The Amish settlement at Piketon, Ohio was an odd one to begin with. A few things made the Amish who settled here in 1949 different from most. One was their evangelistic emphasis. Amish traditionally do not try to convert others. Piketon, Ohio was begun by a minister sympathetic to the idea of spreading Amish beliefs. Secondly, they were the first Amish congregation ever to publish…
Diversity in the Amish world is a common theme of this blog. Ever wonder how different Amish groups use technology? Judging by the chart, it can be seen that the most conservative groups include the Swartzentruber Amish, Nebraska Amish, and the Buchanan County, Iowa Amish (the three of which Amish historian Steven Nolt groups together under the ultraconservative label, referring to the Buchanan group in…
Shunning is controversial, but helps uphold Amish society For the Amish, shunning only happens among baptized members. Youth may bend or break rules during Rumspringa, though Amish parents do not necessarily condone or encourage such behavior. But in practice, some Amish youth buy cars, wear ‘English’ clothes, and so on. If they cross the line too blatantly, they may get a ‘talking-to’, but they won’t…
Ever wonder why many Amish moms seem to prefer going barefoot while shucking corn or canning beans? The Amish Cook, Lovina Eicher, shares a bit in this excerpt from her column: The children just can’t wait until they can run outside barefooted. I caught a few of them trying to do it already. I don’t think the ground is warm enough yet, maybe once the…
‘The Amish don’t pay taxes. They’re freeloaders.’ Ryan Robinson of the Lancaster New Era writes (no longer available) that myths such as these persist, apparently even among long-time neighbors of the Amish. Why the confusion? Amish are generally exempt from paying Social Security taxes, a privilege negotiated some years ago with the federal government. But at the same time they also refrain from receiving benefits….
Respect to the Amish farrier. His is a tough job. Amish occupations may vary from businesses that cater to non-Amish to those that service the Amish community. The farrier keeps Amish horses running. The typical horse needs a ‘tire change’ about once every 4 to 8 (to 12 in winter) weeks, depending on horse, climate, and season. A typical change of shoes takes about 45…
Digging back a bit, I managed to pull up a neat story from the Cellar on an Iowa Amish settlement, originally found in the Iowa City Press-Citizen. After buying a tract of farmland, a developer auctioned off the unwanted turkey barn located on the property. After chopping it into four pieces, the local Amish managed to move it by hand to a location one mile…
The Amish often seek medical treatment across the border. Cost is the main reason why. Lacking health insurance as the Amish do, treatment in the US can be expensive. A new law requiring passports, complete with identifying photos, could stop trips to Canada and Mexico. The photo part is the problem. Most Amish avoid posing for photos. The group has usually been able to negotiate…
…that might mean you’re in Amish America. As you drive around your neck of the woods, it’s increasingly likely you might bump into some Amish. With new settlements starting yearly, and with communities now present in half of the states, you no longer have to go all the way to Lancaster County to run into some Amish. Here are a few things to look out…
In The Riddle of Amish Culture, Donald Kraybill explains Amish “gangs” in Lancaster County: By the age of ten, an Amish child will be able to name some of the groups—Bluebirds, Canaries, Pine Cones, Drifters, Shotguns, Rockys, and Quakers—and even describe some of their activities. Youth are free to join the gang of their choice…Parents worry about which groups their teens will join because they…