“I grew up Amish…and for somebody that never was Amish, and goes Amish, I have no way of telling you what that guy would have to go through,” he laughs. “I imagine it would be pretty tough.” That’s Swartzentruber Amishman Dennis Hershberger discussing Amish life, from a very nicely done 8-minute video showing us the community at Harmony, Minnesota. In it, we ride along with…
Amish children in larger communities benefit from bookmobiles, which travel around their settlements delivering a mobile library to eager young readers. The bookmobile might seem like a relic of a bygone time – especially when we have more reading available to us in libraries, both online and off, than ever before. But for a community of people who are limited by their use of technology in…
In today’s Slice of Amish Life, an Amishman approaches the End Of The Commons General Store in the Geauga County, Ohio community, with what looks like his daughter in tow. This is not an Amish business, and has more of a touristic feel. But I would suppose it’s one that Amish living nearby would visit as well. It is in fact the oldest general store…
Several years back Amish in Illinois made news when they moved the state’s oldest-known Amish home using horsepower (that is, at least part of the way): This was originally the home of an Amishman named Moses Yoder, and dates to 1865. The Moses Yoder house is joined by a second historic home, the Daniel Schrock house (1882), as a focus of preservation efforts in…
This is another great photo by Cindy Cornett Seigle. I can’t say I’ve ever encountered this exact sight coming down the road – at least not at this size. These guys are riding atop piles of hay that have them literally two – or is it three – stories up in the air. I assume they have those things well-balanced. This photo was taken in…
A news blurb about an accident in Lancaster County several days ago contained few details. An English friend of the family involved has just filled out the story. Three Amish sibling children were hit by a pickup truck while driving the buggy to church in Bart Township, at around 7:30 Sunday morning. Parents Dave and Liz King own the BBQ Barn at the Amish Farm…
This photo shows Amish people getting off an Amtrak train in Portland, Oregon. In states without Amish settlements (like Oregon), public transit stations are among the few places you’re likely to see Amish folks (here’s another example from Alabama). This shot, taken in 2011, captures a moment – perhaps we’re witnessing that happy relief at the end of a leg of a long trip. It’s…
“Modem” and “Log on” are my favorites. I came across this old Facebook post by Sol’s in Berlin, a store in the heart of Holmes County, sharing the “Amishman’s Guide to Computer Lingo“. I’m not sure who the original author is, but this appeared in the Vendor, a Plain community newspaper. It was passed on to Sol’s by one of their Amish employees: One of…
This is a photo I came across recently on Flickr. Two Amish men try out hats at Yoder Department Store in Shipshewana, Indiana. What do you notice here? First, briefly on the location. Yoder’s is a department store that sells men’s and women’s clothing as well as fabrics and sewing supplies. The clientele is both Amish and English. It’s located in Yoder’s Shopping Center, which also…
Last week we saw Amish men building a barn, this week they are moving one. Over the past week or so a video showing Amish men moving a pole barn has gone viral. I noticed today even the big UK media started covering it. However, the original viral clip is not great. The phone is held at strange angles by the recorder, and there is…