River Brethren.—About the middle of the 18th century, a few Mennonite families in Switzerland decided to emigrate, in order to escape persecution. They first went to England and in 1851 came to America. Twenty years later differences arose which resulted in the establishment of separate brotherhoods. The brotherhood "down by the river"—the southern part of Lancaster county, Pa.—became particularly strong and the name River Brethren was adopted. John Engle, who had come from Switzerland with them, was the first minister. In faith and practice the River Brethren resemble the Mennonites, and in some respects the Dunkards. The faith was brought to Kansas by emigrants from Pennsylvania in the early '80s and in 1890 there were nine congregations—one each in Brown, Clay, Harvey, Rooks and McPherson counties and four in Dickinson county. The total membership at that time was 588. During the next fifteen years little increase was made, and after the opening of Oklahoma the church lost by emigration to that state. In 1906 the total membership in Kansas was 450.