Lower Barton Creek is one of the most conservative Mennonite communities in the world. It is located in the foothills of the Maya mountains in the Cayo District.
Lower Barton Creek was settled primarily by Mennonites from Spanish Lookout in 1966, which had become too progressive for them.[1]
All work is done by hand or with horses. Motorized or battery-powered machines, equipment, or vehicles are not allowed. The men wear beards; the clothes are homemade and simple. The farms are small, generally only a few hectares in size. The Mennonites of Barton Creek live off the land. They grow vegetables, breed pigs and cattle, and sell these at the local market. They drive out to the market every week because they don’t want the traders or buyers to come into their community.[1]
Named after Barton Creek, the small stream in the area (a right tributary of the Belize River). "Lower" distinguishes it from the nearby Upper Barton Creek settlement.
Lower Barton Creek was founded by Mennonites migrating mostly from Spanish Lookout and some from Shipyard in 1966.[2]
In 1980 some villagers migrated to Campo Alto in Paraguay and then 15 years later they moved on to Pampa de los Guanacos in Argentina.[3]
In 2012 some villagers moved to Nieelaund in the Toledo District.[3]
In the 2020s some people migrated to Tres Palmas in Quintana Roo, Mexico.[3]
In 2006 a documentary of Mennonites in Belize was filmed with interviews of residents in Spanish Lookout, Lower Barton Creek, Blue Creek, Shipyard and Little Belize.[4]
The roads in this colony are only intended for horse-drawn vehicles. They are narrow, muddy, and slippery when wet.[1]