Portions of Tuscarawas and Holmes county are renowned for the charming and timeless Amish and Mennonite cultures. The area, including places like Sugarcreek, Farmerstown, Walnut Creek, Mt. Hope, Kidron, Charm, and Berlin is often fondly referred to as “Amish Country”. These areas boast a large number of quaint shops with handmade Amish goods. Consequently, a founding group that is often omitted from the mainstream historical record of the area is the Swiss. Many of the Amish and Mennonite settlers came from regions of central Europe such as Switzerland and Germany; however, a great number of founding settlers who were not of the Anabaptist faith made their way to areas of Tuscarawas and Holmes County as well.
Around the 1830s and 1840s settlers originating from the Canton of Bern, Switzerland arrived in the area. Many of these early settlers were not Amish or Mennonite but rather adhered to Reformed Christianity.
“On a spectrum, Reformed Christianity lies between Lutherans and Anabaptists, closer to Anabaptists in many ways than to Luther.”
- The Reformation: Towards a New History, Lee Palmer Wandel
Although fundamentally Anabaptists and Reformed Christians are similar, there are crucial differences in their practices as well as in their lifestyles. In the 19th century these two cultural groups, the Swiss Reformed Christians and the Anabaptists, sought to commence a new business endeavor together.
Many of the Swiss Reformed Christians that came to the area were experienced cheese-makers and a large number of Anabaptists were involved in Agriculture. Together these two cultural groups allied themselves and began making cheese. Milk from the local farmers, many of whom were Anabaptists, was purchased by Swiss immigrants who transformed it into the finest quality swiss cheese. Most accounts indicate the first cheesemaker in the area was Jacob Steiner, an immigrant from Switzerland who made cheese near Ragersville (in Tuscarawas County) around 1833.
Swiss Culture and cheese-making have continued to flourish in areas of Tuscarawas and Holmes County. The legacy of Swiss immigrants can be seen in many of the cheese factories in existence today as well as in the unique Swiss-style architecture of Sugarcreek, Ohio.