On Friday we had a look at a West Tennessee Amish community, including some signs of Amish businesses in the settlement. Today Brenda shares a little bit about one of those businesses, a local Amish doll maker: My Amish friend, Kathy, asked me to help her come up with an idea to make some extra money, which was needed to help her husband, Mahlon, pay…
I’ve been hearing about Cruise Night at the Markets at Shrewsbury for years now. I finally got to attend on this recent PA trip. First, a word about the venue. The Markets at Shrewsbury is one of the nicer and more extensive Pennsylvania Dutch markets I’ve visited. I’d say the vendor breakdown is majority Amish, with a number of English stands as well. Most of…
There’s been a good bit of media this week on the use of the Amish name to sell things. If you recall we’ve visited this question on a number of occasions, most recently in “Is it wrong to sell using the Amish name?” One story in the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette gives us an example of the potency of the Amish tag: In 2010, Unker’s, a homeopathic pain…
As promised, more photos today from an auction in the Bowling Green, Missouri Amish settlement. These were taken in May of last year, by Beth Russo. Bowling Green is the oldest Amish enclave in Missouri, dating to 1947. Quilts of course are a staple of Amish auctions. I quite like this design. Lining up for grub. And something for the sweet tooth. Beth says it…
Remember Funny Business? Today Tom has some more signs from a variety of New York Amish shops, showcasing the Amish funny bone as well as some wise sayings from smart and important people. Which do you find wisest or wittiest?
It’s become a near-weekly thing to hear from our Empire State correspondent Tom about some Amish corner of New York. This week he checks in with photos of an Amish relief auction in New York’s Conewango Valley, the most heavily-settled Amish area in the state. This auction took place in Cherry Creek, NY. Below, the livestock barn. Amish quilts are a big seller. Amish furniture…
The St. Joseph News-Press is running a nice story on a changing-of-the-guard at a Jamesport, Missouri Amish furniture business. Owner Jake Graber has passed on his company to son John following health problems: Jake Graber survived an aneurysm a couple of years ago and strives now to lead what he regards as a “healthier, more Godly life.” Forgive him, though, occasional moments of exasperation. Some…
I got a kick out of this story, about a Colorado resident who hired a Lancaster Amish crew to travel 1,700 miles to build a fence. No doubt Colorado being the destination had something to do with their willingness to go. A less picturesque part of America may not have enticed the crew. As a largely Midwest and Eastern people with a soft spot for…
Last October we had a look at some unusual occupations in Michigan Amish communities. I was recently going through an Ohio Amish directory while doing book research and came across more uncommon Amish jobs. Amish church directories vary. Some have the head of household’s occupation listed; others don’t. Sometimes the listing is just a generic description of the job (“Mason” or “Roofer” or “Bakery”). At times…
Among the Amish, rugmaking is a thriving cottage industry that goes hand-in-hand with quilting and cloth handiwork. Amish craftspeople often create rugs from scraps left over from quilting or making clothes. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes and styles as you can see below. Here’s an example from an Amish quilt shop at New Wilmington, Pennsylvania: These rugs are from the Amish community…