New Series From Bestselling Author
Leslie Gould When Joel and Shani Beck arrive at their new home in Lancaster County, they’re looking for a peaceful place for Joel, who recently returned from Iraq, to heal. Unfortunately, their relationship with their Amish neighbors, the Lehmans, gets off to a rocky start. Eve Lehman has run her brother’s household since his wife’s death, but Tim is a stern patriarch. Despite his protests, she befriends their new neighbor, Shani. Then Joel’s Amish Promises by Leslie Gould Neighbors of Lancaster County #1
handsome army friend Charlie comes for a visit—and life for both families becomes more complicated than ever.
“Gould is a fabulous writer... This charming series should appeal to fans of Beverly Lewis.” —Library Journal on The Courtships of Lancaster County series
A Division of Baker Publishing Group • bethanyhouse.com Available at your bookstore or by calling 1-866-241-6733
DUTCH HAVEN W hile driving along Route 30 in Lancaster County, you may see a few unfamiliar, if not unique, sites. You may catch a glimpse of some folks dressed a little unusually. You’ll probably see a few horse-drawn carriages instead of cars. And, you’ll undoubtedly notice the Dutch Haven windmill. This landmark building has been drawing thousands of visitors each week to Lancaster County for the past 67 years. Opening first as a restaurant in 1946, the Dutch Haven operated with great success with a world famous Shoo Fly pie recipe.
Today, the Dutch Haven staple is still “America’s Best Shoo Fly Pie.” All you have to do is pass through the door and you will be offered a sample taste of this famous pie—warmed and topped with whipped cream, just like it was always served in the restaurant, years ago.
T-Shirts
LANCASTER COUNTY LANDMARK
Some 40,000 pies will be sold at the Dutch Haven this year alone. While most of these shoo fly pies are purchased over the counter, some are shipped UPS. Many pies are sold to faithful customers who have been buying them from Dutch Haven for over half a century!
the story. The windmill building now houses one of, if not the best, selections of primitive Amish pine furniture in the area. Corner cupboards, pie safes, chests, and shelves are all available. Hundreds of pieces of Amish woodcrafts fill what once were the dining rooms of this wonderful old building. In addition, thousands of other items from pot holders to copper crafts, T-shirts, small wood crafts, a stunning selection of pottery, and much more make Dutch Haven a true shopping experience. Dutch Haven is open 7 days a week 9am-9pm. For more information about this Lancaster County landmark, call (717) 687-0111.
As always at Dutch Haven, the famous pie that was featured in Time magazine is just part of
Souvenirs
Visiting Dutch Haven - “the place that made Shoo Fly Pie famous” - will help to make your trip to Pennsylvania Dutch Country even more memorable.
Hex Signs AmishNews.com • June 2015 • Amish Country News • 3
WE ABSOLUTELY OFFER YOU MORE 7 DIFFERENT ROUTES, MORE MILES, MORE SCENERY. ALL IN THE COUNTRY in ALL AMISH AREA
Bring the whole family!
Ride through our covered bridge!
PRIVATE AMISH ROAD Real Family Carriages www.amishbuggyrides.com
Tours & Pricing “The Cookie Run” Adults $10 Child $6 A 3 Plus Mile Ride Thru an
Amish Farm, with a Brief Stop for Optional Drinks and Cookies. Feel the Country. (20-25 minutes)
Visit a real Amish farm. Get off the buggy and see the cows and Clydesdale-type work horses.
We Absolutely Offer You More!
Visit us first! Here’s what you can see on your ride! • Amish Schools • Quilt Shops • Harness Shop
• Amish Farm Stands • Amish Buggy Factory • Amish Shoe Store
• Amish Hat Shop • Furniture Shops
Free Parking...Lots of It!
NO RESERVATIONS REQUIRED!
Ride Into Summer!
Located in the country at:
Plain & Fancy Farm midway between Bird-in-Hand and Intercourse
GPS: 3121 Old Philadelphia Pike Ronks PA 17572 ADULT FARES ONLY. Coupon must be
For More Information or Group Tours of 20 or More Call
at timeCountry of ride & can't 4given • Amish Newsbe•combined June 2015 • AmishNews.com with any other offer. All riders must take the same tour. Expires 7/15/15
717-723-0478
Ask about our longer rides!
“Amish Town Tour” Adults $14
Child $7
A 4 Mile Tour Passing Several Amish Businesses in Our Community; and an All Amish Farm Area. Experience Real Amish Life. (30-35 Minutes)
“Amish Farm Tour” Adults $21
Child $11
Visit a Real Amish Farm. Tour the Barn. See the Cows and Big Clydesdale-type Work Horses. America the Way It Used to Be. (50-60 minutes) Our Customer Preferred Ride!
Come See Us and Ask About Our Longest Tour...
“The AMISH JOURNEY RIDE” Tour a Real Working Amish Farm, an Amish Quilts and Crafts Store, and Learn About Amish Life Riding Through the Countryside. (1-3/4 hours)
ASK FOR INFO. ABOUT PRIVATE RIDES! Book a private ride by June 30 & Mention this Ad to get a Laser cut wooden Buggy Ride Wooden Ornament! Email us for details:
amishbuggyrides@gmail.com
Summer Hours: Open 7 Days a Week
Monday-Saturday 9am-7pm | Sunday 10am-4:30pm Child Rate is 12 yrs. and Under | UNDER 3 is Free!
Wilkum to Our World Special to Amish Country News
Ride Like the Amish Do!
A
aron and Jessica will be happy to take you. Jessica? Well, she’s the little girl who started it all. Her dad agreed to let her try her hand at giving buggy rides. She liked driving horses, and thought it would be fun to show the beautiful scenery and Amish farms to visitors. Aaron? You’re probably thinking that must be Jessica’s father. Nope. You just can’t have a buggy ride without a horse. That’s right, Aaron was Jessica’s horse. And that's how Aaron & Jessica’s Buggy Rides was born.
Ride Through the Covered Bridge As Jessica always says, “We know you came here more than anything to see and understand how and why we live the way we do. Take a ride with us. Let us tell you all about it, too. After all, we live here.”
“You don’t pass one piece of ground that isn’t farmed with a horse when you take a ride with us!” —Jessica's Dad The buggy rides depart from the property of Plain & Fancy Farm. You’ll see a little red covered bridge along the side of Route 340, exactly Aaron and Jessica's welcomes you, rain or shine, 7 days a week.
Summer Hrs.
a mile and a half from either Bird-in-Hand or Intercourse. Completely surrounded by Amish farmland, there are at least seven different routes offered with different sights, stops, lengths, and prices. No reservations are needed. Just pick All of the buggy rides pass through a covered bridge. Kids love buggy rides, especially getting your ride when you arrive. to sit up front next to the drivers! As one visitor from Long Island said, “This is our fifth time here Family Tradition this year. We love it here. Since my son woke up That Never Disappoints this morning Aaron & Jessica’s is all I’ve heard” Jessica likes to stress the non-commercial nature So, if your kids are driving you buggy, let Aaron of the rides. “We can take you between the house & Jessica take over the reins for a while! Look for and the barn on a real Amish farm, on private the little covered bridge along Route 340 at Plain roads, with no cars. You see real Amish life. We & Fancy Farm, midway between Intercourse and Bird-in-Hand. absolutely offer you more!”
WIN A PRIVATE FAMILY RIDE WITH MIRIAM! Want to know what it's like? scan this QR Code and imagine you are on tour with her! Contest Rules: Just "Like" us on Facebook in the month of June, and tell us why you would like to ride with Miriam for your family or friends. We will review all entries in a decidedly non-scientific Most of the drivers are our neighbors and are all way and choose a winner. Amish. Jessica’s dad, who has driven thousands of visitors down Amish farm lanes over the last Rules: Ride has no cash value and must be 25 years, was three years old when he had his first taken or forfeited by December 31, 2015. Ride is recollection of a horse. He guesses he has driven not transferrable. Advanced reservation required. a carriage more than anyone else in Lancaster Private ride for one hour for up to 4 people; County, about 10,000 miles a year! any additional will incur added charges. This Enjoy the beautiful countryside of Lancaster does NOT include gratuity for the driver. NOT County with its immaculately kept Amish farms AVAILABLE ON SUNDAYS. and gardens. Experience for yourself a taste of Amish Country life here. All the rides are reasonably priced, starting at just $10.00 for adults and $6.00 for kids. The ride is "air-conditioned." You’ll be more than comfortable with the open buggy and the breeze. Jessica says, “In the summer, it’s a great way to cool off. My dad says it’s like sitting in the shade with the fan on... 409 air-conditioning... four wheels turning at nine miles an hour!”
Want to know what it's like?... Scan QR Code... Open All Year
See Our World Rain or Shine
From a Buggy
Mon.-Sat. 9am-7pm Sunday: 10am-4:30pm For more Info. about us, go to
amishbuggyrides.com. For more info, about Private Rides for you, your family, or your group, email
amishbuggyrides@gmail.com or call (717) 723-0478.
PRIVATE AMISH ROAD - REAL FAMILY CARRIAGES We take you to VISIT REAL AMISH FARMS. You’ll experience REAL AMISH LIFE!
AmishNews.com • June 2015 • Amish Country News • 5
All in the Family By Brad Igou
I
f you are like me, when you hear the words “family-owned,” you are not thinking of mega enterprises like Wal-Mart or Ford, but
of a small business run by a handful of people. Here in Amish Country, family business members know all their employees, and often all of their employees are family members! In fact, business planning and discussions of mission, attitude, training, marketing, product development, and policies might not be decided in a board room, but at the dinner table!
Day Out with Thomas at the Strasburg Railroad features a real life-sized Thomas the Tank Engine, running June 20-28. Of course, a business that is family-owned does not guarantee us a superior product. But from my experience, owners have more intimate, daily contact with their product and employees. Books have been written about the success of small Amish family enterprises, sometimes referred as "cottage industries.” I urge you to explore our back roads and discover our small, and very special family run businesses. Most started simply because someone had a particular talent or passion, be it canning jellies (Intercourse is home to two famous examples), or making furniture (just read through these pages). For others, the business is little more than a roadside stand where baked goods are sold. A quilt shop might start in a basement, then move to a room upstairs, and finally into its own building. Sometimes when you stop by or call an Amish business, one of their children might greet you. That’s because Dad might be out milking the
• 2 Playgrounds • Basketball • Catch & Release Fishing Lake • Camp Store ($) • Game Room ($) • Gnome Café ($) • Golf Cart Rentals ($) • Horseshoes & Shuffleboard • Hiking & Fitness Trail • Miniature Golf ($)
RV HOOKUPS
6 • Amish Country News • June 2015 • AmishNews.com
• Indoor & Outdoor Heated Swimming Pools & Hot Tub • Child Swimming Pools • Laundry Facilities ($) • On-Site Storage ($) • Recreation Hall • Volleyball Court • BBQ & Picnic Area • Planned Activities • Shower Facilities
RENTALS
FAMILY CAMPING
cows, or Mom could be busy doing the wash. Children learn early about salesmanship and what running a business means. They have much responsibility and work hard. Amish frequently ask their “English” friends for suggestions on how to increase sales. Some have even attended Dale Carnegie classes. I am aware that at least two family craft shops have even hosted tour guides from The Amish Experience in the summer for a picnic. They supply the chicken and the guides bring salads and desserts. It’s both a thank-you for bringing groups to them, and an encouragement to keep doing so. It’s also a wonderful social experience for all involved!
The number, range, and variety of familyowned businesses here is an important part of what makes Amish Country so special. These are families who put their hearts and souls into their businesses. Many give back to their church or community, be it as volunteer firefighters or doing mission work around the world. In many cases, they will literally be welcoming you into their homes. You will likely meet their children, and your purchases will no doubt include something they made themselves. And so, in the purest sense, for them it really is “all in the family.”
Bucket
Travel to Eur List ope X Sky Div e X Fly Firs t Class (at leas t once) X Go F ly Fishing in A la sk a See the h Country from Whole NAewmis Perspective - a A Hot Air Bal loon Ride X
Just one of a jillion flavors you can create, taste, and make a commercial for at the Turkey Hill Experience. Place your reservation and buy tickets now at TurkeyHillExperience.com. Columbia Exit of Rt. 30 | 301 Linden Street, Columbia, PA 17512 1-844-VISIT-TH (1-844-847-4884)
©2015 Turkey Hill Dairy
I have to call today & schedule!!!
(Balloon Rides Daily, from Bird in Hand Family Inn & Restaurant)
US Hot Air Balloon Team 800-763-5987 www.ushotairballoon.com
Mention special offer: ACN 7020 receive 20% saving
AmishNews.com • June 2015 • Amish Country News • 7
$30
THURSDAY EVENINGS!
Every Thursday Evening performance is now our great $30 menu.
• light menu • less time • great price
Our Lighten Up Luncheon menu is also available as an option for any matinee, at $30!
1-800-292-4301 RainbowComedy.com
$5
OFF *New reservations only, cannot be combined with any other discount or the $30 menu option. Coupon code: ACN6
June Events Sampler Now through June 13 Les Miserables
Dutch Apple Dinner Theater Now through November 28 Josiah For President
Bird-in-Hand Restaurant & Stage July 13 BERENGUER DOLL SIGNING MEET AND GREET
Aimee & Daria’s Doll Outlet
May 30 - August 8
Niagra Falls. 1930’s. A failing restaurant, bootleg hootch, gangsters and a missing celebrity chef – this is the tastiest comic dish you’ll ever sink your teeth into!
e Reser v ! Today
June 20 through June 28 Day out with Thomas
Strasburg Rail Road
June 26 through June 28 Celtic Fling & Highland Games
Mount Hope Estate
June 26 through September 6 “This is My Country!” Patriotic Magic Lantern Show
1-800-292-4301 • RainbowComedy.com 8 • Amish Country News • June 2015 • AmishNews.com
Plain & Fancy Theater at the Amish Experience
Vote Plain As You Enjoy the New Musical “Josiah For President” Live on the Bird-in-Hand Stage through November 28 By Clinton Martin
N
o photography during the performance, please. Truth be told you’ll hear this before any professional musical for copyright reasons, but somehow it seems that much more fitting when you’re about to enjoy an Amish musical. Audiences at Bird-in-Hand Family Restaurant & Stage are not, however, asked to cut their electricity and sell their cars. Stashing cameras suffices. Blue Gate Musicals is the country’s preeminent producer of Broadway-style musicals from Amish Country, and they’ve found a great home for their highly professional, fun, family-friendly musicals at the Bird-in-Hand Family Restaurant & Smorgasbord, which five years ago converted banquet space at the restaurant into a stage complete with professional lighting and audio support. In 2016, the Smucker family, which owns the Bird-in-Hand family of properties, will greatly expand their theatre space into a 300 seat purpose-built performance venue on site at the restaurant. In the meantime, tens of thousands of visitors a year can’t seem to get enough of Birdin-Hand’s truly memorable musicals in the restaurant’s intimate performance space. The first musical to hit the Bird-in-Hand stage was THE CONFESSION, an adaptation of Beverly Lewis’ trilogy. The second was THE HALFSTITCHED AMISH QUILTING CLUB, an adaptation of a Wanda Brunstetter novel, and on stage this year only is the incredible JOSIAH Spring is in the air, and great things will be showing up at...
FOR PRESIDENT, written exclusively for the stage by the novel’s original author, Martha Bolton. She also happened to write the librettos for Lewis’ and Brunstetter’s novels. While Blue Gate productions is helmed by extremely talented industry pros, recording the musical accompaniment in Nashville using first rate studios and seasoned professional musicians, the talent on stage in JOSIAH FOR PRESIDENT is truly what impresses, and even pleasantly surprises visitors who’ve seen the show. The cast of 10 was chosen from among 6,000 actorsingers who auditioned. They really need to be talented, since each cast member must play more than their title role, and even more amazingly must negotiate a collective 140 costume changes, some of which take only seconds behind a scrim on stage. JOSIAH FOR PRESIDENT is a heartwarming story that is, of course, emotional and sincere. But there’s a great deal of humor involved, with laugh-out-loud political jokes (how timely during “campaign season”) that everyone can chuckle at regardless of their personal beliefs. The toetapping songs include one very famous tune by a dearly departed moon-walking, glove-wearing, leather-jacket-trend-setting pop phenom. And the give and take between the Amish and English worlds offers up a smorgasbord of delightful oneliners and plot twists. Speaking of plot twists, there is a whopper in this story, and brings a certain introspection into the audience that further gives this musical a
multi-dimensional feel. When you see the show you're sure to find yourself discussing afterwards both its genuinely funny, and emotionally soulsearching dimensions. Perhaps you’ll be discussing the show over a meal at the Restaurant & Smorgasbord (2760 Old Philadelphia Pike) that made Bird-in-Hand famous (show & meal packages are available) or even as you retire for the evening (lodging packages are offered at the Smucker family’s various inns, campground, and hotels.) For show and package information, call 800-790-4069 or visit www.Bird-in-Hand.com.
For over 100 years, the PA Dutch have been using
BISMOLINE MEDICATED POWDER
containing unique combinations of active ingredients. Use BISMOLINE to treat and prevent minor skin irritation, prickly heat, chafing, itching, diaper rash, athlete’s foot, perspiration, wetness,and odor.
Available at these local stores
Zimmerman’s Hardware
306 Hartman Bridge Road, Strasburg
Plain & Fancy
3121 Old Philadelphia Pike, Bird in Hand
Miller’s Smorgasbord
2811 Lincoln Hwy E, Ronks
Old Village Store
2705 Old Philadelphia Pike, Bird in Hand
800.669.8795 Visit www.Bismoline.com
Summer Extravaganza June 26, 27 & 28
(June 26, Early Buyers 7-11am, $10 gate fee) General Admission FREE, Fri. 11AM-4PM Sat. & Sun. 7AM-4PM June 6 & 7 • Coins, Stamps, Pens & Paperweights June 14 & 15 • Black Memorabilia, Political & Religious Memorabilia June 21 & 22 • Military Fest & Re-Enactors Encampment Special themes or shows every weekend.
GPS: 607 Willow St. • Reinholds, PA 17569
If seeing Amish Country from the vantage point of a balloon isn't on your bucket list, it should be, and can be crossed off with help from the US Hot Air Balloon Team.
AmishNews.com • June 2015 • Amish Country News • 9
Strasburg - A Town of Trains & Heritage 30
BACHMAN TOWN RD.
Hershey Farm Restaurant & Motor Inn
RO N K S RD .
HERR RD.
V FAIR
J & B Quilts & Crafts NORTH STAR RD
Parking
Ghost Tour
741 To Village Greens Mini Golf
As early as 1716, when the first wagon was used for hauling goods, the path became known as the Conestoga Road, and the wagons that traveled them eventually became known as
IEW
896
DECATUR STREET
Strasburg, named for the city in France, was actually “founded” by a Frenchman, Pierre Bezaillion, who traded with the Delaware Indians. The story goes he came to the area in 1693, as French fur traders opened up the first path through this area from Philadelphia to the Susquehanna River.
To
896 STRASBURG
Choo
741
Choo
Lil Country Store & Mini Horse Farm National ToyTrain Museum
Strasburg Rail Road
Barn
PARADISE LANE
A
ll aboard! Strasburg is a destination all its own in Dutch Country, home to many well known attractions. To name just a few --- the Strasburg Rail Road, Ghost Tours of Lancaster, National Toy Train Museum, and the Choo Choo Barn. But you may not know much about the interesting history of "Train Town."
Conestoga Wagons. Main Street Strasburg was developed during the next half century as traffic on this road increased considerably and the first log houses appeared in the village about 1733. Strasburg continued to flourish in the 18th century primarily because of its location along the major wagon routes between Philadelphia, Lancaster, and the Susquehanna River.
VillageGreens.com
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK Rt. 741 • 1.5 Miles Exceptionally landscaped courses on 13 serene acres Lancaster County’s BEST Miniature Golf courses! West of Strasburg
As Strasburg flourished, so did its neighbor to the east, Philadelphia. The commercial interests of Philadelphia pressured the State Legislature to improve the transportation network into their city. As a result, a series of canals along with the Philadelphia and Columbia Rail Roads were constructed. Strasburg residents became alarmed at the possibility of losing their commercial position and there soon emerged a charter for the Strasburg Rail Road to construct a rail line connecting Strasburg with the Philadelphia and Columbia Rail Road main line near Paradise. Finally in the 1850’s, trains were hauling freight and passengers. About 100 years later, business had dwindled, and a severe storm in 1957 destroyed much of the track. It seemed the SRR had reached the end of the line. To the rescue came a group of local train enthusiasts who began bringing the SRR back to life in a totally new way. They added passenger cars and buildings, and today’s Strasburg Rail Road was born, destined to become one of Dutch Country’s top attractions. Appropriately enough, the State decided to build an expanded Rail Road Museum of Pennsylvania across the street, the ideal place to preserve the history of railroading in Pennsylvania. With the other train attractions nearby, it’s little wonder that Strasburg has earned the title of Train Town!
10 • Amish Country News • June 2015 • AmishNews.com
See Where It’s Made. Sample the Reasons for Its Raves! September Farm Cheese By Clinton Martin ows are a common sight in Amish Country. So are milk trucks navigating tight and twisty farm lanes as the local dairy industry depends on these gleaming eighteen-wheelers to deliver their product to market. So, why won’t you see milk trucks pulling in and out of David and Roberta Rotelle’s “Dairy of Distinction” Farm?
C
and the diminutive, but highly professional farm produces what has been named by industry sources as some of the highest quality milk in Pennsylvania. Back to the question...they don’t sell their milk and thus no trailers, because they require their cows’ highly prized contribution to make their equally prized artisan cheese in their own Sep-
tember Farm Cheese cheesery, country store, bakery, and sandwich shop. Every drop of milk that goes into making cheese on site at September Farm’s store and restaurant comes from their own cows. When milking starts at 5:00am, the fresh, still warm, milk begins pumping into the cheese vat at Continued on Page 12
The Rotelle's is a small family farm with a herd of cows numbering in the tens, not thousands,
For over 50 years, visitors of all ages have enjoyed the realistic detail and creativity of our layout. • A work of art for the entire family to enjoy… so much more than “just trains”! • Huge layout with 22 operating model trains • Over 150 hand-created animated figures & scenes
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Visit Traintown, U.S.A® at choochoobarn.com Route 741 East, 226 Gap Road, Strasburg, PA (Two blocks from the Strasburg Rail Road) 717-687-7911
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717. 687. 8976
CHECK WEBSITE OR CALL FOR HOURS
H
uckleberry Hill might be the most romantic spot in Wisconsin, thanks to two matchmakers who want those in their Amish community to find love as great as their own.
“Beckstrand is an amazing, talented author.” —RT Book Reviews
Read Them All!
P.O. Box 248 300 Paradise Ln. ♦ Ronks, PA 17572 Strasburg, PA 17579
www.nttmuseum.org m.nttmuseum.org
KensingtonBooks.com/Kleanreads • jenniferbeckstrand.com
AmishNews.com • June 2015 • Amish Country News • 11
Kids Eat
Free Breakfast & Lunch Smorgasbord. Everyday.
R O$3 OFF
*Exclusions Apply
Adult Dinner Grand Smorgasbord or
$2 OFF Adult Lunch Grand Smorgasbord
800-827-8635 www.hersheyfarm.com
Not valid Holidays, on Family Style Dining, or on parties of 8 or more. Please show coupon. No other discounts apply. Exp 01/31/2016 ACN15
800-827-8635
Dining • Shopping • Lodging Rt 896 240 Hartman Bridge Road Ronks, PA 17572 www.hersheyfarm.com 12 • Amish Country News • June 2015 • AmishNews.com
September Farm Cheese (Continued from Page 11) 6:30am. The entire Rotelle family is involved in cheese-making, and with their combined (seven strong) efforts, the result is over 30 varieties of cheese and fresh cheese curd products with flavors ranging from hand-waxed aged cheddars to fruit-infused jacks. September Farm’s Country Market and Sandwich Shop is open Monday through Friday 7:00am to 8:00pm, and on Saturdays 7:00am to 5:00pm. Closed Sundays. Visit today to enjoy watching cheese being made, tasting the numerous samples, and shopping for fine cheeses, smoked meats, dips, fresh cheese curds, handdipped ice cream and lots more farm-fresh products and gifts you wouldn't expect to find here. But, do expect to find (and make your trip a five-star visit) delicious, fresh, hand-crafted sandwiches, soups, and salads in the on-site café and eatery. For directions, enter 5287 Horseshoe Pike, Honey Brook on your GPS (it's on Route 322 six miles east of Blue Ball.) Call 610273-3552 should you need more information. www.septemberfarmcheese.com
The Sturgis Lineage
The Pretzel that Won World War II By Clinton Martin
I
t may not be widely known, but generations of Lancaster County’s own Sturgis family have helped to make pretzels famous in America. In fact, it was family patriarch Julius Sturgis that opened the first commercial pretzel bakery in the Nation 150 years ago, before the musket blasts of the Civil War had subsided. Whether Sturgis Pretzels were involved with resolving that conflict isn’t known, but roughly 75 years later, Victor Sturgis was forced to close his pretzel bakery, “Sturgis Brothers,” when his entire workforce was conscripted to help fill the ranks of America’s military during the height of World War II. Who knows how things would have turned out had those brave men and women not put down dough and heeded the call of Uncle Sam? One could say Sturgis Pretzels helped win the war!
Far less tongue-in-cheek is the way in which the savory Sturgis Pretzels continue to win over the hearts and taste buds of loyal pretzel fans all over this great Country. Yes, we are all thankful that Julius Sturgis’ original bakery is still operating in Lititz, twisting pretzels by hand, and creating America’s favorite snack food according to the original recipe developed by Julius himself. As for the shape of the pretzel, legend credits it to a monk who baked some dough to resemble a child crossing arms in prayer, and then used them as “pretiolas” or “little rewards.” The earliest recorded evidence of pretzels appeared in the crest of German bakers’ guilds in 1111, so pretzels are ingrained in our Pennsylvania German culture here as well.
These pretzels are beyond delicious. They are an irresistible snack that packs an unusually high caliber of nutrition without much of the “junk” associated with many commercial snack foods in “that aisle” of the grocery store. Not only can visitors enjoy the delicious history of Sturgis Pretzels at the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery, but they can actually get their fingers in some dough and try twisting one themselves (making pretzels by hand is a little harder than it looks)! During the tour everyone
gets a hands-on lesson in pretzel twisting using a sample piece of pretzel dough on Julius’ antique twisting table, learns about the history of pretzel baking in America, and gazes upon the original ovens built by Julius in 1861. The tour also interestingly reveals how pretzel baking has changed from 1861 to today. Of course, it’s always fun watching the Sturgis bakers twisting and baking hand-made soft pretzels that are sold in the bakery store as well. Tour duration is about 20 minutes and a nominal fee is charged. Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery is located at 219 E. Main Street, in historic Lititz. Call (717) 626-4354 for hours and directions, or visit www.juliussturgis.com.
As an Amish wife and mother struggles to hold her family together, a story from the past teaches her how to face her daily challenges with strength and love . . .
I
n modern day central Pennsylvania, Judith Wegler tries to heal the growing rift between her husband, Isaac, and his teenage brother Joseph—whom Judith and Isaac have raised as their own ever since both brothers lost their parents and siblings in a horrific fire. Meanwhile, Isaac’s hurtful silence about this tragic past has robbed Judith of any certainty of her husband’s love. But when Judith’s grandmother gifts her with an antique study table, she discovers a hidden packet of letters that changes her life . . . In 1953, widow Mattie Lapp fights against the county’s attempts to force Amish children to attend a consolidated public school, even if it means arrest and imprisonment. Mattie knows she can’t face this challenge alone, and turns to her late husband’s cousin Adam for help, but she’s terrified at the prospect of relying on someone else.
Now, as the two women’s stories converge, both must learn to stand up for their beliefs and to love again, even when it means risking their hearts . . .
The Rescued is Book Two of best-selling author Marta Perry’s new Keepers of the Promise series from HQN Books. Available in stores and online everywhere books are sold.
MartaPerry.com • facebook.com/MartaPerryBooks AmishNews.com • June 2015 • Amish Country News • 13
Best New Old-Fashioned Way to Enjoy Chicken –
Zook’s Homemade Chicken Pies By Clinton Martin a few minutes. Much like the Sirens tempted Odysseus, I have long become increasingly tantalized by the aromatic waves of delectable smells wafting about my house.
I
f you’ve perused Amish Country News the last five years or so, you’ve read about Zook’s Homemade Chicken Pies. Such happens to be my devotion to these full-flavor encrusted meat pies that I’ve written countless editorials about them. However, this shall not be another entry in a long line of Zook’s Pie epistles. Puffery and flowery language aside, I’m diving right in with a straightforward Zook's Pie tasting experience. Rather than sharpen my pencil, I polished my fork for some “homework” with my family. With a mission on my mind and dinner in tow, home I drove with my Zook’s Chicken Pie, knowing the flavors I was about to savor were neatly held in frozen suspension. Zook’s is not a restaurant. The pies are frozen for takeout only. You take them home, to your RV or campsite, and enjoy them hot out of your oven in just
Eventually on this day, I was able to free the pie from the oven’s 350-degree purgatory and place it in the center of our dining room table. Though simple and unpretentious, it was the most beautiful and tastiest centerpiece we’d had in a long time. But, I didn’t dig in right away. After the journey from its Ronks birthplace and its graduation from the oven's finishing school, it was time for it to “rest.” Soon satisfied that the pie was ready, I sliced out a generous portion for my wife, our children, and myself. Since this was to serve not only as dinner, but also as a critical review, I gingerly took a bite and slowly, pensively allowed time for my palate's exploration. It was a wonderful, unobstructed pleasure. The main ingredient was clearly the chicken in a delicious thick gravy, allowing the chunks of juicy, tender white meat to float like little pillows of poultry. Other obvious ingredients were celery and the rather sur-
prising inclusion of peas, which lent an important flavor profile. My plate quickly cleaned, I was barely able to restrain my hand from instantly reaching for seconds which were, by the way, every bit as tasty as the firsts. I encourage you to pick up your own Zook’s Homemade Chicken Pies at the family farmstead, or would that be “bakestead,” at 3194 Harvest Drive in Ronks. Turn south off Route 340, between Bird-inHand and Intercourse, onto Old Leacock Road. After less than two miles, you’ll come to Harvest Drive. Turn right. You’ll see the farm to your left. If you need more information, call ahead. 717-768-0239. But remember, as this is an Amish establishment, you’ll have to leave a voice mail. Happy eating!
Live Piano Music! Every Friday & Saturday Evening
Stay and Dine Aboard a Steamboat! tripadvisor
®
At The Corner Of Rt 30 & Rt 896 | Lancaster (Across from Rockvale Outlets)
FultonSteamboatInn.com | 717-299-9999 14 • Amish Country News • June 2015 • AmishNews.com
Huckleberry’s Restaurant: casual dining in a Victorian atmosphere ■ Huck’s Tavern: pub fare and full menu service in a nautical atmosphere ■ 97 Victorian and nautically themed guest rooms ■ Heated indoor pool, whirlpool and fitness center ■ Kids’ playground ■ Serene landscaping with koi pond and fire pit ■ Country Store ■
15%off entire food bill for lunch or dinner
Fulton Steamboat Inn - Huckleberry’s At The Corner Of Rt 30 & Rt 896 Lancaster • 717-299-9999
AMISH CO NEWS
Certificate Of Excellence On
Not valid with any other discounts or on holidays, Father’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Excludes alcohol. Valid on parties up to 6 guests. Expires 12-30-15.
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2014 Photo Contest Winners Announced!
A
MISH COUNTRY NEWS has sponsored an annual photo contest for over 20 years. For the 2014 contest, scores of readers submitted the maximum 10 photos and we had hundreds of photos over which to deliberate! Needless to say, choosing a winner has a lot to do with personal taste, but subject matter, composition, and color all enter into the decision.
Cool Crafts in a Cool Town
Grand Prize Winner “Over the River to Grandma’s House” By Ray Smecker • Churchtown, PA
By Caleb Bressler
W
e hope you’re planning a trip to the picture-perfect town of Lititz soon for we are enthusiastically recommending you spend time at the Lititz Ambucs Crafts-in-the-Park, Saturday, June 13. By the way, Lititz is so cool that you’ll want to visit again for much further exploration. This the 22nd year that Lititz Ambucs has held this much anticipated craft fair which attracts thousands visitors without fail. Proceeds benefit Lititz Ambucs which, according to their website, is “dedicated to creating mobility and independence for people with disabilities.” The fair features 50-60 juried vendors, some from as far away as Minnesota! There is always something for everyone, from fine leath-
erwear to hand crafted/designed jewelry, all found in the welcoming, casual atmosphere of the historic and beautiful town park. The event is held rain or shine at Lititz Springs Park, in the heart of downtown Lititz. Hours are 9AM-4PM. Plan on making a day of it and enjoying the many other interesting sights of this great American town. For more information, e-mail Ambucs@ptd.net.
Ray has blessed us with many wonderful photos, and he is in an ideal location to capture unique shots of his Plain neighbors. Of the winning photo he writes, “I was fishing for brook trout near our Wildlife Backyard Habitat at the Historic Poole Forge Covered Bridge along the Conestoga River, and looked up to see this group approaching the bridge. I quickly put my rod down, pulled out my camera, and walked out of the stream to the nearby road and took this shot. The bridge and park are all a part of the newly designated PA State Road Trips --Conestoga Byway (www.visitpa.com/pa-roadtrips/conestoga-ridge-road).” Prize: Two tickets to Amish Visit-in-Person Tour and two meal vouchers for Plain & Fancy Restaurant. Continued on Page 20
AmishNews.com • June 2015 • Amish Country News • 15
Dutchland Quilt Patch
Miller’s Smorgasbord
RONKS RD.
Welcome to Our Paradise PARADISE
V
isitors to Lancaster from the east on RT 30 travel through Paradise. The town’s story traces back to Europe over 300 years ago, to the area of the Palatinate in Germany where Protestants had settled following the declaration of King Louis XIV that all Protestants in France would be persecuted. Fearing a French invasion, many accepted the invitation to settle in the New World in William Penn’s colony of Penn’s Woods. By 1712, they had secured land in Lancaster’s Pequea Valley as the area’s first white people, living peaceably with local Indians.
Strasburg Rd.
S. Vintage Rd.
741
30
Not Cackleberry Just Farm Antique Baskets Mall d. nt R mo Bel
Dutch Haven LINCOLN HWY. EAST 30 Killer Hats Jake’s Country Trading Post
Historic Revere Tavern
The origins of RT 30, also known as “Lincoln Highway,” date back to Lancaster’s Colonial days when the frontier county needed a highway to connect it with the provincial capital of Philadelphia. The first road that was constructed is now RT 340, still referred to as the “Old Philadelphia Pike.” Soon, it was apparent that this road was insufficient to handle the increasing traffic, and in 1790, a commission to survey a new route was created. Since the cost was too much for the state to undertake, the company charged with building it was given the power to demand “reasonable” tolls from users. Investors received dividends earned from tolls collected along the gates of the turnpike. (As the toll was paid, the gate or “pike” was turned, hence the term “turnpike”). The Act described the construction of the highway, which was to be a bed of small crushed stones on top with, rather than dirt, larger stones underneath to prevent carriage wheels from cutting into the soil. This revolutionary system of road construction is credited to a John McAdam, whose name became the term for paved or “macadam” roads. The "Lincoln Highway" (RT 30) opened in 1795 as the first long-distance, hard surfaced road in the country. Taverns and stagecoach stops grew up along the turnpike for weary travelers. Of these, the Revere Tavern, dating back to 1740
16 • Amish Country News • June 2015 • AmishNews.com
LOCALLY MADE
• Quilts • Fabric & Patterns • Primitive Country Decor & Lighting and much more!
2 LOCATIONS Village of Dutch Delights
Rt. 30, 1/4 Mile East of Miller’s Smorgasbord 717-687-0534
Intercourse Store (No Fabric)
Look for the green sign on Rt. 340! 3453 Old Philadelphia Pike 717-768-3981
Mon-Thur 9-6 ∙ Fri 9-8 ∙ Sat 9-7 ∙ Closed Sunday Shop On-Line at www.DutchlandQuilts.com
and originally called the “Sign of the Spread Eagle”, still proudly stands today. In 1841, the tavern became the residence of Reverend Edward V. Buchanan and his wife Eliza Foster Buchanan. Eliza was the sister of Stephen Foster, whose immortal songs will always be a part of Americana. Foster not only penned music at the tavern, but sent many of his manuscripts to Eliza, also a talented musician, for her approval. On the banks of the Pequea Creek, Eliza and Stephen played many of Stephen’s 200 songs, including “Way Down Upon the Suwannee River” and “Oh! Susanna.” Wherever you happen to call “paradise,” we hope that a little bit of our own Paradise won’t do you any harm!
AmishNews.com • June 2015 • Amish Country News • 17
(717) 687-8980 • www.jakeshomeaccents.com
On Route 30 in Paradise • 2954 Lincoln Highway East
with $20.00 purchase or more and this coupon. Limit one coupon per family. (Expires 6/30/15) Cookbook valued at $2.00.
FREE COOKBOOK
Cackleberry Farm Antique Mall Special to Amish Country News
L
ooking for an experience, not just another antique mall? Cackleberry Farm Antique Mall is home to 26,000 square feet of antiques and collectibles, items such as furniture, glassware, sterling silver, advertising, jewelry, toys and much more displayed by over 125 dealers. For the nostalgic shopper, housed inside the antique mall is an Old Time General Store, full of vintage barber shop, ice cream parlor, hardware and drugstore memorabilia which will take you back to the Mom & Pop stores of years ago. Not Just Baskets, located next door to the Cackleberry Farm Antique Mall, carries a huge selection of
baskets, quilts, luxury gifts and everyday items to choose from. You can fill a basket with any assortment of treats from pottery to spice mixes, quilts to candles, cookbooks
Only Minutes Away From Everything Amish Country Has To Offer! to spa items – and have it all wrapped up in cellophane in a beautiful basket for a perfect gift. Or gather pet treats, dip and spice mixes and PA Dutch candies for your family, friends, Fido – even yourself.
Cackleberry Farm Antique Mall is located at 3371 Lincoln Highway East, Paradise, on Route 30, only minutes away from everywhere and everything Amish Country has to offer.
We have a large selection of baskets, quilted throws, men’s and ladies’ everyday accessories and gift items, which includes luxury bath and spa cosmetics, jewelry, cookbooks, kitchen linens, candles, pottery, pet fancies, home decor, framed prints, and many more special items. Choose your basket and gift items and we will customize a lovely gift basket for you. Don’t forget to pick up a souvenir for yourself while you are there.
With $15.00 purchase or more and this coupon. Only at: Not Just Baskets Limit one coupon per purchase. (Expires 6/30/15.)
18 • Amish Country News • June 2015 • AmishNews.com
Dutch Haven – Shoo-fly Heaven By Brad Igou It’s been around long enough that folks tell their grandchildren about it. I’m talking about the “place that made shoo-fly pie famous” and legitimately lays claim as Amish Country’s oldest visitor landmark. Truly, for years, travelers approaching from the east have unexpectedly spotted, and rarely forgotten, the spinning windmill and the sign reading “Dutch Haven.” Dutch Haven opened, without the windmill, in the early 1920’s, as a small luncheonette. When purchased in 1946 by the new owner, Roy Weaver, Dutch Haven’s life as a “restaurant” officially began. Its fame grew with his wife’s delicious shoo-fly pies, an unusual dessert that back then was unfamiliar to most people. And while she topped her warm pies with whipped cream, Roy topped the building with its landmark windmill. Over the following decades the gooey shoofly pie remained “the thing,” and was even mentioned in a TIME magazine article. The restaurant menu encouraged diners to “Take one for yourself or send one to someone nice.” By the 1980’s the number of area restaurants and attractions had grown tremendously, and it looked as though the windmill’s days were over. Saving it from an uncertain future, Paul Stahl, the current owner, purchased it and by 1993 the interior had become a craft cooperative, preserving many of the original Continued on Page 25
Where the Amish Are Our Neighbors.
Flory’s
Cottages Camping Hosts: Claudette, Lou & Shelly
717.687.6670
www.floryscamping.com
Level Shaded
*Campsites
E,W,S Cable TV & Wi-Fi Pet & Smoke Free
*Cottages *Guest Rooms
*Camp Store *Pavilion *Laundry *Bathhouses
6/30/15
99 N. Ronks Rd. PO Box 308 Ronks PA 17572 Between US 30 & Rte. 340 AmishNews.com • June 2015 • Amish Country News • 19
Photo Contest Winners (Continued from Page 15)
Handcrafted Amish Furniture done
Right!
Solid hardwood Furniture for every room in your house. Customized just for you.
Lancaster 2191 Lincoln Hwy E (Rt. 30) 866.925.GISH (4474) York 728 Loucks Rd. (Rt. 30) 866.374.GISH (4474) Camp Hill 3424 Simpson Ferry Rd. 866.291.GISH (4474) Hours Mon., Wed., Fri., 10-8pm Tue., Thur., Sat., 10-6pm www.gishs.com
First Place Winner “Woman Driver?” By Walter Sandrock • Dundas, Ontario
Delivery Anywhere!
Walter was obviously impressed when he saw a woman driving a team. It’s not a common sight, but women do sometimes help with the farm work. Walter wrote, “A woman driver? No problem for this team. This Amish woman can handle four mules and two horses and keep the rows straight. Wow!” Prize: Two tickets for Amish Experience SuperSaver Tour package and two meal vouchers for Plain & Fancy Restaurant. Continued on Page 23
20 • Amish Country News • June 2015 • AmishNews.com
Union Barrel Works Has the Showboat’s Bar By Clinton Martin
I
f you’ve visited Amish Country and environs over the past couple of decades, you might remember the quirky yet popular Showboat Restaurant in nearby downtown Reading. Well, the stuffed moose smoking a cigarette, and the giant stuffed tuna hanging overhead, not to mention the other taxidermied
species in the now-defunct city seafood standby aren’t around anymore for nostalgic walks down memory lane. However, the bar itself, that gorgeous, ornate, and more than a little different hulk of wood and metal topped with a fierce-looking spear gun (is it real, I don’t know!) is alive and kicking still – at Union Barrel Works. Brewmaster Tom Rupp is a proud disciple of “Old Reading” nostalgia and brought the fantastic bar to the meticulously restored former hardware store and garment factory where he chose to house his great olde-worlde brew pub --- the sunny,
family-friendly, and welcoming Union Barrel Works. UBW, as most fans call it, serves Tom’s delicious and always quaffable craft brews (all made on the premises) and offers up a wide and unexpected selection of American fare, with wild game as well as more traditional proteins gracing the menu, not to mention a smoked trout chowder that is so good that regulars often make the drive just for a generous crock of the luxurious liquid, the rest of the tempting menu notwithstanding. UBW is open daily except Mondays and is located at 6 North Reamstown Road, Reamstown PA. Call (717) 335-7837 or visit www.unionbarrelworks.com
WE’VE GOT YOUR
Ticket to Entertainment! March 26 – May 2
May 7 – June 13
June 18 – August 1
CALL OR CLICK FOR TICKETS TODAY! Victorian Magic Lantern Shows, nearly lost to the sands of time, are performed again at Plain & Fancy Farm.
717-898-1900 • DutchApple.com Lancaster, PA 17601 3/2/15 AmishNews.com • June 2015 • Amish Country News4:23• PM 21
15DA017_Funny_LesMis_OK_ACN_4.9375x7.indd 1
Welcome to New Holland • Blue Ball
D ROA Country Lane Quilt Shop
To Ephrata 322
897 23 RANCK AVE.
RD.
VOGA NVILLE
ERS
Riehl’s Quilts & Crafts E. EBY ROAD
MAIN STREET Witmer’s Quilt Shop
PET
S. GROFFDALE RD.
23
N. GROFFDALE RD.
LEOLA
NEW HOLLAND
RAILROAD AVE.
Smucker’s Quilts
Flower & Craft Warehouse
BLUE BALL
Country Home Blue Furniture Ridge Furniture
HILL RD. / WALLACE RD.
T
he instability in Europe in the late 1600’s spawned and nurtured the pioneer interest in the deep forest lands of Pennsylvania. In 1681 William Penn received his 40,000 square-mile land grant to settle King Charles’ debt to his father. Himself a Quaker, Penn had experienced religious persecution firsthand, and decided to establish his American colony based on complete religious freedom. This entire century had been one of continued misery for the peasants of the Palatinate (western Germany). The Thirty Years War had
To September Farm Cheese
raged across the area with barbaric ruthlessness. The peasant inhabitants fled to nearby Holland for refuge. And within a decade of the end of that conflict, King Louis XIV of France started a new religious war in the same general area. These Palatinate peasants were exhausted by war’s desolation, and were ripe for a new start. Traveling land agents for William Penn’s new colony found listening ears. In addition to religious freedom and a peaceful existence, Penn offered cheap land. The stated price was 100 English pounds for 5,000 acres.
22 • Amish Country News • June 2015 • AmishNews.com
By 1728, William Penn had been dead for 10 years and his American colony, called Pennsylvania, was being administered by a proprietary governor while the sale of land was formalized by patent deeds. In 1802, when a post office was established and an official name was necessary, there was no objection to naming the town New Holland. These grateful people remembered how extremely kind the inhabitants of Holland were to them, and the assistance that included funds to cover the cost of the refugee German immigrants’ ocean voyage. This was no small matter when the alternative was indentured service for a period of years. For adults, indenture frequently meant four to seven years of labor without pay. Minors served until their 21st birthday. But still, William Penn’s Quaker Pennsylvania was liberation compared to the Europe they fled seeking freedom of religion, assembly and speech for all, hopefully, none of which we take for granted today.
Photo Contest Winners (Continued from Page 23)
Second Place Winner “Windmill Sunset” By Dan Benz • Stanhope, NJ
Expires 12/31/15.
The next two photos make a nice pair, a sunset and a sunrise. Dan’s beautiful golden sunset with the windmill and water tank silhouetted against the sky really caught our attention. Talking about being at the right place at the right time! The photo was taken on Bachmantown Road, just off S. Ronks Road in early Spring, 2014. As Dan noted, “These photos have not been altered or enhanced. Sometimes you get very lucky.” Prize: Two tickets to Amish Visit-in-Person Tour.
Zelda took her photos on Willow Road, when a new corn crop was just getting started, and blowing in the wind. Many locals find beauty in those rows of crops, remembering that the seeds were planted with horses or mules pulling the equipment. The vertical rows running up to the horizontal farm building makes for a nice composition. Prize: Two combo tickets for “Jacob’s Choice” and Amish Country Homestead Tour.
Third Place Winner “Foggy Sunrise” By Suzanne Mayer • Lafayette, NJ Suzanne submitted five photos with a mystical, otherworldly feel to the scenery. She explains, “They were taken on Harvest Road in Birdin-Hand on Saturday morning, April 12th at around 6:40 in the morning. My husband and I were on our way to New Holland to run the Garden Spot Village Half Marathon. It was very foggy out. As we drove down Harvest Road we came upon this most beautiful scene of the sunrise.” Prize: Two tickets for Amish Experience SuperSaver Tour package.
Honorable Mention “New Corn” By Zelda Rowley • Lancaster, PA
Congratulations to the winners! Be sure to enter your best Amish Country photos in this year’s 2015 contest!
AmishNews.com • June 2015 • Amish Country News • 23
People of Peace — Victims of Violence Part Two in a Series...
• The guard struck the Amish boy, “knocking him down and stabbing him with his bayonet. He made a cut in his pants and a gash in his hips about two inches long.” • A 45-mile rock-throwing spree resulted in damage to four carriages, nine homes, one school…and one dead Amish baby. • The arsonist managed to set fire to seven Amish barns in two hours, destroying six of them, killing 177 horses and cows, with damages estimated at one million dollars.
H
ow is it that the Amish, who by faith lead a quiet and peaceful lifestyle, are at times the victims of unspeakable violence? The above incidents are true and, in the case of the last two, really not from the distant past. They took place in 1918, 1979, and 1992, respectively. Our 2015 seven-part “Amish Series” offers an overview of the Anabaptist stance of non-resistance in times of war and peace, from their origins over 450 years ago through the start of the 21st century.
PART 2: Colonial America through the Civil War In the early 1700’s, Amish, Mennonites, and other religious groups began arriving from Europe in William Penn’s colony (Pennsylvania) in America enduring an arduous ocean voyage of two to three months during which many died. Of such voyages, we have these words from a passenger diary kept on the ship “Charming Nancy” in 1737... On the 29th of July, three children died. On the first of August my Hanseli died, and the Tuesday previous five children died. On the 3rd of August, contrary winds beset the vessel and from the first to the 7th of the month three more children died... Landed in Philadelphia on September the 18th, and my wife and I left the ship on the 19th. A child was born to us on the 20th --- died --wife recovered. A voyage of 83 days.
Early Conflicts
It seemed that these settlers had finally found a place where they could escape persecution and, although there were some attacks upon them during the French and Indian War, live in peace with their neighbors. The most famous story is of the Jacob Hochstetler family. Attacked by Indians in 1757, Jacob remained steadfast to his belief in non-resistance and refused to allow anyone to take up arms against the attackers. They locked themselves in the cabin, and hid in the basement when the house was set on fire. As they tried to escape through the cellar window, all were caught and killed, except Jacob and two sons who were separated from their father and not reunited until years later. When the Revolutionary War broke out, more challenges for the Amish arose.
As John Hostetler writes in his AMISH SOCIETY, “Their opposition to taking the oath of allegiance and joining the militia was interpreted by patriots as an alignment with the British. The Amish, unlike the Quakers, generally paid the war tax but disclaimed any responsibility for its use.” According to Steven Nolt in his HISTORY OF THE AMISH, the Amish were caught between the Tories and the Patriots, with neither side caring to recognize the non-resistant stance of the “peace churches,” although sides were sometimes chosen and, in some cases, contributions were made in lieu of military service. In neighboring Berks County in 1775, Isaac Kauffman was jailed and charged with treason for refusing to hand over a horse. According to Richard MacMaster, the Amishman declared, “You are rebels and I will not give a horse to such bloodthirsty persons.” He lost half of his land and remained in prison until the conclusion of the war. The times, even for the Amish, were so turbulent that some Amish young people actually took up arms, much to the anguish and dismay of their families.
The Civil War We have limited information on how the Amish fared during the Civil War as their belief in non-resistance again brought them under suspicion from both sides. The moral and political issues again tore families apart, as some joined the ranks. The 1863 Federal Conscription Act allowed the hiring of substitutes, and some Amish and Mennonite communities raised thousands of dollars for those members facing the draft, who could avoid serving with a $300 “commutation fee.”
24 • Amish Country News • June 2015 • AmishNews.com
by Brad Igou
Lancaster’s “Tennessee John” Stoltzfus was one of the Amish who hired a substitute to take his place. According to Paton Yoder in his book TRADITION & TRANSITION, he “kept a blue coat in his attic…from the man he had hired as a substitute, later killed in battle. Occasionally John retrieved the coat and reverently polished the brass buttons in remorseful meditation.” Stories tell of some Amish in the South who had their farms occupied, and food and property confiscated by the troops. Obviously for farmers, horses were needed for their work, but horses were also highly sought by the soldiers. Following is an excerpt from an article in the Amish magazine Family Life, reprinted from the book compiled by your humble writer, THE AMISH IN THEIR OWN WORDS, in which Mary Elizabeth Yoder refers to an incident in Maryland.... At dawn, the Swartzentrubers were routed from sleep by hundreds of starving soldiers demanding food. When the bread supply was exhausted, they ordered Mrs. Swartzentruber to make buckwheat cakes. The starving rebels crowded into the kitchen, eating batter from the bowl, or pouring it directly onto the stove and devouring the half-baked cakes. They swarmed around the spring like thirsty cattle and drank up all the water. They raided the pantry and cellar of all that was eatable. Some jerked a setting hen from her nest and ate her eggs raw, unhatched chicks and all. Others milked the cows and slaughtered one, roasting the meat over open fires on the lawn. When the soldiers left, they took bedding, clothing, Mr. Swartzentruber’s watch, and all that could be carried along. They drove their cattle and horses ahead of them.... This was a hard blow for the Swartzentrubers, who had lost their first two infants to death in the preceding two years. David Luthy, again writing in Family Life, tells of a Missouri Amish boy, Christian Raber, whose companion was shot by a drunken Union soldier. Later, the soldier was tried, acquitted, and discharged. Just as issues of slavery divided the Nation, the conflict brought on by the Civil War added to the turmoil in the Amish church between progressives and conservatives, with piercing questions of integration versus separatism, and tradition versus change. In the years immediately following the Civil War, the Amish church divided as well.
NEXT ISSUE: “World War I”
Dutch Haven (Continued from Page 19) restaurant decorations inside. Gradually the store expanded, specializing in Amish furniture and over 10,000 hard to find gift items and collectibles. But, most importantly, right up to today, the famous and beloved pies continue to be fresh-baked and sold daily. Is Dutch Haven’s the best shoo-fly pie in Amish Country? Many would agree, but more importantly, those people who say they don’t like shoo-fly pie discover over and over again that Dutch Haven’s pies meet the taste buds test and really are delicious. Apparently so, since Dutch Haven bakes over 40,000 annually. And you can still send a pie to yourself or a friend virtually anywhere in the USA. They hold up well, and taste like they’re hot out of the oven after just a little warming in the microwave. Just don’t forget the whipped cream on top!
If you’re looking for kudos, on April 7, 2015, Dutch Haven received the honor of being included in USA TODAY TRAVEL’s list of “America’s Legendary Bakeries and Cafes,” aple, free with tempting photos of shoo-fly pie, of ase course! So, whether you visit Dutch Haven for some serious shopping, to purchase a pie, or just
to explore this historic building itself, you’ll be discovering a part of our history. As you walk in, you’ll still be encouraged to try a free sample of “America’s best shoo-fly pie.” And like the countless visitors before you, I’m guessing you’ll want to “Take one for yourself or send one to someone nice.” After all, this IS the place that made shoo-fly pie famous!
Open seven days a week from 9am to 9pm, Dutch Haven is located on Route 30, two miles east of Rockvale Outlets, at 2857-A Lincoln Highway East, Ronks. Call 717-6870111 or visit www.DutchHaven.com for more information.
All American made Furniture & Mattresses
15th
Anniversary
…and the area’s largest selection of solid wood and Amish handcrafted products Worth the drive to the countryside of Lancaster County for savings. REGISTER TO WIN
FREE Gift Certificates TO SHADY MAPLE! FREE FURNITURE POLISH, No Purchase Necessary!
FREE GIFTS AND MORE!
30,000 sq ft of living, dining, bedroom, office, occasional, entertainment and upholstery collections
Located next to Good’s Store at Shady Maple • 717-354-2329 AmishNews.com • June 2015 • Amish Country News • 25
AV E
.
Free Parking
Free Parking
Lititz Historical Foundation
772
Plain & Fancy Farm Restaurant along Route 340 serves up Lancaster's original family-style feast of PA Dutch cooking.
T
here really is no place quite like Lititz, and visitors should plan time there while in Amish Country.
The Lititz story is tied to that of the Moravian faith in Bohemia. As was the case with other persecuted religious groups in Europe, many Moravians sought freedom in the New World, arriving in the early 1700’s, with settlements in Pennsylvania and North Carolina. In 1755 the town actually took the name Lititz, the German spelling for Lidice, where European reformers had taken refuge in the 15th century.
To Lancaster and
30
MAIN ST.
501
S. BROAD ST.
Lititz Springs Park Lititz Ambucs Craft Show
Music and education were important to the Moravians. In fact, the Lititz schoolhouse erected in 1746 marked the beginnings of what was to be Linden Hall, the oldest continuously operating residence school for girls in the United States. For one hundred years, Moravian church members were the only people permitted to live in the town. It was not until 1855 that non-Moravians were allowed to own their own homes. The complex of buildings comprising the Moravian congregation is well worth seeing, particularly the church built in 1787.
CEDAR ST.
Welcome Center Train Station
Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery
LOCUST ST.
LN
WATER ST.
CO
LITITZ
CEDAR ST.
LIN
501
N. BROAD ST.
TO BRICKERVILLE:
N. STURGIS LANE (Parking)
Historic Lititz • A Hometown Treasure Moravian Church Square
772
ORANGE STREET
One name is linked forever with the history of Lititz --- Julius Sturgis. It was Julius Sturgis who opened the first commercial pretzel bakery in the New World in Lititz. The year was 1861, and the site at 219 East Main Street is on the National Register of Historic Places. A tour of the bakery, still in operation, is unlike any other and well worth your time. Just recently, Lititz won Budget Travel's 2013 "Coolest Small Town in America" competition.
PRETZELS GALORE IN OUR
BAKERY STORE Sweet, salty, & savory gifts plus party treats
Open Monday — Saturday Bakery Tours 9:30am-4:30pm Bakery Store 9am-5pm Always Closed Sundays
26 • Amish Country News • June 2015 • AmishNews.com
This Summer Only…
Rare Magic Lantern Shows at Plain & Fancy Farm By Brad Igou
I
n a departure from the exclusive showing of its critically acclaimed special effects production of “Jacob’s Choice,” the story of the challenges faced by a modern Amish family and their teenage son in 21st century America, the Amish Experience has taken on a new cinematic challenge…one based in antiquity. Over 125 years ago, the spellbinding drama, humor and antics of a traveling Showman and the spectacular projected images from his “Magic Lantern” dazzled audiences all across America. Until the early 1900s, Magic Lanterns were one of our country’s most popular forms of entertainment, with up to 75,000 presentations a year given in theaters, churches, fraternal halls and schools. The Magic-Lantern Show was, in fact, the direct ancestor of the movies. A huge projector lit with gas "limelight" rapidly projected hand-painted images on oversized screens. The images, many of them animated, illustrated dramatic stories and comedy, just as the movies would eventually do thereafter. The good news is that now this very special entertainment of a time gone by can be experienced right here in Amish Country at the only permanent Magic Lantern Theater opened anywhere in the world in the last 130 years… at the Theater at Plain & Fancy Farm, on Route 340 between the villages of Bird-in-Hand and Intercourse. The Amish Experience, in association with the American Magic-Lantern Theater (AMLT), under the direction of Terry Borton, has just announced the debut of its Patriotic Magic Lantern Show, “This Is My Country!”
Turn of the century painting by famous American artist Joseph Boggs Beale will also be seen in the Christmas Magic Lantern Show at Plain & Fancy Farm starting in Thanksgiving Weekend.
"When I was a child," says Borton, "my father put on shows for us, using the same images and dramatic style that his grandfather had used two generations before at the turn of the century. Some of those same images are in our shows today, a hundred years later.” And so, for over more than 20 years, Borton has performed for more than a half-million people in 38 states and five foreign countries. National Public Radio has dubbed the AMLT shows “a Living National Treasure.” The Amish Experience was most fortunate to have Borton share not only the rare art in his collection, but also the even more rare triunial lantern used in the Plain and Fancy shows --- a magnificent, painstakingly restored, three-tiered mahogany and brass 1890’s Magic Lantern able to somehow project three images at once. Borton spent weeks collaborating with the Amish Experience as he taught the complicated logistics of manipulating images, style of presentation, and the intricacies of “slip slides,” chromatropes, tank slides, dissolves, fades, and other special effects that dazzled audiences over a century ago… and still do today! As for the amazingly detailed images, most were painted by America’s foremost Magic Lantern artist, Joseph Boggs Beale. The paintings were transferred in black and white to three-inch glass plates, four times as sharp as a filmed picture, and then colored by hand. Stories, songs, and poems were woven together to create a themed show. Bringing the stories to life today is an authentically Victorian era costumed professional actor. In his role as “Showman” he portrays the many characters in each show, relying on a musical score, audience interaction, different “voices” and accents to bring the characters to life. As “Magician,” he manipulates the scores of framed images, sliding them in and out of the lantern, with grace, dramatic impact, and often humor— at times aided by animated slides that actually make the images move. In this tour de force, the
talented entertainer becomes the entire cast, stage manager, crew, lighting director, and music coordinator, with everything happening in full view right in the middle of the theater. In “This Is My Country!” the audience is transported back to the days of the early settlers at Plymouth Rock, through the fight for Independence, and finally through the tragic struggle of North and South in the Civil War, as we follow the generations of one family through the story of America into the early 1900’s. The dramatic projected images of the story are provided by Beale’s original lantern slides, supplemented with prized period illustrations and photographs, and special images created exclusively for the show by a noted modern illustrator. With music recorded by artists specializing in music of the period, each emotional and inspiring episode, song, and poem allows the audience a new appreciation of our Nation’s history as might only be experienced through the enchantment of a Magic Lantern Show. "This Is My Country!” debuts to the public June 26 and runs Tuesday through Saturday evenings at 7:00pm through August 29, plus special shows September 5 & 6 of Labor Day Weekend. “Jacob’s Choice” continues to be shown on the hour daily 10am to 5pm. Tickets for individuals are available online along with more information on the history of the Magic Lantern and each of the Plain and Fancy shows at www.MagicLanternTheater.com. You may also call 717-768-8400, Ext. 210 or email shows@MagicLanternTheater.com. Be sure not to miss the patriotic "This Is My Country!” Magic Lantern Show. Consider combining it with an Amish countryside tour, buggy ride, or meal at Plain & Fancy Farm, home of Amish Country’s first all-you-care-to-eat family style restaurant. Truly, you’ll discover a very special experience you simply will not find anywhere else!
AmishNews.com • June 2015 • Amish Country News • 27
Amish Farmlands • SuperSaver Tour • Visit-in-Person
Tours Since 1959
Amish Farmlands Tour
YOUR BEST VALUE!
Journey along back country roads, deep into the Amish Farmlands to discover sights rarely seen. Under the watchful eye of your certified guide, you’ll gain insights into the “how” and “why”of an everchanging culture, and see at-the-moment activities of the Amish. If you’ve seen the Amish portrayed on the various “Reality” TV shows, and you wonder what really is true and not true about the Amish, this is the tour you won’t want to miss! We’ll debunk myths about the Amish and provide accurate, respectful, and authentic information, just like we have done for over 50 years. Plus, now through November 30, 2015 we’ll provide each guest who purchases the Amish Farmlands Tour, when combined as part of your SuperSaver Tour, with a voucher for a FREE BUGGY RIDE at Aaron & Jessica’s, plus a free autographed Amish Cookbook.
The SuperSaver Tour includes the Amish Farmlands Tour, the acclaimed “Jacob’s Choice” at the Amish Experience F/X Theater, and a tour of the Amish House & One-Room School. As a bonus, receive an Amish cookbook and a voucher for a FREE BUGGY RIDE from Aaron & Jessica’s on property. Buggy ride offer valid through November only.
Duration: 1 1/2 hours Mon-Sat, 10am, 12pm, 2pm & 4pm Sun, 10am, 12pm & 2pm
This is your Total Amish Experience!
Visit-in-Person Tour
Rare is the opportunity to meet with Amish families willing to share their traditions and beliefs with you. In a group whose size is never more than 14, this is the only Amish Tour to be designated an official “Heritage Tour” by the County of Lancaster. Visit an Amish farm at milking time, stop at a Cottage Industry, and finally gather round a living room in an Amish home for an informal conversation with the family. Includes FREE BUGGY RIDE voucher.
Duration: 3 hours Now-October 31 Mon-Sat, 5pm (Saturdays only in November)
3121 Old Philadelphia Pike, Rte. 340 Bird-in-Hand, PA 17505-0414
FREE AMISH BUGGY RIDE Receive a voucher for a free “Cookie Run Buggy Ride” just a few steps away at Aaron & Jessica’s Buggy Rides with the purchase, at the Amish Experience Theater Box Office, of a regularly priced Supersaver, Theater/House Combo, or Amish Visit-in-Person Tour. One voucher for each adult or child ticket purchased with this coupon. Not
valid with other offer or with group tours. Offer expires 11/30/15. 28 • Amish Country News • June 2015 • any AmishNews.com
Valid up to six people. Coupon must be presented at time of purchase. BUGAN
at Plain & Fancy Farm Advance Tickets, including Free Buggy Ride Voucher, by Phone or Online:
(717) 768-8400 Ext.210 AmishExperience.com
Plain & Fancy — Farm to Table Since 1959 Where It All Began
fl>A
Preferred
. . . ·.
pla!s�c�9f.�ncy Home of the original Amish Farm Feast, as featured on
Travel Channel's Man VS Food Choose the Amish Farm Feast, or select from our Ala Carte Menu, with... Lunch Specials from $79s* Dinner Specials from $}Q95* Reservations, Call Ahead Seating & Walk-ins Welcome 717-768-4400• 7 days fromll:30 am* USA Today's Great Plate Award• ServSafe Award Theater, Country Homestead, Tours & Buggy Rides on premises
Get the whole story, and coupons, on our "mobile friendly" website
www.PlainAndFancyFarm.com
Route 340 between Bird-in-Hand & Intercourse
GPS: 3121 Old Philadelphia Pike, Bird-in-Hand PA (ifproblem with Bird-in-Hand, try Ronks PA) • With this ad. Hours/ menus/prices may vary. Please call 717-768-4400 to verify before arrival. Open 7 Days.
.--.... ........
s
�
011
Lancaster's Original
Amish Farm Feast
10 %011 OR
Feast includes entrees, sides, starters, beverages and desserts & is valid for up to 6 adults. Not valid Easter, Mother's Day, Thanksgiving or with any other offer, special, or group rate. Not valid on ala carte menu. Expires 12/31/15 PLU 505
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
Over 50 years ago, Plain & Fancy Farm opened to provide delicious, authentic Amish meals to visitors from all over the world, the first family-style restaurant in Lancaster County. Today Plain & Fancy is a destination all its own, featuring the acclaimed “Jacob’s Choice” at the Amish Experience Theater, Amish Farmlands and Visit-in-Person Tours, the Heritage Site Amish House & One-Room School, and Aaron & Jessica’s Buggy Rides. The onsite Country Store offers excellent country shopping, and the newest addition to the property, Amish View Inn & Suites, has a brand new extension with great views and luxurious lodging surrounded by stunning Amish countryside.
A Lancaster Original Amos, Ben, Manny and Elmer are some of the Amish farmers who supply the restaurant with the farm-fresh produce it serves on a daily basis. Depending on the season, sweet corn, tomatoes, watermelon, cabbage, broccoli, squash, peppers and onions are all sourced from farms within a horse-andbuggy’s drive. These neighbors, and the neighbors before them, have helped Plain & Fancy go “from farm to table” for over 50 years. The restaurant is AAA recommended, a PA Preferred and ServSafe award winner, and the Pennsylvania recipient of USA Today’s Great Plate Award.
The Amish Farm Feast
Plain & Fancy Farm Restaurant is best known as Lancaster County’s original family-style restaurant. The all-you-can-eat Amish Farm Feast includes your entrees, side dishes, starters, desserts and beverages. Enjoy fried chicken, roast beef, chicken pot pie, baked sausage, real mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, green and yellow string beans, sweet shoe peg corn, chow chow, cole slaw, raisin bread, rolls and apple butter, lemonade, iced tea, hot tea, coffee, sour cream apple crumb pie, shoofly pie and vanilla ice cream. It was this very meal that drew Man Vs. Food’s Adam Richman to Amish Country, where he went behind the scenes in the Plain & Fancy kitchen for one of his popular show’s episodes.
The New “a la carte” Menu
The restaurant also offers a new a la carte menu featuring mouth-watering appetizers, signature soups and salads, charbroiled burgers and sandwiches, and made-from scratch entrees and platters, including several PA Dutch specialties. Guests can “build a Valid for up to 6people (including children). platter” with items from the family-style Not valid Easter, Mother's Day or Thanksgiving. Not valid on Amish Farm Feast. menu or choose one of the daily specials Not valid on alcohol or with any other offer. Expires 12/31/15 • Code: C' mon back starting at $10 or less. You can do it all at AmishNews.com June 2015 Amish News“spend • 29 Plain• & Fancy, so • why notCountry come and the day!”
Ala carte Menu
Welcome to Intercourse PA INTERCOURSE Dutchland Quilt Patch
772
To Country Knives
Old Candle Barn
340
Esh Handmade Quilts
340 Intercourse Canning Co.
HARVEST DRIVE
P
erhaps no other town in the entire country can claim its fame on just one simple thing --- its name. Harrison Ford drove a buggy past the road sign on a memorable visit in the Hollywood blockbuster hit of the movie "Witness." For years people have postmarked “Intercourse” on envelopes, and the jokes from visitors who travel through Bird-in-Hand to Intercourse are endless. There are several theories for the name, but that which we find most plausible follows. Around 1730, the Old Provincial Highway (now Route 340) was laid out to connect Philadelphia
QUEEN RD.
CENTER ST.
OLD PHILA. PIKE Best Western Intercourse Village Inn
772
To Gap
30 41
with Lancaster. Conestoga wagons hauled freight back and forth between the two cities. Providing rest for travelers and horses, taverns sprouted along the way, becoming centers for news, gossip, and commerce. The construction of a log tavern in 1754 at the intersection of Newport Road and the Highway took “Cross Keys” as its name. It remained such until 1814, when the name was changed to Intercourse as part of a failed real estate scheme of a Mr. George Brungard, who had acquired 48 acres of nearby land and attempted to lay out a town site and divide it
30 • Amish Country News • June 2015 • AmishNews.com
Clans, Societies, and Corps – The sounds, sights, and tastes of Celtic heritage are on display at the annual Celtic Fling & Highland Games, June 26-28 at Mount Hope Estate, north of Manheim, home of the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, Swashbuckler Brew Pub, and Mount Hope Winery. On Saturday, up to 1000 Irish Dance contestants compete in the Fling's Officially Sanctioned "Feis" Dance Meet. into sections for sale by a lottery, advertising “151 handsome building lots of $250 each to be drawn for by number.” Renaming the town
made sense, as intercourse had a common usage referring to the pleasant mutual fellowship and frequent intermingling which were so common in the informal atmosphere of the quiet country village. Over time, Brungard’s scheme begat others. As recently as 1971, an enterprising soul tried to take advantage of the town’s name by selling deeds for one-inch square plots of Intercourse to visitors. Creative, but nonetheless a failure. By 1880, Intercourse had a population of 280 with a post office that actually moved among stores or restaurants as owners hoped visits by residents would increase their business. The local stagecoach service started around 1898 as “a single horse conveyance similar to a market wagon, with a roll-up curtain and double set of seats.” When the stagecoach driver knew of passengers beforehand, their comfort on cold days was added to with the placement of hot bricks heated in the oven, and wrapped in newspaper to preserve their warmth. As the days of the dirt road drew to a close, so too did the stagecoach era. In 1923 a transit company was organized and bus service initiated to and from Lancaster. While “many of the Amish residents of the area were eager to see the line started, they did not want to invest in stock of the Company. Instead they bought books of tickets which were really prepaid bus fares.” Enough money was raised to buy a Mack Auto Bus for $6,800. It held 25 passengers and even had solid rubber tires! Today Intercourse has been recognized as a “foodie” town by the PA Dutch Visitor’s Bureau. You'll soon discover why walking the streets of this tiny hamlet is an absolute mustvisit for everyone.
& Guest House Take home a “Quillow”, a pillow that unfolds to a quilt! ONLY $42.00 Makes a super gift!
Come Stay in the Country! Guest House Available on our Amish Farm!
Our Cookbook Now Available
Call For Info: (717) 656-8476
221 South Groffdale Rd. Leola, PA 17540 Proprietors: Chris & Katie Stoltzfus
Can accomodate up to 9 3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths & Full Kitchen
AmishNews.com • June 2015 • Amish Country News • 31
32 • Amish Country News • June 2015 • AmishNews.com
Amish Visit-in-Person Tour Garners Rave Reviews – But Why? By Brad Igou
S
o you come to Amish Country and you don’t really get to talk to any Amish personally. You see them in the field working, or the kids coming home from school. You stop at a roadside stand or furniture shop and exchange a few words. But meaningful, substantive conversation? That’s rare. And yet when we travel, we really do want to interact and get to know the people of that country or culture better. The Amish have always presented a special challenge.
many and, not surprisingly, they were overwhelmingly positive. In this first one, a visitor named David actually provided what appears to be an excellent summary of the tour content in his online review…. My wife and I took the VIP 3-hour tour, and really enjoyed every minute. My wife has been an avid reader of Amish life for many years and I surprised her with this tour for our anniversary. We first went to see the evening milking on an Amish farm. This was so enlightening and informative. Our Amish host was so pleasant and
ready to answer all our questions. We next went to a buggy shop, and were shown the various horse pulling buggies, their interiors, wheels, and how they are manufactured. Our last stop was to enjoy an hour within the home of an Amish family. We loved being able to interact with this family. They were friendly, cordial and patient with us, as some people asked very personal questions. As part of this trip, you are also given free tickets for a buggy ride, which we took advantage of the next day... Loved every bit of it. Continued on Page 37
We’ve known for some time that the Amish Experience’s VIP Tour was created to fill that void of personal contact for visitors by actually (1) visiting an Amish farm at milking time, (2) stopping and meeting an Amish man in his craft shop, and finally (3) having an intimate chat with an Amish family in their home. I imagine that it is because of these rare and special experiences that the VIP Tour has received two distinct honors. The first is its designation by the County of Lancaster as a “Heritage Tour.” To date, it remains the only tour in Amish Country so honored. Secondly, last year, based solely on the reviews of people who have actually experienced the evening tour, it was awarded Trip Advisor’s coveted Certificate of Excellence. So, like any good investigative reporter, I felt it would be interesting to check out different reviews I found online. Fortunately there were
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Looking for a taste of Pennsylvania Dutch County? Featuring over 300 varieties of pickled vegetables, salsas & sauces, fruit, jams & jellies, coffee, snack foods and more! Also, see what’s cooking in our canning kitchen; live demonstrations Wednesday thru Saturday from 11am - 3pm. April - December Store Hours Monday thru Saturday 9:30am - 5pm • Sunday 10am - 4pm
13 Center Street Intercourse, PA • 717-768-0156 • intercoursecanning.com
AmishNews.com • June 2015 • Amish Country News • 33
34 • Amish Country News • June 2015 • AmishNews.com
Blue Ridge Furniture – As Local As It Gets! By Caleb Bressler
I
t's no secret that visitors to Amish Country know they can find quality furniture during their shopping excursions here. Why? Well, because when people think of Amish Country-made furniture they think of wellbuilt, real wood furnishings that will last for generations. If this sounds like what you are looking for, Blue Ridge Furniture in nearby Narvon is your must-stop destination. As owner Sidney Burkholder says, “We have incredible furniture for incredible people.” The furniture is made in-house at a workshop only a few miles from the two-story showroom, so what you'll find here is as local as it gets. And, you can find pretty much anything at Blue Ridge, from dining room sets and bedroom furniture to old-fashioned office desks. Worry not…there is no particle board from China or anywhere else to be found, as every piece of home interior furniture is made of solid wood. Looking for the perfect dining room set? You’ll find what seems like an endless variety of tables and chairs to choose from... formal to casual. One particular set that caught my eye was a white dining room table and chairs, a perfect focal point to an airy dining room or kitchen. If you are in the market for bedroom furnishings, the very nice modern-style bedroom sets give a sleek, sophisticated look that I find appealing. Speaking of modern, Blue Ridge also builds some high-tech outdoor furniture made from recycled plastic water bottles and milk jugs, making your purchase both good for the earth and your patio!
The Good ’n Plenty Experience Stop in at Good ’n Plenty today to enjoy our traditional Lancaster County home cooking and you’ll see why we’ve been chosen as one of AAA’s Top 10 BEST “down-home dining” restaurants in North America. Staffed with local cooks who have devoted years to preparing outstanding food, Good ’n Plenty is like no other restaurant in the heart of the Pennsylvania Dutch area.
Three Delicious Ways To Dine Family Style Dining Our traditional all you can eat family style dining is our most popular dining option with all the food brought to the table by our experienced and friendly servers.
Menu Dining Our menu dining area is perfect for guests with a smaller appetite who would like to dine at individual tables. In addition to all the Pennsylvania Dutch favorites, our menu dining features fresh made soups, garden fresh salads and made to order sandwiches. Takeout Want all the
delicious food but no time to sit down? The Good ’n Plenty takeout program is ideal for people on the go.
Please visit goodnplenty.com for current serving hours and valuable coupons
Rt 896, Smoketown Lancaster County, PA 17576 (717) 394-7111
Stepping inside this showroom, it will be readily apparent that whatever your tastes, you will find something to your liking here. This is a place where both locals and visitors shop, with customers from as far away as Utah and Washington! Blue Ridge Furniture is located at 2014 Main Street, Narvon, PA 17555. The showroom is open Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm and 10am5pm on Saturday. Closed Sundays. For further information, call 717-445-6595 or visit online at www.BlueRidgeHeirlooms.com.
AmishNews.com • June 2015 • Amish Country News • 35
The legend of the naming of Bird-in-Hand dates to the time when the Old Philadelphia Pike was being laid out. By 1734, surveyors at McNabb’s Hotel were discussing whether they should stay at their present location or return to Lancaster to spend the night. One of them said, “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” The sign in front of the inn, which became known as the Bird-in-Hand Inn, is
To
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N. HARVEST DR.
Aaron & Jessica's Buggy Rides Amish Country Homestead Amish Country Tours Amish Experience Theater Amish View Inn & Suites Magic Lantern Shows Plain & Fancy Restaurant
Mt. Hope Wine Gallery
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Bird-in-Han
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known to have once "portrayed a man with a bird in his hand and a bush nearby, in which two birds were perched." Variations of this sign appear throughout the town today. McNabb’s Hotel was destroyed by fire in 1851. By the following year, a three-story hotel was built to replace it. More recently, it was Bitzer’s Hotel before becoming the present Village Inn of Bird-inHand, a beautiful bed and breakfast property. The Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster
36 • Amish Country News • June 2015 • AmishNews.com
MONTEREY RD WEAVERTOWN RD
CHURCH RD
Plain & Fancy Farm
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RD
HARVEST DRIVE Zook’s Homemade Chicken Pies
LEACOCK RD
340
RONKS RD
Bird-In-Hand Bake Shop
RONKS RD
GIBBONS RD
Bird-In-Hand Farmers Market Bird-In-Hand Family Inn & Restaurant
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f the many unique village names that dot the Amish Country map, one of the more interesting is Bird-in-Hand. William Penn, an English Quaker, had founded the colony of Penn’s Woods, and settlers began arriving from Europe in the early 1700’s, moving westward from Philadelphia. The trip by stagecoach, or Conestoga wagon with freight and merchandise, lasted several days. Inns were built every few miles, identified with signs held by an iron pole or attached to the side of the building. The reason for the signs was so that they could be understood by all nationalities. Further, since many teamsters or wagoneers were poorly educated they could not read. Given orders to stop at a certain inn, they were able to do so by recognizing the artwork on the signboard.
BEECHDALE RD
Welcome to the Village of Bird-in-Hand 340
To Gordonville Bookstore
County states that the existing brick building “may be one of the few 19th century inns in the context of a small town in Lancaster County, which survives with a high degree of architectural integrity.” It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. When referring to their bird in hand symbol, some residents say that the bird nestled in the human hand indicates friendship, comfort, and hospitality, all of which you’ll discover in this perfectly delightful little village of shops, farmers markets and eateries.
Amish Visit-in-Person Rave Reviews (Continued from Page 33) Some visitors not only praised the tour, but called it the highlight of their visit….
Unforgettable evening! Review by Dianne on 4/22/15 What a privilege to be so warmly welcomed into the lives of three Amish families for an evening! The V.I.P. tour is an unforgettable way to share a slice of life with real people living real lives within a culture we rarely get to experience first-hand. I would do it again in a heartbeat and I count it far and away the highlight of my Lancaster County adventure.
have visited many places on two previous trips and this one, but if you want to understand (and I hope you do) what it is like to live and work in an Amish Community, this is the place and the tour to take… Real people speaking freely about their lives. Not one sided but just like a real visit. Brilliant. We will remember this night for a long time. Thank you I’m sure that the folks at the Amish Experience, in spite of their long-standing relationship with many in the Amish community, nonetheless work hard to put this tour together every year and running it six days a week from April all the way through October. This tour is definitely not about re-creating another culture, visiting a replica Amish farm, or having people dress up
and impersonate characters. Most simply, it’s about people from very different backgrounds and cultures getting to know each other. The Amish VIP Tours operate Monday through Saturday. The tours depart at 5:00 pm from the Amish Experience Theater at Plain & Fancy Farm, Route 340, between Bird-in-Hand and Intercourse. Guests also receive a voucher for a free buggy ride for earlier that the day or the following day. Because seating is limited to just 14 passengers per tour, I suggest tickets be purchased in advance either at the Amish Experience Theater, by phone (717) 768-8400, Ext. 210, or most conveniently online at www.AmishExperience.com.
Highlight of Our Trip to Lancaster County! Review by Three Travelers on 8/27/14 We were so pleased and privileged to be able to speak with these families and get a glimpse of their daily lives. All the families were welcoming, very hospitable in their willingness to describe their work and family life to us and to answer our questions about them... and everyone was friendly and sincerely forthcoming. Absolutely outstanding - I would not hesitate to go on this tour again and take my guests for an unforgettable experience! The next reviewer looked at the tour from the perspective of an educational cross-cultural learning experience, what I think most of us seek when we travel…
VIP Amish Tour
Fun for Everyone!
Two Beautiful Golf Courses • Petting Zoo Fish and Duck Pond • Hand Dipped Ice Cream
717-768-GOLF
230 N. Ronks Road Bird-in-Hand, PA
(Located behind Bird-in-Hand Family Restaurant)
Visit Our Ice Cream Parlor!
Buy One Round of Mini-Golf
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Not valid with any other discounts or offers!
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Review by Curious Interculturalist on 8/24/14 The tour was conducted with loads of educational information and cultural sensitivity. Our guide provided the guests with great background and insights to ensure the in-person visits were enriching for both the guests and our Amish hosts… I sensed that their curiosity about us was also piqued by the nature of our questions and the interchange provided opportunities for laughter and learning. Very welldone and highly recommended for anyone who is interested in bridging cultures. And, finally, this review seemed to summarize the overall tour experience best in just a few words…
VIP Tour Review by Thor on 7/25/14 8:32 PM This is the best tour by far we have taken since we arrived in USA/Canada on 3rd July. We
AmishNews.com • June 2015 • Amish Country News • 37
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An (S) after the name denotes Open Sunday.
ATTRACTIONS *Aaron & Jessica's Buggy Rides (S)..................4, 5 *Amish Country Homestead (S).........................44 *Amish Country Tours (S)...................................... 28 *Amish Experience Theater (S)...........................44 Celtic Fling & Highland Games (S)..................... 32 Choo Choo Barn (S)............................................... 11 Dutch Apple Dinner Theater................................ 21 Dutch Haven (S)..........................................................3 Ghost Tours of Lancaster....................................... 12 Hershey’s Chocolate World (S)..............................6
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Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery................................. 26 Lil Country Store and Miniature Horse Farm.......................................... 13 Lititz Ambucs Crafts in the Park.............................8 National Toy Train Museum.................................. 11 Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire......................... 20 Rainbow's Comedy Playhouse...............................8 Strasburg Rail Road (S).......................................... 10 Turkey Hill Experience (S)........................................7 U.S. Hot Air Balloon Team.......................................7 Village Greens Mini Golf........................................ 10 *Water's Edge Mini Golf......................................... 37
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38 • Amish Country News • June 2015 • AmishNews.com
Mon-Sat 9a-7p
Aimee & Daria's Doll Outlet................................. 15 Bismoline.......................................................................9 Blue Ridge Furniture............................................... 22 Cackleberry Farm Antique Mall (S).................... 18 Country Home Furniture....................................... 25 Country Housewares Store.................................. 22 Country Knives.......................................................... 33 Country Lane Quilts................................................ 31 Dutchland Quilt Patch............................................ 16 Esh Handmade Quilts............................................ 33 Flower & Craft Warehouse.................................... 38 Gish's Furniture & Amish Heirlooms ................ 20 Gordonville Bookstore........................................... 31 Intercourse Canning Company........................... 33 J & B Quilts and Crafts............................................ 11 *Jake's Country Trading Post (S)......................... 17 *Killer Hats (S).......................................................... 16 *Not Just Baskets (S).............................................. 18 Old Candle Barn....................................................... 31 Renninger's Antique Market (S)............................9 Riehl's Quilts & Crafts............................................. 34 Sam's Man Cave..........................................................7 Shupp's Grove (S).......................................................9 Smucker's Quilts....................................................... 23 Unclaimed Freight (S)............................................42 Witmer Quilt Shop...................................................45 Zook's Homemade Chicken Pies....................... 31
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June 2015 COVER STORY Aaron & Jessica’s Buggy Rides...................... 4,5
FEATURE ARTICLES Amish VIP (Visit-in-Person) Tour...................... 33 Bird-in-Hand Restaurant & Stage...................... 9 Blue Ridge Furniture........................................ 35 Dutch Haven Shoofly Pie Bakery...................... 19 Family-Owned Businesses.................................. 6 Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery............................ 13 Lititz Ambucs Craft Show................................ 15 Magic Lantern Shows....................................... 27 Photo Contest Winners.................................... 15 September Farm Cheese................................... 11 Union Barrel Works......................................... 21 Zook’s Homemade Chicken Pies....................... 14
REGULAR FEATURES Brad Igou’s Amish Series................................. 24 Dutch Haven Lancaster Landmark...................... 3 Events Sampler................................................. 8 Publisher’s Message........................................ 39
AREA MAP & GUIDES Advertiser Index.............................................. 38 Amish Country Map.................................... 40-41 Bird-in-Hand.............................................. 36-37 Intercourse................................................. 28-35 Lititz.......................................................... 26-27 New Holland/Blue Ball .............................. 22-25 Paradise ................................................... 16-21 Strasburg ................................................. 10-15
Publisher's Message
W
hen your vocation is providing services for visitors to Amish Country, you come in contact with all kinds of people from all over the world. While the majority are obviously from North America, it is not unusual to have visitors from Australia and Russia, China and France, Brazil and India, and so on. Bus tours regularly arrive with students from as far away as Japan and South Africa. Many times, visitors speak only a little English, yet they are drawn away from the big cities of New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. to spend time in this quiet, rural area of Pennsylvania, awaiting their first sighting of a horse and buggy. Whether they are brought here because of movies like WITNESS, the stories in Amish romance novels, TV shows like AMISH MAFIA (I hope not), or periodic news features concerning the Amish, the fact remains that the oldest Amish community in the world is indeed known all over the world.
THE WORLD Comes to Amish Country by Brad Igou
AmishNews.com
Published by Dutchland Tours Inc.
clinton@amishnews.com Kirk Simpson • Graphic Designer
For Advertising Information Contact Clinton Martin (717) 768-8400 Ext. 217. 450,000 copies distributed annually by subscription, and at over 300 motels, information centers and businesses in PA Dutch Country. Copyright ©2015. All contents of this magazine are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without prior approval of the publisher.
Both families were very interested in how the Amish could live as they do in our modern society. Both could also relate to the Amish experience of persecution and separateness from the rest of the world. They understood the feelings of standing out because you dressed differently. For the Amish and the Palestinians, modesty is important, as is a common way of dress. The families understood as well the challenges of a “different” lifestyle or religion. Of particular interest for them were the aspects of peace, love, and non-resistance so important to the Amish, past and present. They also were quick to notice that the Amish economically are more self-sufficient and less dependent on the government.
Jay summarized his experience for me with these words…
(717) 768-8400, Ext. 218
Clinton Martin • Director: Sales & Marketing
Jay’s most memorable Amish Farmlands tour involved two families. You never know what mix of people you will meet when you step onto the 14-passenger shuttle conducting a 90-minute driving tour through the countryside. On this particular day, when Jay asked where the two families on his tour were from, he was surprised to learn that one family of five was from Israel and the other family of four was from Palestine. So here were families of two religious backgrounds (Jewish and Muslim) from a region of the world in constant turmoil, thrown together in the same vehicle with a Christian tour guide to learn about the religious group called the Amish!
As the tour progressed, Jay realized everyone on the shuttle had one thing in common in their beliefs --- the early part of the Old Testament. The Palestinian man even noted that in Islam Jesus is recognized as a prophet.
PO Box 414 • Bird-in-Hand • PA 17505
Brad Igou • Editor-in-Chief brad@amishnews.com
see the Amish, but also to learn from a culture with a different way of life, and a different pace of living.
Jay Wenger, Tour Guide Amish Country Tours Jay Wenger is a tour guide at the Amish Experience at Plain & Fancy Farm. I recently spent some time talking with him about his experiences as a guide. On one of his Amish house and One Room School tours, he had visitors representing every continent except Antarctica! Jay feels that the world comes not only to
“Both families wanted to learn about the Amish, and how they live peacefully with their non-Amish neighbors without difficulty. We can live differently as we come to learn that most prejudices and lack of understanding are based on ignorance. The more we learn about other cultures, the more accepting we may become. Perhaps there is a lesson here the rest of the world can learn from. ” Jay concluded by confessing to me that he began the tour with more than a little trepidation, but in the end it turned out to be his best tour yet. I’m guessing the visitors felt the same way.
AmishNews.com • June 2015 • Amish Country News • 39
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Immerse Yourself in the Amish Story WITNESS the spectacular “Jacob’s Choice” told with Disney-like Special Effects in the Amish Experience Theater.
EXPLORE the Amish Country Homestead, the region’s only Officially Designated Heritage Site Amish home.
TOUR the magnificent and rarely seen Amish Farmlands with a certified tour guide in complete comfort onboard one of our 14 passenger mini-shuttles.
SATISFY yourself that you’re making the most from your Amish Experience...
• Since 1959, the area’s first, and still foremost, interpretative source of Amish Culture.
Open Daily 7 Days a Week
SIT in a desk at the new Fisher Amish schoolroom furnished authentically with desks and more from an actual Amish classroom.
RECEIVE a free Amish cookbook autographed by the author herself when you take our Farmland Tour.
Designated a Heritage Site by the Lancaster County Planning Commission
SAVE with our Super Saver package which includes “Jacob’s Choice”, the Amish Country Homestead and a 90 minute Amish farmlands Tour.
FREE BUGGY RIDE Receive a voucher for a free “Cookie Run Buggy Ride” just a few steps away at Aaron & Jessica’s Buggy Rides with the purchase, at the Amish Experience Theater Box Office, of a regularly priced Supersaver, Theater/House Combo, or Amish Visit-in-Person Tour. BUGAN
RT 340 Between Bird-in-Hand & Intercourse at Plain & Fancy Farm
For GPS: 3121 Old Philadelphia Pike • Ronks, PA
717.768.8400 Ext. 210
AmishExperience.com