After a long and complicated history of migrations in Eastern Europe, Hutterites arrived in America in 1874, forming three communities, that practiced community of goods, of which one was Bon Homme Colony, the mother colony of all Schmiedeleut Hutterites.

[citation needed] Upland Hutterite Colony in Letcher, South Dakota, branched out in 1994 to form the Elmendorf Community.

[2] In 2003 Elmendorf was excommunicated from Schmiedeleut affiliation with the Hutterites and became an independent colony.

In 2013/14 they started another new community, named Grand River, near the town of Jamesport in Missouri.

Like other Hutterites they have only few restrictions on technology, they mainly forbid public television and are careful with digital technology.They pool their ownership of cars because they live in a community of goods.

Elmendorf branched out to form Detention River Christian Community (formerly known as Rocky Cape) in Australia and Grand River Christian Community in Missouri.