The shocking story of an “Amish wannabe” living in the Arthur, Illinois community who attacked and tried to kidnap a 16-year-old Amish girl has come to a conclusion of sorts. In the February 2025 incident – which happened in the early morning at a local coffee shop – Lester M. Raymind, 21, first assaulted, and then tried to carry away the girl. He was stopped by…
This story is part of a three-part Thanksgiving series exploring how the Amish express gratitude—not through words, but through action. In this first reflection, author and Amish taxi driver Haley Straw shares what she learned about quiet appreciation and the surprising ways the Amish say “thank you” without ever saying a word. A half-hug, a basket of produce, and a lesson in gratitude—the Amish way…
Another horrible crash has led to the death of an Amish teen in southern Iowa. And the person apparently responsible for the death decided to run. This incident, which happened early yesterday evening in Clarke County, Iowa, was reported at KJAN, a local radio station: (Clarke County, IA) [updated with suspect vehicle information] – A horse-drawn buggy operated by a teenager, was struck by an…
As of 2026, over 410,000 horse-and-buggy Amish live in 33 states. Scroll on for the full list, from the largest Amish population (Pennsylvania) to smallest (Alabama). And for more on Amish in each state, check out the linked state guides for each entry. Numbers via the Young Center for Anabaptist & Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College (source link at bottom). 1. Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Amish Population:…
The new owner of historic Nappanee, Indiana attraction Amish Acres has explained more on the reopening process, and what visitors can expect, in a new article at Goshen News. And as was suggested before, it sounds like fans of the original should be happy with what’s coming. And there is to be a “twist” – but it doesn’t sound like it will be anything drastic….
Each year the Amish start new settlements (with nine new ones arising in the past year). Some grow slowly over time, others more quickly. Others eventually fail and disband. Dynamics such as the local economy, climate, and in-group harmony all can affect a given community’s chances of success. Today, Timothy L. Price shares a closer look at the goings-on in one such young Amish community,…
The community is Deer Lodge, Tennessee (Morgan County). It’s a settlement founded by Amish in 2013, which has since grown to over 250 people in size. We happened to look at another home from this very same community just a few weeks ago (the Amish home with “unrivaled” views). Families will come and go from Amish settlements. If it comes in groups it may mean…
An Amish family in the Buchanan County, Iowa community (Hazleton) is likely breathing a sigh of relief after undergoing the misfortune of a property fire Thursday. The relief would come from the fact that no one was hurt, and that their home mostly escaped damage. Four local fire departments contributed to the efforts to extinguish the blaze. Apparently an explosion preceded the fire, according to…
This is the second West Virginia Amish home we’ve looked at this year, after this five-bedroom place on a 50+ acre piece of land. And I expect we’ll be seeing more and more of them for sale in the state as the Amish footprint there, and pool of available homes, continues to grow. Their overall population in the state remains low at around 900, but…
Haley Straw returns today with the story of how she first got started driving the Amish. This is the fifth in a series of posts by Haley on what it’s like to be an Amish taxi driver. If you missed any of those, you’ll find links to them at the end of this post. September 18, 2015, is a day I’ll never forget. It was…