Northern Indiana

We arrived in Northern Indiana on Saturday, April 28. The Northern part of Indiana is best known for rich farmlands, a large Amish and Mennonite population, and a substantial number of RV manufacturers (more about this in a later issue). The country side is near flat to gently rolling with a lot of streams and lakes.

There are many old and classic buildings, some that date back more than 150 years. The courthouse in LaGrange is a good example and most of the towns in the area have equal or better structures.

The most fascinating thing about the area to me are the Amish people. They live a life style much as their ancestors and resist change, shunning technology. They’ve been turning the ground much the same way as they did when the area was first settled in the early 1800’s.

They do their traveling either by bicycle or horse drawn buggy, sharing the roads with much bigger and scarier vehicles. The most fascinating view I had was of a horse drawn buggy coming toward me on the highway during a pounding rain. As it passed I saw that the buggy was pulling a small fishing boat on a trailer. Unfortunately between the rain and the utter surprise, I couldn’t get a picture.

Here’s a shot taken in the parking lot of the grocery store where we did our shopping.







The Amish are a unique people. They resist technology, but sometimes give in if they can justify it. They have very handsome homes, large and whitewashed. They do not use commercially available electricity, but they will use gasoline powered generators. They do not have telephones in their homes, but they will put them in their businesses (furniture making is a big here). They do not drive cars, but they may own them and can ride in them. They do not like to have their pictures taken, it has something to do with a passage in the bible about craven images.

They do not believe in insurance (as it is a form of gambling and shows a lack of trust in God). Yet, they are the originators of group insurance. If they have a catastrophic accident or health problem, the Amish community chips in. I was told a tale of 200 men showing up for a barn raising following a fire, building a replacement in one day.

But, with their beliefs, resistive attitude toward technology and desire to avoid contamination from the “English” (what they call non-Amish) they are still a very friendly and kind group of people.