Today we have a winner for the New York Amish book contest, and a short excerpt from the book. Thanks to all that participated. Before announcing the winner I just wanted to let you know about our next giveaway. Amish Grace authors Donald Kraybill, Steven Nolt, and David Weaver-Zercher have written a new book called The Amish Way: Patient Faith in a Perilous World. The…
The Amish community at Ethridge is one of a handful in Tennessee, and at ten church districts, the largest Amish settlement in the South. The Amish here are of the Swartzentruber “lineage”, meaning low levels of technology, numerous farms, and buggies lacking the Slow Moving Vehicle triangle. Ethridge is unusual as a sizeable and long-established Southern community, with most Amish settlements in the South being…
In the previous post, SUNY Potsdam Professor Karen Johnson-Weiner answered questions on Amish settlements in New York state. Today she shares her knowledge of the Swartzentruber Amish. Amish America: Could you explain who exactly the term ‘Swartzentruber’ refers to? In what ways do the Swartzentruber Amish differ from ‘mainstream’ Amish? Professor Karen Johnson-Weiner: The Swartzentruber Amish, arguably the plainest of the “Plain People,” originated in…
I attended the funeral of an Old Order Amish man while in the Holmes County settlement over the weekend. A few observations: Around 200 attendees, mostly Amish, with all four major affiliations represented: Old Order, New Order, Andy Weaver (aka ‘Dan church’) and Swartzentruber. There were only a handful of non-Amish present–mainly consisting of a few plain Mennonites. The Amish funeral takes place in the…
A few more of Cindy Seigle’s Orange County, Indiana Amish photos with a few of my own comments attached. Again, we aren’t 100% sure which of the two Orange County groups each particular picture is from, but apparently there are similarities between the two groups when it comes to dress and technology. In this photo you can see obvious signs of a lower-order buggy–no SMV…
Cindy Seigle (you can find Cindy on Flickr) has shared some interesting photos of a conservative Amish settlement in southern Indiana. In An Amish Patchwork, Meyers and Nolt explain that Orange County is home to two distinct Amish communities. The newer of the two groups is comprised of ultraconservative Swartzentruber-affiliated Amish from New York and Ohio who began settling in the area in 1994. The older…
Some Amish dairymen still use the old-style milk containers to transport their milk, as seen in this photo taken in Swartzentruber Amish country in Ohio. Lancaster Amish are allowed to use mechanical milkers, which has helped to allow that particular community to retain a relatively high percentage of functioning dairies. Amish barns will have a special tank to store the milk, and to cool and…
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…
Holmes County locals had a really nice idea a few years ago–to convert an old train bed into a multi-purpose pedestrian and horse trail. The Holmes County Trail was the result. The paved part actually stretches from Wayne County–Fredericksburg–around ten miles down to Millersburg, the Holmes County seat. It continues on in both directions unpaved. Motorized vehicular traffic is banned. Local Amish consulted on construction…
The lanes leading to the homes of Swartzentruber Amish are often pretty rough-looking. They are usually dirt, with perhaps a few stones mixed in. A dirt lane can be interesting after a downpour. This is the first time I’ve ever seen this type of warning. I imagine the families who live on this farm in Ohio have had their share of mud-stuck vehicles. This reminded…