Missouri Star Quilt Company in Richmond, MO
and the
Amish in Jamesport, MO
It had been a while since Ellen and I had gone to Jamesport, Mo. On the way to Jamesport we decided we had to stop in Hamilton, MO at Missouri Star Quilt Company. We are not quilters but had both heard a lot about Missouri Star Quilt Company and decided to see it for ourselves. Missouri Star Quilt Co is quite the business success story! Read about it here. Starting in 2008 as a family run business, they now employ more than 150 people. They fulfill thousands of orders every day. Missouri Quilt Company has become a quilters retreat heaven. To say Hamilton Missouri is Missouri Quilt Company and Missouri Quilt Company is Hamilton, Mo would be an understatement. Perhaps their own words, “Missouri Star has grown to offer the largest selection of pre-cut fabrics in the world, pretty cool for a tiny company in rural Caldwell County, Missouri,” explains it best. It was fun to visit this “quilting” community.
Jamesport, MO is a small community (near Adam-ondi-ahman and Gallatin for those that know their church history) in northwest Missouri that is the largest Amish population in Missouri…about half the families in Jamesport are Amish. Currently around 175 families live on the rich farm land of the area. With a firm belief in the work ethic, the Amish men are busy on the farms from daylight to
dark. Their religion forbids any reliance upon technology, so they do not use electricity. The
tools and farm implements from a by gone era, are antiques and replicas of pre-World War II
relics. Fieldwork is done with the aid of horses and horse-drawn implements. The young and old
work side by side, elbow to elbow to ensure the acquisition of a trade and to work for a
common family goal. Skills are passed from generation to generation.
Amish women spend their days caring for the young children, working in a kitchen equipped
with kerosene and wood burning appliances, hand grinders, and cast iron. It is fun to visit the Amish shops found scattered around the community and get a feel of what it would be like to live in a bygone era.