The celibate canal diggers who saved their Ohio town – and their souls

Zoar’s Celibacy Experiment and Canal-Digging Salvation

The German Separatists who built Zoar, Ohio faced a tough choice in 1822: go broke or get creative. Deep in debt for their 5,500-acre haven, they took two drastic steps.

First, they banned all sex. Then, they picked up shovels.

For eight years, men and women lived apart while children moved to nurseries. Their big break came when Ohio paid them to dig seven miles of canal by hand.

The backbreaking work earned them $21,000 by 1828, enough to pay off their land and end their celibacy experiment. Today, Zoar Village stands as a testament to what desperate people will do to keep their dreams alive.

Germans Left Home to Worship Freely in America

The Separatists of Württemberg got rough treatment for saying no to Lutheran Church control in early 1800s Germany. Local officials fined, beat, and jailed them for holding secret worship meetings.

The state and church teamed up to punish these believers who refused normal church customs. By 1817, about 300 poor followers couldn’t stand it anymore and left for America to worship their own way.

Joseph Michael Bimeler became their leader despite having no church training or business know-how.

Quakers Helped With Money and Land

When the Separatists reached Philadelphia in April 1817, they had almost nothing. Local Quakers quickly noticed these German newcomers whose simple faith matched their own.

The Quakers found jobs for them and helped them buy land.

They set up loans for the Separatists to buy 5,500 acres in eastern Ohio from businessman Godfrey Haga, giving them a chance to build their own community.

The New Settlement Had Tough Times in Ohio Winters

The Separatists named their new home Zoar, after the Bible town where Lot found safety. The first group came in fall 1817, with 200 more joining by spring 1818.

But the Ohio wilderness proved rough. The winters of 1818-1819 hit them hard, nearly ruining the community.

They still owed $15,000 on their land, with Quakers wanting full payment by 1830. Their small farms couldn’t make enough money to pay the debt.

Everyone Shared Everything to Save Their Community

On April 19, 1819, the settlers held a meeting that changed everything. They created the Society of Separatists of Zoar and agreed to share all they owned.

Each person put all their stuff and future earnings into a common pot. The new rules gave both men and women equal voting rights, rare for that time.

The community chose group survival over owning things alone.

No Sex Rule: Zoar’s Unusual Eight-Year Plan

By 1822, Zoar’s leaders made a bold move, banning sex in the community. This rule aimed to fix their money troubles.

Bimeler and others thought having babies cost too much in a shared economy. Without pregnancies and childcare, women could work full-time like men.

The community even moved children ages 3 to 14 into separate nurseries away from parents so mothers could focus on community work.

The Ohio Canal Project Showed Up Just in Time

In 1825, Ohio started planning the Ohio & Erie Canal to link Lake Erie with the Ohio River. The planned route went right through Zoar’s land.

State officials needed permission for a seven-mile section to cross their property. The Separatists saw more than just a right-of-way issue, they spotted a chance to make money.

They could take the construction job themselves and earn the cash they badly needed.

Zoar Folks Picked Up Shovels and Started Digging

The Separatists signed a deal worth $21,000 to dig seven miles of canal and build four locks. The work needed pure muscle power, using picks, shovels, and wheelbarrows to move tons of earth and stone.

They had to make a channel 40 feet wide at the top, 26 feet at the bottom, and at least 4 feet deep. Men and women did the backbreaking work together, moving massive amounts of dirt by hand.

Canal Work Pushed Their Bodies and Beliefs

From 1825 to 1828, the Zoar folks split time between canal building and keeping their farms going. The canal path cut right through their property, turning daily life upside down.

Older members struggled with the hard work while younger ones carried extra loads. Summer heat and winter cold made everything harder.

Yet they kept going, knowing their community’s future depended on it.

The $21,000 Payment Fixed Their Money Problems

When they finished the canal work in 1828, the state paid them the full $21,000.

This money solved their biggest problem, letting them pay off the $15,000 land debt with cash to spare. The financial security removed the main reason for their no-sex rule.

The canal project also taught them useful skills in handling big construction jobs, opening new ways for the community to make money.

Families Got Back Together as Sex Ban Ended

In 1829, after eight years of forced celibacy, Zoar’s leaders officially ended the practice. Husbands and wives moved back together, and children returned from community nurseries to live with their parents.

Normal family life started again throughout Zoar. The strict rules that had kept families apart for nearly ten years weren’t needed anymore.

With their land secure and money in the bank, the community could focus on growth instead of just surviving.

Water Transportation Brought Decades of Prosperity

The canal created a permanent transportation route that transformed Zoar’s economy. They could now easily ship goods to Cleveland and beyond.

Travelers on the canal stopped at Zoar, creating a new tourism industry. In 1833, the community built the Zoar Hotel to serve these visitors.

The successful canal project proved the community’s strength through collective work.

Their gamble on hard physical labor paid off with nearly 70 years of prosperity before the community finally dissolved in 1898.

Visiting Zoar Village, Ohio

You can explore Zoar Village at 198 Main Street to learn about the German religious community’s desperate celibacy experiment and canal-digging work that saved their settlement.

Adult admission costs $8, youth $4, and kids under 6 are free. The museum opens April-May on weekends only, then Wednesday-Sunday from June-September.

You can book guided tours April through October or take self-guided tours on Wednesdays and Thursdays from May-September.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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