Carolyncholland's Weblog

August 30, 2011

Amish Move to New York State

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

AMISH MOVE TO NEW YORK STATE

Clip clop. Clip clop. Clip clop.

      While I work on my novel the repetitive sounds of horse hooves along the road beside the Sunnyside of Black Lake housekeeping rooms was a pleasant diversion. It was also a sign that the Amish are settling into their relatively new homeland, Northern New York, along the St. Lawrence River.

   The first Amish districts in New York were established in the Conewango Valley in 1949, but in-migration amounted to a trickle until about a decade ago… As recently as 1991, there were just 3,900 Amish in the state.* However, since the beginning of 2010 the Amish have started ten new settlements in New York. Over the past two years, their population growth has reached thirteen thousand. It is the fifth largest Amish population in the nation, lead by Pennsylvania, first (over 61,000), Ohio (400 less), Indiana, and Wisconsin.* As recently as 1991, there were just 3,900 Amish in the state.

     Over the last forty-five years I have visited my husband’s family at least once annually. The last few years I’ve noticed the increased presence of the Amish. We are familiar with their lifestyle from living in Jamestown, Pennsylvania, which is across the border from the Kinsman, Ohio, Amish settlement.

The Amish began arriving in (more…)

Theme: Rubric. Blog at WordPress.com.

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 62 other followers