Energy extraction techniques such as directional drilling and “fracking” (short for hydraulic fracturing) have become a hot issue in both Amish and mass society. These techniques, some of which have been around for quite a while, have been hailed for their potential to transform the energy industry. Recent developments combining fracking with horizontal drilling have made the process much more viable, leading to the recent…
Sam Miller Shoe Repair & Sales East off route 414 on Clyde Hunt Corner Road just north of Clyde NY. Look for a sign at the corner. The shop is on the right hand side of the road (first Amish place). Tom lends a hand again today with some photos of an Amish shoe store in Clyde, NY. Buggy parking. Where Amish re-boot. A Singer…
The Kentucky Amish SMV situation has seen quite a few developments this week. On Tuesday the KY House Transportation Committee passed Senate Bill 75 by a count of 25-1, sending it to the House for full consideration. This bill would allow reflective tape in lieu of the SMV triangle. If it passes the House, it returns to the Senate for final passage. The last hurdle…
Four youth of the Chautauqua County, NY Amish community were arrested for illegal alcohol possession last Sunday. Normally I don’t find the mundane “Amish behaving badly” stories all that post-worthy, but this one has been getting so much coverage I think it’s worth mentioning. Scouring the web I’ve found reactions usually land in a few categories: 1) If they weren’t Amish, this wouldn’t be a…
Hostetler’s Quilt & Gift Shop Cattaraugus County (Southwestern NY) West off Route 83 between Cherry Creek and Conewango NY on Hunt Road. The shop is on the left side of the road at the top of the hill. Tom shares photos from Hostetler’s Quilt and Gift Shop in the Conewango Valley NY Amish settlement: Says Tom: “Maddy has a bed to display her quilts…
You may be aware of the Clinic for Special Children in Strasburg, Pennsylvania, which treats children suffering from rare genetic illnesses, primarily within the Amish and Mennonite populations. The clinic was founded by Dr. Holmes Morton, a West Virginia native, in 1989. Each year the Lancaster community puts on an auction to benefit the clinic, which operates with much support from the Plain contingent. Certain…
Even though we forget how good we’ve got it in the US, in such a car-focused culture, the road is still something like sacred space. The Amish intersect with mainstream society, sometimes loudly, on this space. Lately the big issue has been road safety and the buggy SMV triangle in Kentucky. But a second problem has been percolating in the Bluegrass State, having to do…
Amish women have their babies in one of three places – at home, in the hospital, or at birthing centers. Some Amish prefer the at-home or birthing center options for reasons of cost and comfort. Midwives working in the community are both Amish and non-Amish, and may be licensed or unlicensed. Midwife-assisted birth is another in the list of issues involving Amish which have garnered…
Riding down Highway 30 east of Lancaster City I was struck as I usually am by the preponderance of Amish tourist destinations. Amish tourism has a long history dating back to the 1930s and 1940s in Lancaster County, with the Ohio and Indiana industries kicking into gear a couple of decades later. Today it would be hard to imagine these places without the plethora of…
A Lancaster friend has a bunch of growing boys, which means he’ll need barn space for more horses. The last week or so he’s had a local carpentry crew at his place putting an addition onto the barn (this is not to be confused with the “pole barn”, which is a different building where visitors from Poland sleep while in town). The work crew is…