New York Amish: Life in the Plain Communities of the Empire State

by Karen M. Johnson-Weiner

In a book that highlights the existence and diversity of Amish communities in New York State, Karen M. Johnson-Weiner draws on twenty-five years of observation, participation, interviews, and archival research to emphasize the contribution of the Amish to the state's rich cultural heritage.While the Amish settlements in Pennsylvania and Ohio are internationally known, the Amish population in New York, the result of internal migration from those more established settlements, is more fragmentary and less visible to all but their nearest non-Amish neighbors. All of the Amish currently living in New York are post–World War II migrants from points to the south and west. Many came seeking cheap land, others as a result of schism in their home communities.The Old Order Amish of New York are relative newcomers who, while representing an old or plain way of life, are bringing change to the state. So that readers can better understand where the Amish come from and their relationship to other Christian groups, New York Amish traces the origins of the Amish in the religious confrontation and political upheaval of the Protestant Reformation and describes contemporary Amish lifestyles and religious practices.Johnson-Weiner welcomes readers into the lives of Amish families in different regions of New York State, including the oldest New York Amish community, the settlement in the Conewango Valley, and the diverse settlements of the Mohawk Valley and the St. Lawrence River Valley. The congregations in these regions range from the most conservative to the most progressive. Johnson-Weiner reveals how the Amish in particular regions of New York realize their core values in different ways; these variations shape not only their adjustment to new environments but also the ways in which townships and counties accommodate—and often benefit from—the presence of these thriving faith communities.

Genres: Nonfiction, Amish

224 pages, Hardcover

First published April 15, 2010

Reviews

[Hapzydeco · Rating 3 out of 5]

An excellent overview of the Amish communities in the Empire State.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly informative book about the Amish in New York. If you’ve driven across this great state in the last 15 years, no doubt you have run into the Amish, whether it’s at a vegetable stand or buggying down the side of the road. I was under the misconception that the Amish were basically only living in Pennsylvania, until I started seeing them from Gloversville to Pulaski to Mayville to Ogdensburg. Their population has exploded so much that, at this point, you will basically find them wherever there is cheap farmland.

Considering how closed-off Amish society can be, I was impressed with how detailed Weiner’s examination of their history in New York is. She has traced all of the various settlements, their origins in other states, the reasons for schisms that led them to split away, and what exactly makes each community different from the others. I knew the basic differences between the Swartzendruber, Old Order and more progressive Amish groups, but had no idea of the myriad of groups, all with their incredibly specific Ordnungs (rules). She also gives a helpful history of the Anabaptist movement, and explores the Amish philosophy of remaining “separate from the world.” She even looks into the economics and how the Amish manage to balance their beliefs with the need to stay afloat financially in the modern world.

Overall, a great book on the Amish. Even if you don’t live in New York, it will show you the challenges and rewards of both living Amish and living “among the Amish.”

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author deserves five stars even if some of the data within is ten years old. With the 2020 Census NY Amish numbers must have been updated and should be available if needed.
Since there is a new, ongoing migration of Amish in this neighborhood we needed to read an academic history and survey. New York Amish provided a sensitive and respectful account of what it means to be Amish, their history, way of live, various sects and especially, why the Amish migrate. Also covered are examples and explanations of interactions and troubles between the non-Amish and the Amish. Extensive notes help clarify.
Thank you, Dr. Johnson-Weiner, for your in-depth studies and well-written book.

[Jonathan Jefferson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detailed, yet comfortable to follow from the European inception of the Amish, to their arrival in the Americas and to present day New York. No socioeconomic or sociopolitical stone was left unturned.

[Saloma Furlong · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been meaning to read this book for a while, and I finally did. I thought the author did well in looking at the various communities in New York State--both their differences and their similarities--as well as mapping where the "parent" settlements for these fairly new communities in New York State are (or were).

In a conversation with the author, she mentioned that this book is already outdated because new settlements have started up since the book was published. She said it is impossible to keep up.

I visited one of the communities in mid-State that came from Geauga County, Ohio, where I grew up. I noticed that some of the Amish homes there were empty. I found out that there was a split, and that half the community moved to Munfordville, Kentucky, which is another daughter settlement of Geauga County.

This book is both well-researched and well-written. Johnson-Weiner has done what others have found challenging--to find a connection to some of the most conservative of Amish communities, the Swartzentrubers. There is a tendency on the part of other Amish and sometimes those from the mainstream culture, to scapegoat these groups because they are not like the more mainstream Old Order groups. Johnson-Weiner doesn't do that. If anything, she may actually defend these groups when others may not feel that it is deserved, in such issues as the Amish in one community not complying with the local building codes.

I hope the author will publish another book with an update on her research of the Amish in New York State.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Karen M. Johnson-Weiner has spent twenty-five years researching and observing the Amish communities of upstate New York and in this book, she highlights and catalogues the marked diversity of the plain communities there, ranging from the conservative Swartzentruber to the more theologically progressive Swiss Amish.

Each chapter looks at a community or communities of Amish in a certain locale in upstate New York and assesses their history, beliefs, and economy. The last two chapters looks at the challenges facing the Amish in particular settling in New York and the future of the communities respectively.

This book is an interesting and unique study; much has been written on the Amish of Lancaster County, PA, and with Johnson-Weiner's scholarship on the New York communities general scholarship on the Amish is improved.

It is also a fascinating window on the lives of the Amish, eschewing stereotypes that plague modern views of the Amish and reflects Johnson-Weiner's esteem in the communities that such a well-researched book drawing on many Amish sources and interviews can be published.

[Stephanie]

Scholarly yet accessible account of the Amish communities in New York State. The anthropologist author examines customs, religious beliefs and relationships with neighbors in each community.

[Jim Berry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well researched and well written book that gives an objective look at the Amish communities in NY state.