Amish Communities

A “Virtual Visit” to a Small & Plain Amish Community (35 Photos)

A “Virtual Visit” to a Small & Plain Amish Community (35 Photos)

We’ve got a selection of photos from an off-the-beaten path Amish settlement. This is Shannon County, Missouri – in the vicinity of Summersville and Hartshorn. The photo collection is by Don Burke, who has passed through this community several times over the years. The community was started in 2006 according to the State & County Amish listing. It’s grown to two church districts in size….

Michigan County Welcomes New Amish Community (3 Things of Note)

Michigan County Welcomes New Amish Community (3 Things of Note)

A township in Ogenaw County, Michigan is welcoming a new Amish settlement. And by the sound of the report at the Ogemaw County Herald, they are getting quite a warm welcome indeed. Edwards Township Treasurer Ellen Fournier had this to say: “The township would like to welcome them and we want to make everyone aware that there are a lot of new families out here,”…

The Amish In The “Middle Of Nowhere” (One Year Later)

The Amish In The “Middle Of Nowhere” (One Year Later)

Back in December of 2023, that’s how I described the fledgling community being founded at the time in the Sandhills region of Nebraska. Why “Middle of Nowhere”? This is why: Amish who appear to be a part of the Michigan Circle (that group has been showing up a good bit here lately) have started up a new settlement in the area of a town called Valentine. Though in fact the…

10 Views of Virginia’s Largest Amish Community

10 Views of Virginia’s Largest Amish Community

So here are ten (more) views from Virginia’s largest Amish community – in Charlotte County. I did a post like this five years ago. Some things have changed in this community, and some things haven’t. Let’s have a look. As you approach the community from the south, a sign alerts you to be on the lookout for Amish buggies. Fifteen miles gives you a sense…

The Amish of Cass City, Michigan (14 Photos)

The Amish of Cass City, Michigan (14 Photos)

Jim Halverson is back today with a great set of photos from a more “off-the-beaten-path” Amish community – this one at Cass City, Michigan – one of the state’s 50+ Amish locations. Despite what it might sound like, Cass City is actually a village of about 2,500 people, and Amish live in the surrounding areas of three counties. Jim tells the story of this settlement…

Amish Start Community In Middle Of Nowhere

Amish Start Community In Middle Of Nowhere

And I write “Middle of Nowhere” with affection, because I happen to be quite fond of many middle-of-nowhere places. But in reality, this is somewhere – specifically the Sandhills of Nebraska. Amish who appear to be a part of the Michigan Circle (that group has been showing up a good bit here lately) have started up a new settlement in the area of a town…

Who Are The “Michigan Circle” Amish?

Who Are The “Michigan Circle” Amish?

From time to time, Amish America features published articles from the Journal of Plain Anabaptist Communities (JPAC). This one was published in Volume 3, No. 1 (2022) issue of JPAC, written by Edsel Burdge, who is a research associate with the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. Edsel devotes a great deal of time to keeping track of…

2023 Amish Population: Five Years & 50,000 More Amish

2023 Amish Population: Five Years & 50,000 More Amish

The annual horse-and-buggy Amish population figures have been released by the Young Center at Elizabethtown College. The total Amish population is estimated at 383,565 people. That breaks down to 377,275 in the United States, 6,100 in Canada, and 190 in South America. And of course the count continues to steadily rise. If we look at the numbers from just five years ago, the Amish population…

Visiting Amish Businesses at Unity, Maine (8 Photos)

Visiting Amish Businesses at Unity, Maine (8 Photos)

Judy Stavisky, author of In Plain View: The Daily Lives of Amish Women, paid a visit recently to the Amish community at Unity, Maine, with stops at a pair of businesses. The Unity community has been featured here and in other media fairly often in the past. For example, here’s a look at some of the things that make Unity an atypical Amish community (which…

One Million Amish By 2050?

One Million Amish By 2050?

The Amish population is growing fast. It’s been growing fast for decades. And that doesn’t seem to be changing. How large will the Amish population get in our lifetimes? On the recent 1950s Amish film post, Lance left a comment that brought this back to mind: In 1900 there were just 5000 total Amish world wide. By this video’s filming, there were 8000 in just…