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History Passport: Reconnecting German Settlers and their Arkansas Neighbors

A smiling woman poses with pamphlets, stickers, and pens in front of a large bookshelf. — Board member Susan Young at the prize table for those who completed their passports. Photo courtesy of Historic Cane Hill.

Location: Cane Hill and Dutch Mills, Arkansas
Date: April 19, 2025
Organizers: Historic Cane Hill and the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville
Being Human Festival (US)

The story of Hermannsburg is a poignant example of the immigrant experience in nineteenth-century Arkansas. Having fled war-torn Germany in 1850, brothers Johann and Karl Hermann built a thriving community over twelve years, only to see it destroyed by the Civil War. On December 21, 1862, as widespread fighting left the region in ruins, the Hermann families joined a Union supply convoy, abandoning their once-prosperous home. While the history of Hermannsburg (now Dutch Mills) is largely forgotten, this program sought to reconnect the community with its German heritage.

For this event, organizers designed a number of interactive activities that led participants through the history of Cane Hill. In addition to completing individual History Passports that guided them through the history, culture, and heritage of this community, participants were also given specially designed German language bookmarks and stickers. These interactive materials encouraged participants to fully immerse themselves in the “hidden world” of Hermannsburg, leading them to a deeper understanding of, and an active relationship with, the settlement’s history.

Hidden Hermannsburg’s History Passport, which was specially designed for the Festival. The first thirty participants to complete the passport received t-shirts, and other prizes included notepads, pencils, and stickers. Image courtesy of Historic Cane Hill.

German language bookmarks designed by Kathleen Condray that participants took home after the event. Image courtesy of Historic Cane Hill.

German language stickers designed by Kathleen Condray. Image courtesy of Historic Cane Hill.

Attendees also experienced the rich legacy of German settlers in northwest Arkansas through nineteenth-century banjo music, readings from family diaries, language learning activities, and hands-on activities such as potato-planting and butter-making.

As a part of this Festival event, organizers were also able to sponsor the restoration of a weather-worn historical marker, which ensures that all visitors to Dutch Mills will be informed about this history for years to come. This Being Human Festival event also made it possible for Hermannsburg to be added to the Migrant Voices project, a digital archive that maps “unheard migrant voices in Arkansas” (sponsored by the University of Arkansas).

The historical Hermannsburg marker. Photo courtesy of Historic Cane Hill.

The Being Human Festival grant included a subsidy for the refurbishment of the historical Hermannsburg marker. Photo courtesy of Historic Cane Hill.

One excited participant showcases her freshly-churned butter for the camera. Photo courtesy of Historic Cane Hill.

“In addition to learning about the German history of the area, many local residents visited the [Historic Cane Hill] campus for the first time and learned about the organization’s many programs, so the impact of this grant will extend far into the future as area citizens continue to take part in public humanities events.”

—Kathleen Condray, Festival event organizer

Standing next to the R. L. Leach historical building on Cane Hill’s campus, one participant pauses to take in the text of Hermannsburg’s newly erected historical marker before making their way over to the activity tent. Photo courtesy of Historic Cane Hill.

Dr. Alex Hagen chats with fellow German volunteer Barbara Hodson. Photo courtesy of Historic Cane Hill.

Musician Clarke Buehling performs music on his banjo that nineteenth century settlers would have heard in Arkansas at the time. Photo courtesy of Historic Cane Hill.

Click to listen to a clip from local public radio station KUAF, which included a segment about the event on Ozarks at Large’s radio show The Other Way, where Kathleen Condray and Amanda Cothren discussed their participation in the festival and shed light on the rich history of this little known migrant settlement.