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 Settlement 295 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 Waterway 16, the small stream in the area (a right tributary of the Waterway 20). "Lower" distinguishes it from the nearby Settlement 319 settlement.
Lower Barton Creek was founded by Mennonites migrating mostly from Settlement 295 and some from Settlement 291 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 Settlement 182 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 Settlement 295, Lower Barton Creek, Settlement 25, Settlement 291 and Settlement 146.[4]
The roads in this colony are mostly intended for horse-drawn vehicles. They are narrow, muddy, and slippery when wet.[1]