Following up 10 views of Lancaster County, here are 10 photos from another Pennsylvania Amish settlement. Big Valley, officially known as Kishacoquillas Valley, is home to the second-largest Amish community in Pennsylvania. Big Valley is located in Mifflin County in central PA. Â Here you’ll find three distinct Amish groups–Nebraska Amish (white-top buggies), Renno Amish (black top) and Byler Amish (yellow). The valley is truly a…
A grab-bag of thoughts and stories for the weekend.  Enjoy! Rhymemaster B “Full of action, traction and a lot of satisfaction.”  So replied Amishman “Rhymie Aaron” when asked how he was feeling.  “Rhymie Aaron” was the nickname of Aaron Beiler, who lived most his life in Lancaster County before passing away in 1964.  I recently came across an article about him dating to last year.  Sounds…
Nebraska Amish buggies are among the simplest. In the photo you can notice the lack of a back window, the open front, and roll-up canvas sides. The back canvas can also be opened and rolled up to let a nice breeze through. The hook which you can see jutting out on the right (just above the mountain line) holds a small lamp for night visibility.
Big Valley, Pennsylvania is home to three main Amish groups–the Byler Amish, Renno Amish, and Nebraska Amish. They’re often known by the color of their buggies–yellow, black, and white, respectively. The somewhat fancy dash of a Byler Amish buggy. Yes, those are keys hanging on the right. You’ve got to start the horse somehow. Some Amish smoke. So this comes in handy. Also for recharging…
Across America in places where the Amish have set up shop, local businesses and government authorities have had to adapt some practices to accommodate the preferred Amish transportation. Traffic Jam off County Road 77 in Holmes County, Ohio Sometimes an Amish group showing up in an area can lead to disputes with locals over horse mess or hoof damage on roads. The smarter businesses, or…
Many people have seen photos of the fairly well-known ‘white-top buggy’ Amish. This group is based mainly in Pennsylvania’s diverse Big Valley region. They are most commonly known as the Nebraska Amish, named after a Nebraska-based bishop who helped the group get started in the late 1800’s . Referred to by Steven Nolt as ‘the most conservative of all Old Orders’, they are also called…
Diversity in the Amish world is a common theme of this blog. Ever wonder how different Amish groups use technology? Judging by the chart, it can be seen that the most conservative groups include the Swartzentruber Amish, Nebraska Amish, and the Buchanan County, Iowa Amish (the three of which Amish historian Steven Nolt groups together under the ultraconservative label, referring to the Buchanan group in…
Following up the great Amish photos from Bill Coleman last week, here is a new, no-less impressive batch from Randall Persing. Randy says that he feels fortunate to have developed friendships with the Amish. This also allows him to freely move about the community, attend events, and document Amish life. Like Bill Coleman, Randy has been able to photograph perhaps the most conservative of all…
The Nebraska Amish find themselves on the ultraconservative edge of Amish society. ‘Nebraska’ is something of a misnomer, however. This group is found mainly in Mifflin County, PA, in the diverse ‘Big Valley’ region. A second, smaller group is found in northeastern Ohio. The Nebraska tag comes from the origin of the group’s founding bishop, Yost H. Yoder. Today there are a number of subgroups…