Migration to previously-unsettled areas has been a story of significance for Amish in recent years. Migration is not a new phenomenon, as Amish have long moved to new areas for reasons of economics, due to church issues, or for other causes. Places that have seen a recent influx of Amish include Missouri, Wisconsin, and New York–all states that have established Amish populations. Recent years have…
One of my favorite stops of this recent Holmes County trip was Raber’s Bookstore, located “2 miles south of Charm”, as it says on the business card. This photo is not of the store itself, but of an old schoolhouse nearby. The bookstore has changed hands to the next generation and is run by a lively pair, we’ll call them “Atlee” and “Emma”. The store…
Here’s an interesting article on a produce auction in the largest Amish settlement in Tennessee (article no longer online). The settlement of ten church districts at Ethridge, Tennessee, is a conservative Swartzentruber Amish affiliation. So it was interesting to see local Amish contributing to this article, as well as learn that the area has something called an Amish Welcome Center with maps of farmhouses in…
Hi everyone, and thanks for all the feedback on the semi-controversial book video. I meant to post something from here in Lancaster County much sooner, but funny thing, every Amish home I visit claims their Wi-Fi connection is down. Frustrating. As I’m on some dodgy illicit kerosene-powered land line tucked away in a tobacco barn right now, and I don’t know how much longer it…
A reader in Canada has shared some photos and background on the small settlement located near the village of Springford in Ontario. The community consists of 4 church districts and was founded in 1954. It is apparently quite conservative, using outhouses and open-front buggies and oil lamps for lighting, and blankets used to keep warm in winter. One particular point of interest in this community,…
Bruce Stambaugh describes peak season at the vacation/retirement community at Amish Pinecraft, in Sarasota, Florida: The atmosphere was part family reunion, part auction crowd. Some came to meet and greet. Most were there to watch. Men with white beards and denim pants with suspenders and women in pastel dresses and lacy white coverings predominated the scene. A few children in straw hats and long, plain…
The Bloomfield Amish community is one of the largest in Iowa The Amish community lying north and west of Bloomfield, Iowa is one of the three largest in the state. Like the nearby settlement at Kalona, and the more conservative group found in Buchanan County in the northeast part of the state, Bloomfield is home to roughly 8 church districts, comprising about 175 households. Yet…
Thought this might be a nice out-of-season shot to share, on yet another snowy day in my neck of the woods (and maybe yours, too). Rick offers us a pic from Mercer County, Pennsylvania, near the hamlet of Jackson Center, an hour north of Pittsburgh. There are at present 3 Amish settlements in Mercer County, the oldest and largest settled in 1942, and having 5…
Amish and Mennonites have been putting on annual auctions for the benefit of people in Haiti for many years now. They take place in various locations across the nation, including communities in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Florida, and Illinois. Furniture, quilts and other items are auctioned off at these large events. The Florida auction, held in Sarasota, is in fact taking place this weekend. The photos…
Orange County, Indiana Amish farm photo courtesy of Cindy Seigle. Wintry weather means staying inside, mostly. Is this farmers’ favorite time of year?