Tennessee Amish Photos
Five Lesser-Known But Large-ish Amish Communities
Large Amish communities and those with a tourist focus (often one and the same) tend to get the most attention. Places like Holmes County, Ohio, Arthur, Illinois, and Lancaster County, Pennsylvania are both well-known and frequently-visited. There are also a number of sizeable Amish communities out there that are overlooked. They are more off-the-beaten path, less touristy for whatever reason, or overshadowed by neighboring communities….
Autumn in the Ethridge, TN Amish community
You might remember some photos of the Ethridge, Tennessee Amish shared by reader Adair Faust. She has kindly sent in another batch from a recent visit. You can see the fall colors are in full swing in this conservative Amish community: Favorites10 Unexpected Things I Saw In An Amish Home (20 Photos) Read more on the Ethridge Amish community, the largest settlement in the Volunteer State.
Sent from my cell phone: Very nice images Tonya from that mostly tourist free settlement of Tennessee. Richard .www.Amishstories.net
Tennessee Amish Photos
Very nice! Love to see these pleasing scenes! We have some friends who moved from the “rat race” in North Florida, to this same town, and they love it there! Very peaceful, they say.
Another area to visit, on a “road trip”.
SharonR
I like the cow in picture #3. Can you tell me about photo #5? I can’t quite make out if it’s a produce auction, or parking, or storage, or what.
Lin I’ll let Tonya or someone else confirm, but that I believe is the produce auction.
Auction/Buggies
The buggies are at the Auction Site where they auction the veggies, etc. We go there a lot Erik. We live in N. Ala and try to go up at least once a month during produce season.
Tonya, thank you for sharing the pictures. I recognized most of the places. Need to go back next week and get more jellies, jams, candles, baked goods & produce. I bought several Amish cookbooks in PA, Etheridge, TN. Those I intend to try out now that I can stand to cook again (bad car wreck 3 yrs ago).
Milo, my fascination with the Amish & Mennoites stems from living near them in FL. I frequented the baked/produce store on Thursday. My husband could always tell when he drove into the driveway that I had been. They are the nicest people, polite and so considerate of others. They also have a great sense of humor. What I admire most about them is that they truly live their faith in God. My grandmother wasn’t Amish but she lived the way the Amish did most of her life. She was born in 1890 and the only electricity she had was one electric light bulb in each room. She taught me to cook on a wooden stove, to iron with a cast iron that had to be heated on top of the wood stove. We aren’t putting the Amish in a place to stare at. They are old order Amish & I love going there, talking to them, learning more about their way of life. If I knew what I do now about the Amish I probably would have considered becoming Amish when I was in my 20’s. Also, we share information on the Amish & that takes people to them to buy their produce, crafts and other items they make. It helps them to get through the winter with what they make on the tourists & regs that go there. A lot of them enjoy chatting with us too. They wouldn’t hang signs out about their products for sale if they didn’t want us to come by. I would never take a picture of one of the Amish & I truly honor their belief in God and their standards of helping others in their neighborhood. God bless you Milo.
Pat
Very nice pictures in Tennessee. In all the times I have been in that state, I never thought to go to any Amish places. Will have to change that next time I go through.
Love those pictures! The horse pow-wow is so cute, and I love the parking garage. Thanks for sharing ~
Tennessee Amish Photos - Memories
Many years ago when my husband worked ss a salesman for an electrical supply company, before he went on his first sales trip the older salesmen told him of the curiosity of cows. His territory took him along highways where there were many ranches, so to test what the men had told him, he pulled off the side of the road when he saw a herd of cattle one day. Now the cattle were a good distance from him doing what cattle usually do and hubby started doing his reports for that day. Low and behold, before too long, here that herd was – up at the fence – just checking everything out to their satisfaction! True picture #3 displays that curiosity very plainly!!
Millie nice you thought that cow looked curious too, that is what I ended up naming the photo.
Tennessee Amish Photos
Very nice photos, well done!
Total aside…
Was listening to this on the radio last night on the way to the supermarket: http://www.theworld.org/2012/07/podcast-the-bimusical-brain/
And the following part made me wonder if the Amish had inadvertently stumbled onto a major advantage when they continued the tradition of speaking German at home, and teaching English at school (the whole article touches on why this may be true — because of how bilingualism seems to re-wire the brain):
Gigi Luk, who studies bilingual learning at Harvard, has observed signs of enhancements in the brains of people who grow up with two verbal languages.
“ We found a better performance [among bilinguals] in what we call executive functions,” says Luk.
Executive function tasks involve things like planning, problem solving, and multitasking. “We see this advantage across the lifespan from young children to older adults,” she says.
Lovely photos!
Thank you for the photos Tonya! They are beautiful.
Photos
I am beginning to wonder about the fascination with drive-by photos of Amish farms. There is something perverse to this practice, in general, that reduces a group of persons to species of curiosity.
Worse, then is the chain of ooh’s and aawww’s that follow with shallow comments and speculation. What is the point of this and what does it say about the non-Amish state of mind that reinforces and revels in this activity.
At best this is patronization of otherwise similar human beings, for the gratification of the observers. Find something more valuable to compulse over, or put more sincerity into your actions.
Milo, in case you missed my comment above here it is again:
Milo, my fascination with the Amish & Mennoites stems from living near them in FL. I frequented the baked/produce store on Thursday. My husband could always tell when he drove into the driveway that I had been. They are the nicest people, polite and so considerate of others. They also have a great sense of humor. What I admire most about them is that they truly live their faith in God. My grandmother wasn’t Amish but she lived the way the Amish did most of her life. She was born in 1890 and the only electricity she had was one electric light bulb in each room. She taught me to cook on a wooden stove, to iron with a cast iron that had to be heated on top of the wood stove. We aren’t putting the Amish in a place to stare at. They are old order Amish & I love going there, talking to them, learning more about their way of life. If I knew what I do now about the Amish I probably would have considered becoming Amish when I was in my 20’s. Also, we share information on the Amish & that takes people to them to buy their produce, crafts and other items they make. It helps them to get through the winter with what they make on the tourists & regs that go there. A lot of them enjoy chatting with us too. They wouldn’t hang signs out about their products for sale if they didn’t want us to come by. I would never take a picture of one of the Amish & I truly honor their belief in God and their standards of helping others in their neighborhood. God bless you Milo.
Milo, as for drive-by photos, maybe you are saying we ought to consider how the person feels from the inside of the house. I have looked out the window to see a car stopped by the road to look at the animals, and that’s fine; I like to do that too. Other times, when a car stopped and the animals weren’t there, it gives you a funny feeling. You wonder if they are just taking a cell phone call or looking at a map or taking care of a child, or are they casing the property to report something or take something. Maybe the Ethridge people are used to it and it doesn’t bother them.
Erik, I appreciate what you wrote below.
Holy cow! Let's shop!
I loved the cow, too. We used to have cows (very small dairy farm) across from the library I work at, and our Children’s Dept. windows faced the grazing area. (Kids loved to watch the cows!) Workers were putting in a huge gas pipeline through this area, and the cows would all gather at the farthest point of the farmyard to watch those workmen, day after day. It was so funny to see those cows RUN out of the barn when the workers arrived! Too soon after that, the farmland was divvied up & the cows are long gone. Farm house, barn, some outbuildings are still there on maybe 3 acres, tops. (How sad!) “New” (some now foreclosed) houses have now “grown” up where those curious cows once roamed.
I’d love to purchase some of the items on the signs in the photos. Here’s my list: sweet corn, squash, jam, onions, and definitely one of those collapsible oak baskets!
Thank you, Tonya, for these beautiful photos!
Tennessee Photos
Milo’s comment is confusing…IMHO, If one is “curious”, it means that one is always searching for knowledge, to learn.
It’s refreshing to see some farmland (in pictures) once in awhile, for those of us, who live in the cities and suburbs, and not able to be a farmer or grow crops. The Amish way of life is another culture, out of many, in these United States. What’s wrong with learning about “people and their way of life”?
SharonR
Thank you so much for sharing. I’m a Tennessee gal myself.
Milo
Milo you seem to be implying that little or nothing of substance gets discussed here, and also seem to be assuming the worst motives of those that enjoy these photos (two things I would object to).
I also don’t agree that it is either “perverse” or “patronization” to appreciate these scenes. There is a lot of background information and discussion on this site as well, which attempts to explain the “more valuable” elements of Amish life and belief beyond the mere aesthetic ones (see Amish Online Encyclopedia, for example). And if it bothers you to read comments showing appreciation for such photos, you certainly don’t have to.
As my 92 year old mother-in-law was fond of saying
(with regards to the above comment:) “Everyone to his own opinion, said the old lady, as she kissed the cow.” P.S. Erik, Feel free to delete my mother-in-law’s comment.
photos
Thanks everyone for the nice comments. It was a relaxing, peaceful day. We enjoyed interacting with the farmer’s and their families and came home with some great produce and yummy candy!
Lin, the “produce auction” photo is actually the horse shed at the produce auction. I didn’t get a photo of the auction pavilion because many Plain people were there and I didn’t want to be rude.
Millie, the cow was curious! This is the second photo that I took of her. The first one she is further away.
And just to briefly address Milo…
I come from Plain ancestry and farms and a simpler way of living is what draws me to take photos of any farm that I consider beautiful. I keep them as a reminder, in this crazy life, that there is a simpler way to live, a more peaceful way to live. And since I no longer live where I grew up (Berks County, PA), photos of farms help me not be terribly homesick.
Visiting Ethridge was definitely an experience I’ll not soon forget! 🙂
BERKS COUNTY
Tonya, this is off-topic… but so what! 🙂 My husband is also of plain descent and is descended from families of Berks County. His family ancestry runs through the Fretz family line of Plumstead. The first deacon of the first Mennonite Church of Canada. P.S. LOVE the photos.
CORRECTION
The first deacon of the first Mennonite Church of Canada is one of my husband’s great grandfather. My hubby was raised in northern Michigan in the 40’s and 50’s – his parents adhered to a long standing tradition of plain living; no vehicles, no electricity, no phones, etc. Everything was done by horse/mules, etc.
Berks County
Mary,
I guess a correction from me is in order. I said I grew up in Berks County, which is true. However I was born in Lebanon county and the majority of my family is from Lancaster, Lebanon and Dauphin county. In Lebanon county there is a “building” called Light’s Fort. The man that built that was my 7th great grandfather. I do have some ancestors from Berks though, one was a Captain in the Revolutionary War. My grandparents were raised Church of the Brethren (Old German Baptist) and even though they didn’t remain Plain they kept many Plain ways and taught me how to work hard and live a more simple life. 🙂
collapsible basket
Could you tell me were I could find these collapsible oak baskets??
Thanks so much
Collapsible baskets
Judie, one place to find collapsible or folding wooden baskets is at amishworkshops.com. They have them in the shapes of octagon, oval, heart, leaf, apple, star, butterfly, boat, square, and more! The price range is $34 to $47. It’s interesting just to have a look. It’s quite an invention.
Oak baskets
You can find them at http://www.amishbasketweaver.com all kinds of styles and sizes. Beautiful workmanship!
baskets
Judie, here is a link http://www.amishbasketweaver.com/index.html they are beautiful!
Beautiful
Nice pictures. Posts and pictures help me understand and appreciate Amish culture. Tonya has a good eye for every day beauty.
photos
Thank you Dave, that’s very kind of you to say. I love taking pictures! My last trip home to PA was for 8 days and I took nearly 1000 pictures, mostly of scenery! LOL!
Nice photos! I’ve been through that countryside several times and recognize some of the scenes. Looking forward to going back!
Love the pictures. Everything looks so quiet and peaceful there.
What a wonderful way to live.
Moo
I love the nonchalant nature of cows.
I remember one cow in Manitoba that my family drove past while trying to get to my uncle’s “farm”. I recall the cow paid us no regard as we drove past along on a wheel created path that evidently lead no where but a weedy spot on a farmer’s field, when we turned around it seemed the cow watched us as we traveled back to the “main road” and had a look that said “if I could talk you should have asked.”
I’m relieved that we didn’t get stuck and I didn’t have to get the farmer, I think the cow might have turned into a security bovine if I had, or maybe that is what it was doing in the first place, munching on some grass on an out of the way path.
Photos, etc.
Let me clarify: Like Pat Moore, I come from generations of farmers in Medina Co., Ohio, where interaction with the Amish was commonplace. Although I was born and raised in California, my roots are deep in that loamy soil and its history–as are my sentiments for the Amish culture.
I would not subscribe to this blog if I too did not have a fascination with the subject. So, I think I am asking for more substance to be put into this type of photo portrayal that will separate them from simple voyeurism. And, no, I am not calling this photo display voyeuristic–just that the trend may be heading in that direction.
Erik, you need not be so defensive about your work or your audience. I am one, who will continue reading.
Milo, thanks for clarifying. I do appreciate that you will continue to read.
I also don’t think it should surprise I’d reply as I did following the type of comment you left. There are less rude ways to convey your points.
That said, I agree that it’s good to have substance accompanying photos.
In fact they often do come with more than just expressions of appreciation. If you see one with nothing added, it probably means a busy day that day 🙂 Or, I know others are better-qualified to comment on a subject or event or place, which they often do.
But I don’t think every post is going to get tremendous substance, nor should it. Sometimes a photo of a cow is just a photo of a cow (though I even notice I’ve learned a bit about that animal’s trait of curiosity thanks to what folks have shared here).
Me too!
I’m glad Milo clarified the intent of his original post. I was inclined towards saying: “If you don’t like pictures like this, don’t come here”. Of course, I wouldn’t actually post that because this is not my site. I would have probably thought it though.
ON THE OTHER HAND … Milo does touch upon a legitimate point; your privacy is YOUR PRIVACY. For example, our home is a 1918 model located in a small town (<4,000 population) about an hours drive west of a megatropolis; in area that is still predominately a farming and ranching center. We get A LOT of weekend tourists. When we remodeled it, some 27 years ago, we were among the first in our town to use multiple colors (in our case 4) as opposed to the base white house, with black trim on the window screens that was the norm back then. You would not believe how many people would stop and take pictures of it. That really did not bother me very much, but when they were out there for 15 or 20 minutes snapping pictures you start to wonder what they are up to.
The worst were those that would get out of their cars and walk up into the yard to snap close up pictures of the detail work; the stained glass window in the front gable end, the corner molding, the sky blue paint on the porch ceilings. I once heard my daughter’s beagles raising a ruckus and went out the front door thinking a stray dog or cat had gotten into our backyard. Coming down the driveway was a guy that had been taking pictures of THE BACK of our house! He was absolutely unapologetic about it, too. I asked him where he lived and he told me that he lived in what I know to be an affluent area of the nearby city, so I asked him if he would give me his exact street address so I could drop by, unannounced, and snap pictures of house. Of course, he got indignant at that suggestion. So I asked him why he valued his privacy and security more than he did ours. He couldn’t or wouldn’t answer that.
So, I am sure the Amish are aware of people snapping pictures of their homes, their barns, their livestock, fields, etc just as I was when people took pictures of our house. I was okay with it, within reason. The Amish probably are too, as long as it is within reason. We just need to make sure that we don’t cross that line and begin intruding on their privacy. I’m not implying that this is the case with Tonya’s nice photos … it COULD easily happen though and we need to be mindful of this.
EVERY CROWD
There’s got to be one in every crowd, huh, Erik……..
Loretta I just left a comment on this above–I do appreciate bringing up this topic, just not the tone of the original comment so much. I think people appreciate the Amish for different reasons. If I’m remembering right I think someone commented on this blog that the surface elements of Amish life attract people first and then we learn to appreciate something deeper. I think most outside observers are that way at first, I certainly was. I also think you can continue to appreciate all aspects.
Ethridge,Tn Photos
One of the greatest pleasure in my life is watching animals graze, calfs play, colt romp, piglets curiosity, to look at a plowed field, or a beautiful grass field. I thank my creator for this tranquilizer. Simplicity, Simplicity, Simplicity. .No other reason.
Etheridge, TN Photos
Tom-GA hit the nail on the head!!! Exactly the way I see these great photos (and informational articles) we see on Amish America!!
Thanks Erik, and everyone for providing a little bit of pleasure in this topsy-turvy world, that the rest of us have to live in!!
SharonR