Beginning in 1874, hundreds of peace-loving Mennonite immigrants settled in central Kansas after leaving Russia, where a hundred-year-old immunity from established religious orthodoxy and military service was being threatened. The Alexanderwohl community, named for a solicitous visit by Czar Alexander I with Prussian Mennonites in 1821, had lived in southern Russia for more than 50 years before coming to America. Originating in the Netherlands in the 16th century, the community moved to Prussia in the 17th century and later to Russia, consistently seeking freedom from intolerance and persecution. Their move to America and to Kansas, where they chose lands in Marion, Harvey, McPherson, and nearby counties, was due largely to the efforts of the Santa Fe railroad's foreign immigration department. They brought hard winter wheat, which helped make Kansas the breadbasket of the world, and Mennonite congregations such as the Alexanderwohl church became typical in this part of Kansas. Today, these religious folk prosper in a modern world while retaining their original philosophy of freedom and manner of worship.