Don Burke, who’s previously shared photos from places like Kalona, Iowa; Jamesport, Missouri; and an Amish “ghost town”, today takes us to the Ethridge, Tennessee community. Ethridge is a conservative Swartzentruber community, and depending on how you define the region, the largest Amish settlement in the South. The people here are decidedly plainer than in communities like Lancaster County or those in northern Indiana. This shows up…
From The New York Times (“In Amish Country, The Future Is Calling” by Kevin Granville & Ashley Gilbertson): “Amish life is about recognizing the value of agreed-upon limits,” said Erik Wesner, an author who runs a blog, Amish America, “and the spirit of the internet cuts against the idea of limits.” John, who works a computerized saw at Amish Country Gazebos near Lancaster, Pa., likened it…
Ever come across a website selling Amish products (like furniture) and wonder how much the Amish are involved? Are they running these websites somehow, or is someone helping make it happen? Ryan Kralik helps Amish get their goods online. In today’s guest post he explains how that works. — Today I am the President of an internet marketing company called WebsiteNEO, Inc. We specialize in web…
I often get questions from readers wanting to have a “deeper experience” when they visit the Amish – something more than a buggy ride or buying canned goods at a roadside stand. For instance, there are a few Amish lodging places though they are not common. There are also families who will host you in their homes for a meal. Often you need to set this up in advance, come…
Amish in Montana’s West Kootenai community suffered heavy losses last week when the fast-moving Caribou Fire destroyed dozens of buildings in the span of a few hours. The Missoulian interviewed 34-year-old Amish resident Andy Yoder on the fire and what he expects when his family returns to the site of their former home: Someday soon — before anyone has a chance to begin cleaning up…
Do you know any Yoders? If so, you might want to congratulate them on a big anniversary. It’s been three centuries since the first Anabaptist Yoder set foot in North America. Shipshewana, IN will be home to a special edition of the Yoder Reunion event: The 2017 National Yoder Reunion will take place Sept. 20 to 23, and it will commemorate the 300th year since the arrival of…
News of a wildfire in the vicinity of the Rexford, Montana Amish settlement (West Kootenai) began appearing over the past few days. Initial reports were that the Amish community was “OK”. Today brings different news. The Amish have in fact been hit hard – so far losing a total of 40 buildings – 10 homes and 30 outbuildings – to what’s being called the Caribou Fire. Another…
Can you be Amish – and belong to another church at the same time? Andy and Naomi Weaver believe the answer is yes. In an article at adventistreview.org, “We are Amish. And we are Seventh-Day Adventists“, Andy and Naomi share their journey from a conservative Amish community at West Salem, Ohio, to the Seventh-day Adventist church: One day, about five years ago, Andy, who by now had…
There’s been a discussion recently over whether Amish in Pennsylvania should have their buggies registered and carry license plates, just like motor vehicles. Young Center Senior Scholar Steven Nolt recently appeared on WITF’s Smart Talk to discuss the issue. Here’s the back story: Drive behind a Amish horse and buggy in Pennsylvania and you’ll see a fluorescent orange, triangular placard attached to the gray and…
If you’d like a glimpse of Amish areas in the Empire State, newyorkupstate.com has posted 14 photos taken in Western New York. The article references Chautauqua County, which is home to several Amish communities, including the settlement at Clymer (10 church districts as of 2017). However, at least some of these photos may in fact be from neighboring Cattaraugus County, which includes the town of Leon, noted in a…