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Amish Controversies

New Law Aimed At Amish Community Would Ban Steel Wheel Buggies, Require Manure Cleanup
ByErik Wesner July 16, 2026July 18, 2026
46 Comments

A proposed ordinance in Bedford County, Pennsylvania would force local Amish to adapt their buggies to be more “road-friendly”, at least from the perspective of some residents. At the same time, others are concerned it could “disproportionately impact” the Amish community. From the report at WJAC: BEDFORD COUNTY, Pa (WJAC) — A proposed ordinance in Bedford Township is drawing scrutiny ahead of a vote scheduled…

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Buggy Accidents

13-Year-Old Amish Girl Killed in Wisconsin Buggy Crash — Despite Lights, Reflective Vest, and Slow-Moving Vehicle Sign
ByErik Wesner July 15, 2026

Very sad breaking news out of Sauk County, Wisconsin. A 13-year-old Amish girl lost her life while driving a buggy Wednesday morning, after it was struck by a Ford F350 hauling a trailer. From the report at WKOW: VILLAGE OF IRONTON, Wis. (WKOW) — A 13-year-old Amish girl died after a truck pulling a trailer struck her horse and buggy from behind on Highway 58….

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Amish Food

Bread Soup, Oyster Stew & More: Favorite Dishes From My Ohio Amish Community
ByErik Wesner July 15, 2026
10 Comments

Nora Kurtz is a member of a Geauga County, Ohio Amish church. Today she shares some favorite dishes from her childhood – and some she still loves today, including bread soup and more. Anyone who lives in or around a large Amish community is probably going to be at least somewhat familiar with “Amish food”. Fried chicken, stuffing, mashed potatoes, creamed vegetables, pies and puddings…

Read More Bread Soup, Oyster Stew & More: Favorite Dishes From My Ohio Amish Community
Buggy Accidents

Amish Man & Woman Airlifted After Buggy Wreck on Iowa Road With Deadly History
ByErik Wesner July 14, 2026

Two people were airlifted for treatment after a Friday afternoon buggy crash in Iowa’s largest Amish community – on a road with a deadly history for Amish in the community. From the report at the Bloomfield Democrat: Davis County Deputy Sheriff James Johnson said Tuesday morning he did not yet have a complete official report on the Amish buggy/pickup truck accident that occurred on 180th…

Read More Amish Man & Woman Airlifted After Buggy Wreck on Iowa Road With Deadly History
Buggy Accidents

Amish Man, 74, Sent to Hospital After Camaro Slams Into His Buggy — Alcohol Suspected
ByErik Wesner July 13, 2026July 14, 2026

Alcohol use is in the picture, yet again, in another Amish buggy crash. Fortunately, this one was not fatal, like others have been. The buggy crash victim is a 74-year-old Amish man from the Harmony, Minnesota community, the state’s largest. Here’s more on the Saturday crash from the Post Bulletin report: LANESBORO, Minn. — One person was injured after a vehicle and a horse-drawn buggy…

Read More Amish Man, 74, Sent to Hospital After Camaro Slams Into His Buggy — Alcohol Suspected
Amish Communities

Missouri Is America’s #7 Amish State — These Are Its 10 Biggest Communities
ByErik Wesner July 12, 2026September 25, 2026
1 Comment

Missouri is home to America’s seventh-largest Amish population. Over 19,000 Amish live in more than 60 settlements across the state. These ten communities are the largest in Missouri, based on the most current Amish population estimates (2026). Population numbers via Young Center for Anabaptist & Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College (source link at bottom). 1. Seymour Seymour (Webster County) Community founded: 1968 Total Amish population:…

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Buggy Accidents

Amish Buggy Hit by Car on New York Highway — 77-Year-Old Amish Man Critical, Horse Killed
ByErik Wesner July 10, 2026July 14, 2026
1 Comment

A 77-year-old Amish man from Palatine, New York remains in critical condition tonight after a car struck his buggy on a state highway in Montgomery County Thursday evening. The accident impact happened on a curve, while the buggy was towing a piece of farm equipment (more on that below). From CBS 6 Albany: Sheriff Jeffery T. Smith said the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office 911 Dispatch…

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The Amish & Crime

Father Claimed His 2-Year-Old Son Was With The Amish in Mississippi. Investigators Likely Just Found The Boy’s Body
ByErik Wesner July 10, 2026July 14, 2026
1 Comment

This is a strange and tragic case out of Missouri. This story does not directly involve the Amish, but nonetheless they play a particularly odd role in it. A father who told police his missing 2-year-old son had been dropped off at an Amish community in Mississippi has been arrested. This week, in a wooded area outside Belleville, Illinois, investigators found the remains of a…

Read More Father Claimed His 2-Year-Old Son Was With The Amish in Mississippi. Investigators Likely Just Found The Boy’s Body
Amish Life

State Police: Destruction “Too Great” to Determine Cause of Fire That Killed Amish Family of 7
ByErik Wesner July 10, 2026July 14, 2026

Nearly three months after the April fire that killed an Amish mother and her six children in Clinton County, Pennsylvania, state police say they cannot determine what caused it. The reason: too much destruction to work with. From the report at PennLive: The cause of the fire in Clinton County that killed an Amish mother and her six children three months ago could not be…

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Amish History

Q & A with Elam Stoltzfus, Co-Author of Amish Family Records of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania: Fraktur & Needlework—1800 to 1900s
ByErik Wesner July 9, 2026
1 Comment

A newly-released book collects 123 fraktur pieces and needlework family records from Amish families in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, spanning the 1800s. It’s the result of nearly three decades of collecting by the late Jack Parmer, with genealogical research and text by Elam Stoltzfus — who joins us today to share more on it. Here’s how publisher Masthof Press describes the book: Amish Family Records of…

Read More Q & A with Elam Stoltzfus, Co-Author of Amish Family Records of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania: Fraktur & Needlework—1800 to 1900s

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