When it comes to Amish Ohio, the big communities at Holmes County or Geauga County come first to mind. But the state has a much more expansive Amish footprint – with Amish living in over 70 locations throughout the Buckeye State. Hardin County is one of those places. Since 1953, Amish have called the Kenton area home. And while this is not a Swartzentruber Amish…
Amish Life Beyond the Heartland States like Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Wisconsin are part of the “Amish heartland” – each home to dozens of Amish communities, and tens of thousands of Amish people. But six U.S. states host exactly one Amish settlement each. While some are well-established, others are relatively new, reflecting a pioneering spirit not uncommon to the Amish. Here’s a look at those six…
There are well over 600 Amish settlements across North America, with new settlements being started at a rate of about one every 10 days. You may have even seen Amish start a new community near you recently – or you might sometime soon. At the same time, many Amish settlements have failed over the years. There are a number of reasons for this: A location…
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….
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,”…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…