Saline, Illinois Amish

Byerik March 23, 2007December 17, 2011

A moving-day shot from the Saline, Illinois community mentioned yesterday, taken by Pamela Kay Schmalenberger of The Southern newspaper.

One of the Amishmen commented that he hopes they can ‘blend in here without being too much of a nuisance to anybody’, and expects to enjoy the warmer weather.

In recent years Amish have established many new communities, in places such as Colorado, Maine, and Montana. The Saline community is one of about 20 in Illinois.

In addition to farming, Amish in Illinois and other states often establish small businesses, including small shops, construction companies, and woodworking shops (read more about Amish furniture in Illinois).

As of 2010, Amish live in 28 states and Canada.

Illinois Amish State guide

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Amish Communities

The Amish Bishop With Churches In Two Countries

ByErik Wesner April 29, 2021July 14, 2021

2 Comments

An Amishman in Canada finds himself in an unusual and likely unique situation, serving as bishop for two Amish churches – one in New Brunswick province, and the other just across the border in the US, in Maine. That’s one of a number of interesting details in Gabriel Arsenault’s article “Understanding Amish Migrations to New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Manitoba” from the latest Journal…

Amish Communities

An “Amish Megalopolis”?

ByErik Wesner August 9, 2022August 9, 2022

5 Comments

This title is meant to be a bit tongue-in-cheek. What I’m referring to though, is an interesting development brought to my attention by reader Al in KY. I’ve noted here in the past how the Elkhart-LaGrange and nearby Nappanee Amish settlements (first and third largest in Indiana) have essentially “grown together” in that their areas touch and overlap. For example: “Even in 2006, Amish settling…

Amish Communities

The Amish Population Has Doubled Since 2000 – Now Exceeds 350,000

ByErik Wesner August 18, 2020June 11, 2023

20 Comments

As it does around this time each year, the Young Center at Elizabethtown College has just published its Amish population estimates for 2020 (update: see the latest 2022 numbers here). The total estimated Amish population is 350,665, found in 31 states, four Canadian provinces, and two South American countries. Some interesting takeaways from the figures: 1. Four Large Settlements. The largest settlement, Lancaster County, now…

Amish Communities

10 Views of Ashland County, Ohio

ByErik Wesner June 20, 2012

44 Comments

The best known Amish community in Ohio is of course the huge Holmes County settlement, home to around 30,000 Amish. Next would be the Geauga County community, the fourth largest of all Amish settlements, with a little less than half the population of Holmes County. Those may be the most well known Ohio Amish locations, but there are many other Amish settlements scattered across the…

Amish Communities

Growth of the Amish in Kentucky (and the South)

ByErik Wesner January 19, 2015January 19, 2015

17 Comments

In “The Growth of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Communities in Kentucky” (see latest issue of JAPAS), Joseph Donnemeyer and Corey Anderson examine the development of Amish and other Anabaptist communities in the Bluegrass State. They also touch on Amish settlement (or lack thereof) in the southern states. I pulled some interesting points from the article to share with you below. Amish-Mennonites in Kentucky One thing to be aware…

Amish Communities

5 Facts On The Lancaster County Amish Population

ByErik Wesner April 30, 2019March 3, 2020

13 Comments

A recent article (Lancaster Online) on the Lancaster Amish and development pressure brought some interesting facts about the county’s Amish population to the forefront. Most of these are from that article, with some additions and explanation by me. 5 Facts About Lancaster County’s Amish Population 1. The largest community – Lancaster County is home to an estimated 33,143 Amish, according to estimates from the Young Center….