TALK OF THE TOWN Visitors Can Find Plenty to Explore in Rentown Writer & Photographer / Angela Cornell
There are many Amish settlements in Northern Indiana, including Shipshewana, Bremen, Goshen, Nappanee, and Rochester. In many respects they’re similar, but each one is a unique community. Take Rentown, for instance. This small community, halfway between Bremen and Nappanee, doesn’t even have its own zip code. What it lacks in size, however, it makes up for in good old-fashioned flavor.
joking in Pennsylvania Dutch about their habit of rum renna, which, in English, means “gadding about.” Playing off the word renna, Manas said, “We better be careful or they’re going to call this Rentown.”
Joking aside, the name stuck. In 1966 the Rentown Country Store opened, and it has been in the family ever since. As one of the largest Amish groceries in the area, the store carries a wide variety of products, from groceries, pantry items, cookware and kitchenware to specialty items like games and toys for younger The heart of Rentown centers around the country store. The shoppers. They are especially well known for their meats, community’s name is closely tied to the owner’s grandfather, cheeses, and bulk foods like spices, flours and candies. On top of Dan Hochstetler, who lived in what is now Rentown. In the early all that, there is also an in-store bakery. The Rentown Country 1950s Hochstetler and a friend of his, Manas Hochstetler, were Store is located at 1530 3rd Road in Bremen. They can be reached at 574-546-9010.
44 / THE LAKES MAGAZINE / NOVEMBER 2020 / thelakesmagazine.com
