NEW DATE: Saturday, May 10, 1–4 PM

Hosted by Historic Cane Hill and the German Section of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville Department of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures as part of the National Humanities Center’s  Being Human Festival.

Have you ever wondered how cities got their names? Before Dutch Mills was Dutch Mills, it was Hermannsburg: an 1850s community founded by Johann and Karl Hermann.

On May 10, join us for this family-friendly multi-stop event to learn about the history Hermannsburg and experience elements from the rich legacy of German culture. Attendees will relate to German settlers in Northwest Arkansas through nineteenth-century banjo music by professional musician Clarke Buehling, readings from Hermann family diaries, language-learning activities, and hands-on experiences with German settler skills, including planting a potato to take home and churning their own butter to enjoy on German soda bread.

This event is held “passport” style: seven stations will be set up at two locations, one in Dutch Mills and one in Cane Hill. The more activities you participate in, the more prizes you can earn. Directions to both will be emailed to registrants

Registration is free!
All ages are welcome and children are encouraged.
Register here.

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. The history of Hermannsburg, now Dutch Mills, is largely forgotten, but this program will introduce and reconnect the community with its German heritage.

The project, a joint endeavor by the German Section of the University of Arkansas and Historic Cane Hill, was selected as one of only 16 projects nationally to be funded and highlighted as part of the “Being Human Festival” of the National Humanities Center. This project is funded by a generous grant from the National Humanities Center and is further supported by Historic Cane Hill and the German Section of the World Languages, Literatures and Culture Department.