Many people have seen photos of the fairly well-known ‘white-top buggy’ Amish. This group is based mainly in Pennsylvania’s diverse Big Valley region. They are most commonly known as the Nebraska Amish, named after a Nebraska-based bishop who helped the group get started in the late 1800s. Traditionally considered one of the most conservative Amish groups, they have also been called the “Old School Amish”….
Last night there was a frolic at ‘Ivan’s’. Ivan is a jolly father of six and one of my favorite people to spend time with here in Holmes County, Ohio. If he were southern, we might call Ivan a ‘good ole boy’. Always a blast to hang out with. When he flashes his trademark grin at you, you know he’s up to something. So I…
I just sat down this evening with a beaming blacksmith, a new father of his first little boy after many girls. I’m doing interviews for a research project/book on Amish businesses. ‘Eli’, my seventh stop of the day, graciously shared his wisdom with me. After our short talk I flipped off the voice recorder and we continued chatting over a 9pm black coffee (I’ve noticed…
I winced when I saw the cover. I was sure this book would be another lightweight voyeuristic Hollywood look at the Amish. Yet Shachtman seems to reserve judgment and present the Amish even-handedly throughout Rumspringa: To be or not to be Amish. He seems to have a heart for the kids involved, presenting their tales with compassion and respect. At the same time, like a…
An imaginary line runs through Lancaster County. Some say it follows the route of highway 30, the old Philly artery which bisects the county. This theoretical divider splits the settlement’s Amish into conservative and more progressive groupings. The north-south division may not be that cut-and-dry, but it is a real thing. Some say a stricter Ordnung and less contact with outsiders tend to make southern…
I run into Amish dog breeders almost every day here in Lancaster County. On this blog I usually contend that allegations of animal abuse in what are termed Amish puppy mills are at least a tad overblown. I do feel sorry at times to see dogs kept caged. At the same time I don’t know that I’d go so far to allege abuse on the…
Today, a small New Order Amish settlement is found in western North Carolina, near the town of Union Grove. Before this settlement came about, (and not counting a short-lived community in the late 50’s), the only other full-fledged attempt to settle in the Tar Heel State occurred in 1918, lasting a full quarter-century before extinction in 1944. The Amish who originally came here, mainly from…
Note: I wrote this way back in 2007 while living for a summer in the Lancaster County Amish community. Snitz pie was a wonderful discovery I made towards the end of my time there. If you’ve never had it, I highly recommend trying it. It’s mainly seen in the Lancaster County Amish (and related churches). It used to mostly only be made by the Amish…
Update: below is the back-story of how I came to know the Amish. I’ve been long “retired” from selling books in Amish communities, but starting in 2004, this was my intro to Amish life. Over the next several years, I visited thousands of Amish homes in five states, including the four largest Amish settlements. Inspired by the experience, I started this website as a basic…
In places like the heavily-touristed areas of Lancaster County you see “Pennsylvania Dutch” (or just “Dutch” for short), or “Amish” attached to just about anything with something to sell. To take a few examples: “Jakey’s Amish BBQ”, “Amish Paradise Homestays”, “Dutch Delights”, etc. This naturally makes visitors assume that the Amish must have something to do with the Pennsylvania Dutch. But are they the same…