10 Favorite Photos From My Last Visit To Lancaster County

10 Favorite Photos From My Last Visit To Lancaster County

I was going through some photos today from my June visit to Lancaster County. There are some nice odds and ends here I’d like to share with you. I don’t really have a theme for these, other than “photos I liked”. So without further ado… 1. Beware of Nuts This warning sign hangs by the lane going up to a home where I attended church…

Should A Rare Orchid Stop An Amish Farmer From Working His Land?

This is an odd story. A certain endangered orchid happens to grow in only one spot in vast Canada. That spot happens to be in a little area outside the community of Vita, Manitoba – where a new Amish settlement came to be last year. One of the settlement’s farmers is now in hot water for disobeying an order not to cultivate land where the rare…

Amishman Suffers Broken Neck After Car Crests Hill, Hits Buggy

Amishman Suffers Broken Neck After Car Crests Hill, Hits Buggy

I’m pointing this accident out as an example of a buggy road danger which I think is under-covered. Speed and lighting get a lot of attention, but hills are another big threat to Amish buggies. An Amishman is recovering with a broken neck in northern New York following an accident involving a hill. By the looks of this photo of his demolished, upside-down carriage, he’s…

Two Volunteer Firefighters Arrested For Burning Down Amish Furniture Shop

Two Volunteer Firefighters Arrested For Burning Down Amish Furniture Shop

Two volunteer firefighters have been charged with arson in the burning of an Amish furniture shop in Pennsylvania. The community in question is Smicksburg (Indiana County), one of the larger settlements in the state. Byler’s Custom Built Aspen Log Furniture burned down in a fire back in January. This was one of four Amish business fires which I noted at the time had happened in…

Amish Women’s Clothing – What Differences Do You Notice? (16 Photos)

Amish Women’s Clothing – What Differences Do You Notice? (16 Photos)

Reader Jim Halverson, who gave us a look at the Amish of Lagrange County, Indiana last summer, recently attended Yoder’s Consignment Auction in the same community. Jim spotted differences in the styles of clothing of those in attendance – particularly noticeable in the women’s dress. Clearly the Amish at the event were not all from the same community (not a surprise for a large auction)….

Amish Funeral Traditions: The Viewing, Service & Burial

Amish Funeral Traditions: The Viewing, Service & Burial

What are Amish customs regarding funerals – specifically the viewing, service, and burial? It’s a somber topic, but in the latest Amish Cook column, Dorcas Raber, mother of regular columnist Gloria Yoder, steps in to describe Amish funeral traditions. I’ve been to an Amish funeral, and also a viewing in a separate instance, though have not gone for the burial. I shared my observations on…

Ride Along To The Grocery Store With An Amish Farmer (Video)

Ride Along To The Grocery Store With An Amish Farmer (Video)

How would you feel about taking your life in your hands just to pick up some boxes of cereal? This one-minute video, shot from the cockpit of an Amish buggy, really brings home the experience of those Amish people who must regularly travel on busy highways – just to get basic errands done. Much of this was taken on Route 30 in Lancaster County, aka…

Earl D. Miller Ordered To Repay $5.2 Million, Mostly To Amish Investors

Earl D. Miller Ordered To Repay $5.2 Million, Mostly To Amish Investors

Back in February, we looked at four major financial schemes which Amish had fallen victim to since 2008. A principal figure in one of those schemes has now been ordered to pay restitution. One thing to mention up front: articles on this are describing Earl D. Miller as “Amish” (of course, that’s a catchier and more concise headline than “formerly Amish” or “Amish-raised”). However, it…

Community Supports Grieving Amish Family; 6-Year-Old Survivor In Stable Condition [Updated]

Community Supports Grieving Amish Family; 6-Year-Old Survivor In Stable Condition [Updated]

Both Amish and English members of the Vermontville, Michigan community have come together to support the family who lost three children in a buggy accident Wednesday. Below we’ve got comments from Amish and English locals. There’s also information if you’d like to send a card or donate money to support this family. The good news here is that the fourth rider in the buggy –…

3 More Amish Children Killed In Michigan Buggy Crash

3 More Amish Children Killed In Michigan Buggy Crash

It was just three months ago that three young Amish siblings were killed in a buggy crash in southern Michigan. Tragically, the story has repeated itself, in another part of the state. This time, it seems alcohol was not involved. The driver struck the children’s buggy as they returned home from school. From Lansing State Journal: In Wednesday’s crash, the four Amish siblings were in…