLICANTS 349
come to the conclusion that he was not
in harmony with their
beliefs.28 A woman member of
the Shaker colony at Dayton,
Ohio, complained that she was not
permitted to see as much of
her children as she liked and, moreover,
wanted to rear them in
a German community.29 A
Shaker from Pleasant Hill, Kentucky,
made inquiry concerning the religion,
manufactures, and language
of the Zoarites, and wished to know if
they were receiving mem-
bers.30
Another group of applicants included
those who looked upon
the Society as a sort of home for the
aged or incapacitated.
One man said he was lame, but hoped he
might be found useful
in some capacity.31 Another described
himself as "a young fel-
low of 60 years," but insisted that
he was still capable of enough
work to cover his maintenance, and
perhaps a bit more.32 With
these might be mentioned the
ex-soldiers, inmates of the soldiers'
homes, who sometimes offered rather
curious reasons for wishing
to affiliate with the Society. Thus, a
resident of the National
Soldiers' Home, Washington, D. C., who
had evidently visited
Zoar at one time, wrote in behalf of a
friend:
I have a fellow-countryman here who
would gladly become a member
of your Society. He is thirty-three
years of age, has a good character,
can work, and has several hundred
dollars in money; but he is not clever
enough to get along in the world. He has
had no education and is very
shy, and tells me that he would remain
with you all his life, if you would
take care of him, for he has no one to
look after him, and left to himself
he will go to the dogs, though he had
ten thousand dollars.33
Another veteran was doubtful whether he
could meet the
requirements for membership, but wished
to know if he could
live in Zoar for a month or two, while
he awaited the issuance
of his pension, and while he prepared
for a civil service ex-
amination.34
Besides those who asked to be admitted
as members, were
those who sought employment on the
community farms and in
the shops. The Society was never able to
man all its varied
industries from its own numbers, and
preferred to hire the addi-
28 Karl Gustav Andler to the Society,
April 22, 1875. In German.
29 Mary Dotterer to id., August
30, 1875. In German.
30 Thomas MacRae to id., January 13, 1876.
31 Th. Hennings, Euclid, Ohio, to id.,
January 30, 1856. In German.
32 Andreas Lang, Allegheny City,
Pennsylvania, to id., September 21, 1881. In
German.
33 Benjamin Roesstle to id., March 12, 1873. Translation.
34 George Schmidt, National Soldiers'
Home, Dayton, Ohio, to id., October 19,
1880. In German.
350
OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
tional workmen needed, rather than
increasing its membership by
indiscriminate admissions. Most of the
hired workmen were
employed in the seasonal agricultural
occupations, although men
of specialized crafts were sometimes
engaged. The greater num-
ber of those thus employed were recently
arrived German immi-
grants. Letters asking for work were
received from places as
far east as New York and New Jersey, and
as far west as
Iowa and Missouri. Many were farm
workers or unskilled
laborers, but included among these
applicants were millwrights,
carpenters, dyers, stone-cutters, and
masons.
A number of requests were received from
parents who
wished to place their children with the
Society for a time, usually
for the purpose of learning German. One
man asked that his
seventeen-year-old son be permitted to
work in the community
store long enough to become acquainted
"with the German names
of articles in the Dry Good
business."35 An Indiana girl wanted
to receive instruction in German and
music in exchange for her
services as a seamstress, "or light
work about the house."36 Such
requests were invariably refused, as was
that of the man who
wished to know if the Society would take
a two-year-old child,
"which was swore on a man it did
not belong to."37
In conclusion, it may be said that the
Society accepted new
members much more frequently during its
period of growth and
development, that is from 1819 to
about 1865, than during the
latter half of its history. In this
latter period, the natural in-
crease of the community was
approximately balanced by deaths
and withdrawals, and its population
remained fairly constant. A
static population simplified the problem
of administration, since
it made unnecessary the continual
enlargement of housing and
occupational facilities. Moreover, the
introduction into the Soci-
ety of people unacquainted with the
Separatist faith was foreign
to the basic concept of the community,
that of a spiritual congre-
gation. The economic and social
implications of this cloister
concept ultimately destroyed the
Society, but it is questionable
if the Zoar communism would have endured
as long as it did
under any other ideal, paradoxical as
this may seem.
35
William Pollock, Belle Centre,
Ohio, to id., February 27, 1854.
36 Mary J. Roby, Pleasant Lake, Indiana, to id., December 8, 1858.
37 William Jennings, Salem, Ohio, to id.,
November 6, 1866.