Introduction to the Amish

The very first reservation we made, way before we purchased the motorhome, was for over Labor Day at West Branch State Park in Ohio, so that we could camp with my sister.  It seemed so far away when we made it and now it is only a week away.  We decided we would spend a week in Holmes County, Ohio before our visit.  Holmes County has the largest Amish population in the US and we knew there would be plenty of places to visit and lots of good food to sample.

Our first day we decided to start our tour with a visit to the Amish & Mennonite Heritage Museum. The center was established in 1981 as the Mennonite Information Center.  In 1989 the current facility was built to present the Behalt Cyclorana.  Behalt means "to keep" or "to remember," is a 10 ft. high cyclorama, or mural-in-the-round.  Behalt illustrates the heritage of the Amish and Mennonite people from their Anabaptist beginnings in Zurich, Switzerland in 1525 to the present day.

Today the Anabaptist family of beievers numbers more than 1.6 million living in 80 countries.  At least 60% are African, Asian, or Latin American.

One of only 4 cycloramas in North America, Behalt is distinguished as the work of solely one artist-from original research and conception to charcoal sketches and final oils-on-canvas production of this historical masterpiece.  The artist was Heinz Gaugel, born in 1927 in the village of Eybach in the Swabian Alps region of southern Germany.  A self-taught artist, Heinz moved to Canada in 1951 where he began his artistic career.  Heinz became fascinated with the Amish because they spoke a German dialect similar to his own and lived a unique lifestyle.  Heinz moved onto a farm in Holmes County in 1972 to work on various art projects in the Holmes County area.

If you are interested in more information you can go to the link above.  No pictures were allow in the museum.  It gave Bob and I a good introduction to the beliefs of the Amish and Mennonite people.

We left the cultural center and went to the Yoder House.  The Yoder House was purchased in 1972 by Eli and Gloria Yoder. The house and farm was badly run down.  It had been rented to Amish families for 10 years, Eli and Gloria decided to do what they had in the back of their minds for some time.  After extensive repairs (the little house was being used as a chicken coop!), Yoder's Amish House was opened for visiting in 1983.  Eli had been part of the Old Order Amish faith until the age of 21.  Gloria was raised "English" in an Amish community, having gone to a mostly Amish school until 5th grade.  With both of their heritages rooted in this culture and community, they thought it would be a great idea to share this unique culture.

This is the sitting room in the main house.  Notice the battery under the table.  Amish don't use electricity but I guess battery powered light were ok.

 We also saw a spinning weasel.  A spinning weasel or clock reel is a mechanical yarn measuring device consisting of a spoked wheel with an internal ratcheting mechanism that clicks every two revolutions and makes a "pop" sound after the desired length of year is measured.  This is possibly the source for the word "weasel" in the nursery rhyme Pop Goes the Weasel.  Did you know that?  I didn't.  The Amish have been living the "green" life, long before it was in vogue to go green.  When their clothes wore out they would cut them up into strips roll them into balls, and use the strips of cloth to make rag rugs.  The picture above is of balls of rag strips.

We then took a tour of the school house.  Most Amish children go to Amish schools, through the 8th grade.  A young Amish school teacher was in the school house to give us information of their educational system.

As we traveled through the Amish countryside, we saw many of these school houses.  I talked to the teacher and asked about the training she received in order to become a teacher.  She told me the only preparation that teachers have to teach in an Amish school was to graduated from 8th grade.  They believe that, the education they had received was enough to teach.  She said, "We teach what we have learned."  I am not sure she liked my question.  She asked me coldly if I was a teacher and I said yes, that I taught teacher.  She left and went outside to greet the next visitors. Their school rooms looked similar to ours, except they taught religion.  The Bible was on the table of books used.

Our next event was a buggy ride.  I expected that it would be bumpy but found it very comfortable.  Amish farmers buy former trotter horses, after their racing days are over, to pull their buggies.  They are already trained and very fast.

We had a wonderful day and couldn't get over the beauty of the Ohio's countryside.  I commented about it to my sister, who lives in Ohio and she reminded me that this beauty also comes along with
much rain all year and snow starting in January.  I am glad Bob and I are full timers who follow the sun.  We can enjoy each part of the U.S. in the best times of each area.