Lured by the Homestead Act of 1862, and in search of freedom and opportunity, Germans-from-Russia immigrants from Amish, Hutterite, Lutheran, Mennonite and Reformed backgrounds – and others – began arriving in southeastern Dakota Territory starting in the 1870s. They brought with them their religious traditions, strong work ethic and determination. They persevered, not only surviving the hardships of life on the prairie, but working together to establish the larger Freeman community. Our exhibits and archives tell their stories.