Beth Russo has kindly shared 10 photos of the Amish settlement at Bowling Green, Missouri (Pike County). Beth recently made a trip during which she visited an Amish woodworking shop and a beekeeper. You can find more of her photos on her Facebook page. Bowling Green is the oldest Amish settlement in Missouri, founded in 1947. There are a total of 3 church districts and…
Delaware may be our first state, but examining a US map today, it’s easy to overlook. The average state in America consists of 63 counties; Delaware, with the fewest of all, has just three. The “one in the middle”, Kent County, is home to the second largest city and state capital, Dover. Just west of Dover city limits you’ll find Delaware’s only Amish settlement, a community…
Following up 10 views of Lancaster County, here are 10 photos from another Pennsylvania Amish settlement. Big Valley, officially known as Kishacoquillas Valley, is home to the second-largest Amish community in Pennsylvania. Big Valley is located in Mifflin County in central PA. Here you’ll find three distinct Amish groups–Nebraska Amish (white-top buggies), Renno Amish (black top) and Byler Amish (yellow). The valley is truly a…
Halifax County on the NC/VA border in southern Virginia is home to a tiny Amish community. On my recent Amish trip I paid a brief visit. Halifax County is one of just 4 Amish communities in Virginia. If you missed it I shared some photos of one of the others here: Charlotte County, Virginia Amish. The Halifax County community was founded in 2005, and is…
Say the words “Pennsylvania Amish”, and Lancaster County inevitably comes to mind. But Pennsylvania is a state covered with Amish settlements, with over 50 as of 2010 (see Young Center 2010). The Amish community in Juniata County is one of the Keystone State’s many lesser-known settlements. I had a chance to visit Juniata County last week while returning to Lancaster County from Big Valley. Juniata…
I just got back, late Saturday, from a great trip visiting friends in Lancaster County and elsewhere. I’ve got a lot to share in upcoming posts. But for now, a little summary. Here are 12 key numbers from last week’s travels to Amish communities in PA, DE, VA, and MD: 7-number of settlements visited. In addition to the ones I mentioned in this post, I…
A few quick photos from the Amish settlement in Charlotte County, Virginia. This is a small community of just one church district. Amish here drive Lancaster County grey buggies. Have been having a great visit (am currently in Lancaster County, and visiting PA Dutch markets around Philadelphia today), though internet is pretty scarce! A Virginia Amish buggy sign. No word if “Rudolph” is a popular name for horses…
Happy Groundhog Day! (UPDATED BELOW) Something tells me that with the weather lately, old Punxsutawney Phil might just see his shadow, dooming us to 6 weeks more winter. Punxsutawney, of course, is the central Pennsylvania town known for holding the most prominent Groundhog Day celebration, complete with a tuxedoed band of residents known as the “Inner Circle” who care for Phil and interpret his prognostications….
Once, an Amish acquaintance with an interest in numbers showed me a few calculations. He had worked out the theoretical Amish population far into the future, using the assumption that it doubles every 20 years. The numbers get big quickly. Total Amish population (currently 250,000) hits a million sometime in the 2050s, and rockets from there. A recent academic study (on the spread of a…
Thanks to Mary for sharing the above photo of County Road 77 in Holmes County, Ohio. You might recall CR-77 mentioned in the comments section of the Amish buggy safety post of a couple weeks ago. Hurst and McConnell remind us that CR-77 is known locally as the “Amish roller coaster”, for its series of rolling hills. You can kind of get a sense of that…