United States Destinations

The Plain People: among the Amish of Ohio

By Toni Dabbs

Photo by Toni Dabbs

"Did you know there’s an Amish community in Geauga County that’s the fourth largest Amish community in the United States and the second largest in Ohio?" asked my Cleveland hostess.

She seemed full of the kind of information that would make the tourism office proud, and she had been peppering me with similar factoids about Cleveland for several days now. I could only guess that she had wanted me to see as much of her hometown as possible before introducing me to the surrounding area.

"Really?" I responded, then held my breath and waited. She knew I was interested in different religions and their related cultures, especially those based on simpler lifestyles. Finally, she said the words I wanted to hear: "We could take a day trip there."

So we headed 20 miles east of Cleveland on State Route 87 to the city of Burton, the center of Geauga County. And "Ohio’s biggest maple syrup producing town," my hostess told me.

She surprised me by pulling up to the Red Maple Inn, since we weren’t spending the night. It turned out that she knew the owner, Gordon Safran, who built the inn in 1999. Well, he financed it; the physical work was done mostly by Amish men. The 17 rooms and one suite feature furnishings handcrafted by local Amish. And many of the staff are Amish.

Safran’s close connection with the Amish of Geauga County was the reason my hostess decided to start at the inn. She understood Safran could tell us things about the local community that the Amish wouldn’t. And he did.

Today, about 2,000 Amish people live in the Geauga County area. When they first came to the region in 1886, they farmed. But as it became more difficult to make a living by farming, they started other businesses or began working for non-Amish employers. Now, fewer than 10 per cent work their farms for their livelihood.

Although all Amish are part of a Christian movement that originated in Switzerland, they are divided into different groups, including Old Order, New Order, Beachy and Schwartzentruber.

Those of the Geauga County community are primarily Old Order and may be distinguished from other groups by their strict adherence to the use of horses for farming and transportation, and their traditional manner of dress, for which they are sometimes known as the Plain People.

They also refuse to allow electricity or telephones in their homes. However, those with non-farming jobs sometimes find it necessary to use a telephone or computer in their work.

The focus of Amish life is family and church. A family typically has seven or eight children, who might attend public school through the legally required eighth grade. However, an increasing number of Geauga County families are sending their children to Amish parochial schools. After completing the eighth grade, children learn an occupation.

Church services are held at the home of a member of the congregation every other Sunday.

Geauga County is divided into about 85 church districts, each consisting of 60 to 80 baptized members. Every church selects its own bishop and deacons, who serve the congregation, without pay, for life. In addition two ministers are nominated by the congregation and chosen by lot. They take turns assisting with services.

Although the Amish are generally friendly and welcome visitors, they ask not to have their pictures taken. Their religion teaches that the soul is more important than the physical body, and photographs draw attention to the physical body.

With this background, we felt we were ready to explore the area. We thanked Safran and asked him for directions to some of the Amish trade and craft shops. He said there are so many, often not on the main roads, that the inn provides a map showing their locations. He gave us a copy and off we went.

We decided to visit Holz Haus in Middlefield township just east of Burton, because it stocks a variety of Amish-made furnishings, toys and crafts. The shop is in a building beside the home of Freeman and Betty Miller, its Amish owners, who greeted us and answered questions about the items on display.

I was intrigued by the low-tech wooden toys, while my hostess had to examine every expertly made quilt on display. Neither of us left empty-handed.

For lunch, we stopped at Mary Yoder’s Amish Kitchen, a large commercial operation where the menu features an Amish wedding feast: salad bar, fresh rolls and apple butter, roast beef, baked chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, stuffing, date nut pudding and homemade pie.

We thought a more prudent choice would be a sandwich served on thick slices of Amish bread, but even that proved to be too much for our city-dweller appetites.

After lunch, we went to Ridgeview Farm, owned by the Grover family since 1926. Today, it’s in the hands of Steven D. Grover and his wife Sharon, an enterprising couple who have turned the 100-acre property into a local attraction. We met Sharon outside the produce market at the farm’s entrance. The market sells the farm’s own strawberries and other fresh produce in season plus fruits and vegetables grown at Amish farms in the area.

Grover took us to the century-old barn, where she and Steven have installed a petting zoo and a series of exhibits to teach youngsters about the agricultural industry.

The barn also houses an Amish Culture Center, where visitors can learn about the Amish way of life. The centre includes a mock living room and kitchen, with non-electric items such as a wood stove and wringer washing machine that the Amish use every day. It has Amish men’s, women’s and children’s clothing and an authentic Amish buggy as well.

Ridgeview Farm arranges Amish Culture Tours from April through October. The tours include the farm and a selection of Amish businesses, some of which were on our own itinerary, plus lunch prepared by Amish women in one of their homes.

We had a closer look at the farm’s market before we moved on and discovered that it offered even more than tempting produce. I found some Amish jams to take home with me, and my hostess bought some Amish baked goods. The rolls would go well with purchases from our next stop: the Middlefield Original Cheese Co-Op.

Established in 1956, the co-op is owned by 250 farmers, 98 per cent of whom are Amish. Its cheeses are made by the traditional vat method, using milk from cows not treated with growth hormones or steroids. We watched the process through large windows while we sampled Brick, Cheddar, Colby, Farmer’s and Jack cheeses that the co-op ships from New Jersey to Wisconsin and from Canada to Florida. We purchased some of the co-op’s famous Marble Pepper Jack to have with our rolls the next day.

We now were approaching Mesopotamia, the eastern-most township in the region. The township "commons," a central park bordered by heritage homes, would be our final stop. End of the Commons General Store has been in continuous use since it was built in 1840. Because its customers are mainly Amish, it has a buggy parking lot in front.

We found a comfortable mix of past and present when we stepped inside the general store. Ken and Margaret Schaden, its current owners, have retained the store’s original wooden floors and many of its antique furnishings, such as weigh scales, cash registers and bean cabinets. Most of the space is devoted to bulk foods and other staples important to its clientele.

As we climbed into the car for the return drive to Cleveland, I couldn’t resist any longer. Realizing that we had barely scratched the surface of the Amish community in Geauga County, I had to ask my hostess: "So where’s the largest Amish population in Ohio?"

"Holmes County," she replied without hesitation. "It’s actually the largest in the United States, followed by Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, then Elkhart/LaGrange, Indiana."

Score three more points for the factoid queen.

INFO TO GO:

Red Maple Inn (14707 South Cheshire Street, Burton OH, 888-646-2753 or 440-834-8334, www.redmapleinn.com) is a bed and breakfast offering spacious, individually decorated accommodations. All have jacuzzis, and some have fireplaces and private balconies with views.

Century Village (adjacent to the Red Maple Inn on Burton Square, Burton OH, 440-834-1492, www.geaugahistorical.org) is a restored village representing life in the 19th century. It includes five historic houses, church, train station, doctor’s office, sawmill and more.

Burton Log Cabin Sugar Camp (Burton Square, Burton OH, 440-834-4204) is a working sugar house producing maple syrup every spring and maple sugar candy year round.

Country Collections Antique Mall (15848 Nauvoo Road, Middlefield OH, 440-632-1712) has a wide assortment of affordable antiques and collectibles from 30 dealers. Located in Middlefield Market, it is open seven days a week.

White House Chocolates and Candy Kitchen (14607 Kinsman Road, Middlefield OH, 888-834-3134 or 440-834-3133) specializes in gourmet chocolates and 20 flavours of fudge. Visitors may view candy being stirred, dipped, molded and packaged. Samples are available.