This is an Amish home in the Berne, Indiana community (Adams County). This would be the largest group of the generally conservative “Swiss Amish”. Depending on when you read this, the home and farm you see here will soon find itself – or may have already found – a new owner. This is a home destined for auction, so there’s no big price reveal at…
From the Kansas City Star: A suburban Kansas City doctor for decades sexually assaulted women and girls, mostly from Amish communities, under the guise of performing routine breast and pelvic exams, prosecutors said Monday. David B. Clark, 70, of Independence, was charged with six felonies in Jackson County Circuit Court based on a long-running investigation led by the FBI. He is accused of assaulting patients…
All buggy accidents which lead to loss of life are tragic, but this one particularly so. An Amish buggy was rear-ended Wednesday afternoon by the driver of a pickup truck in upstate New York. Two very young Amish children died as a result. From WWNY: WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – Jefferson County Sheriff Peter Barnett calls Wednesday’s fatal crash between an Amish buggy and a…
Jim Halverson shares a nice batch of photos from Yoder’s Consignment Auction – including a shot of the most expensive Amish buggy I’ve, and maybe you’ve, ever seen. Yoder’s Auction takes place twice a year in Shipshewana in northern Indiana. As you’ll see from Jim’s pictures, it draws quite a crowd. The latest event took place two Saturdays ago. First, come hungry, and you’ll be…
This Michigan home for sale comes with a 100-tree peach orchard – and possibly even an Amish school building? More on that in a minute. The community is Pittsford, which is in Hillsdale County, home to four Amish settlements. It appears to be the community at Osseo going by the latest Amish community listings. Hillsdale County has a special place in my own personal Amish…
And not only rocks. Someone (or someones) is attacking Amish homes in the early morning hours, throwing dangerous objects through home windows. This has played out in a series of attacks on Amish residences in north-central Ohio over the past several months. From the report by News 5 Cleveland: MEDINA, Ohio — The Medina County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a string of crimes committed against…
The annual horse-and-buggy Amish population figures have been released by the Young Center at Elizabethtown College. The total Amish population is estimated at 383,565 people. That breaks down to 377,275 in the United States, 6,100 in Canada, and 190 in South America. And of course the count continues to steadily rise. If we look at the numbers from just five years ago, the Amish population…
Linda Byler is one of the most successful of all authors of Amish romance novels. One thing that makes Linda stand out is that she herself is Amish. Linda recently spoke to the UK Daily Mail. For those unfamiliar, that is a tabloid paper. And the article has a tabloidy feel, but that aside it’s interesting – in part because of how frankly Linda speaks….
Judy Stavisky, author of In Plain View: The Daily Lives of Amish Women, paid a visit recently to the Amish community at Unity, Maine, with stops at a pair of businesses. The Unity community has been featured here and in other media fairly often in the past. For example, here’s a look at some of the things that make Unity an atypical Amish community (which…
One thing I like about doing this Amish Homes series is the variety of homes we get to see. Compare what you’re about to see with the last one we covered, a Lancaster Amish shop home. This week’s Amish home is found in Michigan. It’s in the Sault Ste. Marie area (Chippewa County), home to a small Amish community. Hat-tip to reader Maxwell Hodgkins for…
If you have Amish friends or acquaintances, you might just have a strong memory of how you met them. I can clearly recall the morning years ago I met one Amish couple who eventually became close family friends. Their oldest child – who was then just a tot in a baby seat perched on the back of a horse-drawn planter – is now out of…
The home we’re going to look at today will probably have some people saying “that’s not an Amish home!” Well, it happens to be one. It’s just one of the more modern-looking homes (at least inside) you’ll see among the Amish. That said, the interior style you’ll see here is becoming increasingly common among Amish in more progressive communities, like Lancaster County, where this home…
Reader Denise Joyal sends a report from a benefit auction which took place in May in Hopkinton, Iowa. While there, Denise purchased a $3 “junk box” – and by the looks of what was inside, she got a great deal! Let’s check out what three Washingtons can get you at an Amish auction these days. First, here’s the newspaper ad for the auction. It was…
In an age of sophisticated computer software that can calculate a hifalutin statistical outcome which only a few mathematical geniuses can understand, one can forget the value of other ways to knowing about peoples and cultures anywhere in the world. In volume 3, issue 2 of the Journal of Plain Anabaptist Communities (JPAC), however, we are reminded of the importance of plain, everyday communication between…
The Amish population is growing fast. It’s been growing fast for decades. And that doesn’t seem to be changing. How large will the Amish population get in our lifetimes? On the recent 1950s Amish film post, Lance left a comment that brought this back to mind: In 1900 there were just 5000 total Amish world wide. By this video’s filming, there were 8000 in just…
What was Amish life like 65 years ago? Last week I came across a documentary called, simply, “The Old Order Amish”. This was filmed in Lancaster County and was just recently uploaded to YouTube. It’s on the Periscope Films channel, a company that preserves rare and obscure old films. It’s a fascinating nugget from the past and I recommend watching (it’s viewable at the end…
How “Amish” are you when it comes to technology? In “We Should Be More ‘Amish’ About Technology“, columnist Tish Harrison Warren examines how over-use of tech (social media in particular) was harming her family life. And she feels that Amish and others like them can be role models on this: American society could learn from Anabaptist groups, including the Amish, Mennonites and others. Many of…
From time to time I draw attention to the more eyebrow-raising comments we get here on the site, or on the YouTube channel. They might contain very strong and certain claims about the Amish, or shine a light on popular misconceptions. For example, there was “Utterly NOT an Amish Home!“, or “Why are the Amish using plastic packaging? I am so disappointed.” Today’s entry is…
The Amish use a wide array of health care and wellness solutions, including both “conventional” and “unconventional”. This can vary by the Amish group, community, or family. But generally speaking, natural remedies – those derived from plants, vegetables, herbs, and the like – make up a big part of what many Amish people use to treat common ailments. And this is not necessarily unique or…
In a recent article by Mary Swander, writing for the Iowa Capital Dispatch, she describes receiving an abruptly direct call from someone Amish. I found this of interest because it raises the question of whether the Amish could be described as more rude – or lacking manners – compared with your average Americans. And if so, why that might be. Here’s how it opens: “What…
![The 2023 Amish Mud Sale Schedule (Lancaster County Auction Calendar) [UPDATED]](https://amishamerica.com/images/bart-pa-auctioneer.jpg)
The Lancaster County mud sale schedule for 2023 is now available, with the first event happening just a month from now. These Amish-heavy events draw members of the community and outside visitors in support of the local volunteer fire companies. Many have large numbers of Plain volunteers on their rosters. A mud sale is an opportunity to enjoy an Amish-attended auction event, eat tasty auction…