A Visit To One Of The Plainest Amish Communities (21 Photos)

When it comes to Amish Ohio, the big communities at Holmes County or Geauga County come first to mind. But the state has a much more expansive Amish footprint – with Amish living in over 70 locations throughout the Buckeye State.

Hardin County is one of those places. Since 1953, Amish have called the Kenton area home. And while this is not a Swartzentruber Amish group, it is one of the most traditional, conservative Amish communities.

(In that vein, Amish from this settlement are among those who have joined a lawsuit against Ohio’s buggy-light law).

Over 1,200 Amish people call the Kenton area home. Reader Shawn paid a visit to the settlement a week ago, and shares some great photos from around the community. Let’s have a look at a significant but oft-overlooked corner of Amish Ohio.

As you see in these photos, traditional farming lives on in the Hardin County community. They use limited equipment – no tractors like more progressive Amish do.

Though farming remains an important occupation in many Amish communities, a growing number of Amish people have turned to small business to make a living (more on that below).

Hardin County Amish Buggies

One thing that often gets noted when discussing this community: their unusual buggy reflector pattern. Like the ultraconservative Swartzentruber Amish, the Kenton group also rejects the orange SMV triangle, as well as electric lights.

In lieu of that, they use a distinctive pattern of two rows of reflective tape placed in the center of the buggy rear. Like Swartzentruber Amish, they also use a pair of (non-electric) lanterns.

In this closer-up photo, you can also see a piece of pipe with reflector tape on the wheel. This creates a moving reflective effect when the wheel is in motion and illuminated by car headlights.

Here’s another look at this setup:

The Amish in some Swartzentruber communities use something similar, though they go with a plain white segment of PVC pipe. They also use two of them, on opposite side, while as you can see here, there’s just one on the buggy wheel:

This is an adaption which enhances visibility and road safety, while staying within their cultural norms.

Hardin County Amish Businesses

Shawn also takes us to one of the area’s numerous Amish stores. Like in other Ohio communities, many local Amish either supplement income – or make a full-time living – with small businesses.

One of those businesses is Mary’s Market, an Amish food store. Mary has a lot of fans and is highly-reviewed in Google Maps.

One reviewer named Corey McMurray had this to say:

Mary has been baking for 40+ years. She’s super friendly. Her bakery is a must stop when visiting Hardin County. Many local restaurants use her bread. No preservatives. Natural ingredients. CHEAP prices. Sourdough bread out of the oven is heavenly. Home churned butter tops it off. The pies are a great way to finish off dinner as well!

Peanut butter cookies.

Nice to see nut brittle, which is a popular product in some Southern Amish communities as well.

And canned goods. “Home produced” doesn’t quite have the same ring as “homemade”, but I guess the general meaning is about the same.

Furniture-making is another popular Amish occupation.

And a sweet stop – maple syrup and honey are currently both available at this Amish place.

The Kenton Amish Keep On Keepin’ On

I had a chance to visit this community once – back in 2011. On that visit I was lucky enough to drop in on a family as they were making apple butter – a one-day-a-year event:

Since then, the community has grown – but not as rapidly as you might expect. If I’m not mistaken, I recall there being around eight church districts then, and today there are just nine.

The Kenton community also has numerous daughter settlements, in around a half-dozen states (possibly more).

That may be one reason for it growing slower than the “norm” (Amish settlements double in size on an average of about once every 22 years). If people have left the area for other communities, that will naturally slow growth.

Regardless, the Amish have been a firm fixture in Hardin County for over 70 years now. Though they currently are clashing with the state over the buggy lighting law, it’s not the first time they’ve been at odds with authorities.

In 2013, a controversy over outhouses and waste disposal was eventually resolved. Hopefully the same will be the case with the latest disagreement. In any case, I’d expect the Amish to be a regular sight on Hardin County roads for a long time to come.

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