New York Amish

Reader photos: New York Amish

New York state is home to a large number of Amish communities–around 30 settlements–totaling over 70 church districts. New York ranks as the state with the sixth largest Amish population and has attracted a large number of out-of-state ‘immigrant Amish’–in fact, more than any other state since 2002. Brock shares photos from an Amish settlement in Montgomery County, New York. This particular community was founded in 1986 by Amish from…

Amish growing like mushrooms after a rain shower

An AP story has just hit the wire on population growth among the Amish.  This coincides with the release of additional information on trends in Amish growth and migration from here at the Young Center. The Amish studies site now lists trend data for the 1992 to 2008 period as well as the 2007 to 2008 one-year trend. The most surprising statistic:  according to the…

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Buggy-friendly America

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…

Stepping up, once again

Amish have been among the many helping clean up in southern Florida following last year’s devastating Hurricane Wilma. Amish Disaster Service out of Illinois has coordinated the Amish side of the effort.  Volunteers from New York, Iowa, and Illinois Amish communities have been trekking back and forth to the area since early January. The Amish have just been one part of a much larger effort…