Since 1974, David Luthy has periodically released a directory of Amish communities appearing in Family Life, with updates appearing every 5 to 10 years (the last was in 2008). Writing in last July’s issue of Family Life, Luthy observes “with 62 counties in its 49,109 square miles, New York has in the past ten years become a popular state for Amish landseekers. Such, however, was…
A photo taken by reader Rose in the Kingston/Dalton Wisconsin Amish community. What do you notice? Madison WI Amish Furniture
Meet you in the middle? There is a small Amish settlement near Degraff, Ohio, which I passed through while leaving Logan County this morning. At one stop a dozen eggs were had for just $1.50 (follow the “Produce” arrow to get there). They’re not very good eating raw though, so may need another snack to get me home. Read more on the Amish in Ohio.
Being a bit off the beaten path, we haven’t had too much on this site about Amish communities in Maine. A reader recently visited the settlement at Unity and had the following story and photos to share. — My family was up in Maine this past weekend looking at land to purchase in Unity or Thorndike. The parcel we are most interested in is located…
You may remember news last summer that researchers had conducted a nationwide Amish population survey. I just had a chance to read an interesting paper detailing their findings. Here are 5 of them: 1. New settlements On average a new settlement is founded every few weeks. This rate has been increasing. From 1990-2000, a settlement was founded, on average, every 5.33 weeks. 2000-2010 saw this…
Pennsylania Amishman John Stoltzfus has agreed to answer some reader questions. Last week’s concerned Amish medical care and use of vaccinations. As before, John notes that he will take a general approach to his answers, keeping in mind that communities differ. Today’s question is on Amish migration: How do settlements get started? Is it just people from previous settlements moving and starting them in other…
On this week’s buggy heater post, Don Curtis mentioned an unusual carriage which had appeared in his son’s Amish community in Ohio: He said that there is a family from Allen County, Indiana that has recently moved into the Belle Center community. They still drive an open two seater surrey. However, this winter they have placed a kind of enclosed cab over the back seat…
Al in KY recently reminded me of the photo quiz posts we did last year (wait, I guess I mean 2011, not quite last year anymore). He is right, it’s a nice time to do another. Below you’ll find three photos from three different Amish communities. Your clues: 1) Each is from a different geographical region of America 2) None is from the three largest Amish-population…
Last month we had news that a Swartzentruber Amish settlement in Pennsylvania would likely be coming to an end, with residents heading to greener pastures. One of the destination communities for families in the distintegrating settlement was said to be the Swartzentruber outpost in St. Lawrence County, New York, part of the state’s “North Country”. St. Lawrence County due to its remoteness has so far stayed…
There is just one Swartzentruber Amish community in Pennsylvania, and it looks like they will soon be gone from the state. Following well-publicized disputes over building codes, outhouses and SMV triangles, the Swartzentruber Amish community in Cambria County, PA, is dwindling. The settlement is down to 9 families (from a peak of 21), “with the rest planning to be moved by the end of next…