Ebenezer Colonies facts for kids
The Ebenezer Colonies were a special settlement started by a group called the Community of True Inspiration. They built this community in what is now West Seneca, New York. This group, known as Inspirationists, came from Germany in 1843. After some years, they decided to move again, this time to Iowa. The land in West Seneca was then sold off.
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A New Home in America
The Community of True Inspiration was a religious group. In the early 1800s, their leaders were Michael Krausert, Barbara Heinemann Landmann, and Christian Metz. They lived in a place called Alsace in France. Life was tough for them there. They had disagreements within their group. Also, local officials caused them problems. Farming was difficult too. Because of these challenges, the group decided to move to the United States.
Christian Metz and some elders traveled to New York. They chose a spot near what is now West Seneca. This land had once been home to the Seneca Indians. The group bought the land from a local company.
Building Ebenezer
Metz named the new land Ebenezer. This name comes from a passage in the Books of Samuel in the Bible. In 1843, the Inspirationists began building their community. They wanted it to be self-sufficient, meaning they could provide for themselves. They built schools and mills for grinding grain.
About 800 Inspirationists moved from Alsace to live in Ebenezer. It became harder to communicate with group members who were still in Europe.
Living with Neighbors
The Inspirationists had some disagreements with the Seneca people. Some Senecas still lived in the area. To solve this, the Inspirationists agreed to pay the tribe a yearly fee. The American government later told the Senecas to leave the land. But the tribe said in court that they still owned it. In the end, the court decided in favor of the Inspirationists. The Senecas then moved to the Cattaraugus Reservation to the south.
Moving West Again
By 1854, the Ebenezer Colonies could not grow any bigger. The nearby city of Buffalo was expanding. Also, when Ebenezer became part of the new town of West Seneca, some of their ways of life changed.
Christian Metz said he had a religious vision. He believed the Inspirationists should move to the American Midwest. A group traveled to Iowa and picked a new spot called Homestead. The Inspirationists sold their land in West Seneca. They then moved to the Iowa site. This new settlement became known as the Amana Colonies. The move was finished by 1865.
What Remains Today
The cemeteries of the Ebenezer Colonies are still cared for by the town of West Seneca today. An old meeting house where the Inspirationists gathered was moved. It now serves as the West Seneca Historical Society and Museum. The official seal of the town of West Seneca even includes pictures of Metz's house and a marker from the Ebenezer Colonies.
