Amish, Mennonite, and Pennsylvania Dutch

Amos the giant Amish statue currently greets Amish Country visitors at the Hershey Farm Restaurant & Inn, in Strasburg, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, but he used to stand guard at Zinn's Diner in Adamstown. Zinn's used to serve--IMHO--the best shoofly pie in Lancaster County before it sadly closed in 2003. Luckily, Amos was donated to the Heritage Center museum (which in 2012 also unfortunately closed) in the city of Lancaster. The Heritage Center arranged for Amos's restoration and loaned it to Hershey Farm, where it will hopefully continue to reside for many years to come.

A fake Holland Dutch windmill on a building full of Pennsylvania Dutch souvenirs in the heart of Amish County, along the Lincoln Highway (Route 30), Ronks, Pa.

The Distelfink Drive-In restaurant near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, is closed and for sale, and its lovely neon sign is sadly in need of repair. When I passed by the place this summer, I took a took a few photos of the sign (see below for another view showing the other side of the Distelfink Drive-In Sign ). Afterwards, I discovered a recent newspaper article that doesn't hold out much hope for the future of the drive-in (see Lillian Reed, " Fate of Gettysburg's Distelfink Drive-In in Question Once Again ," in the Hanover, Pa., Evening Sun , June 4, 2013). Check out the Google Maps Street View of the drive-in, too.

The lovely neon sign at the now-closed Distelfink Drive-In restaurant near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, is sadly in need of repair (see below for another view showing the other side of the Darkened Distelfink Drive-In Sign ). An article about the drive-in (see Lillian Reed, " Fate of Gettysburg's Distelfink Drive-In in Question Once Again ," in the Hanover, Pa., Evening Sun , June 4, 2013) revealed that the original owner of the restaurant, Cecil Sandoe, still lives in the brick house that's visible across the intersection. Sandoe operates a business that rents out storage units (visible to the left of the house) and is saddened by the decline of the drive-in over the years. "We wish we had moved because we have to see that it's not getting taken care of," he said, according to the article. “I do have regrets about selling it, but, at the time, my children were too young to take it over." Check out the Google Maps Street View of the drive-in, too.

"Ach! ________ ve hurd yer talkin' schpielen vay ofer he-yah in Dutch country, yet! Signal received ________, 19____ at ________. Genuine hex sign." Translation of the fake Pennsylvania German : "Oh! ________ we heard your talking [while it was] playing [on the radio] way over here in the [Pennsylvania] Dutch country , yet!" This QSL card is a postcard that was intended for use in acknowledging communications between amateur Citizens Band (CB) or shortwave radio operators. The cartoonish Amishman is pointing to the location of Lancaster County within the outline of the state of Pennsylvania . Ironically, Amish do not add hex signs or any other decorations to their barns. I'm not certain of the origin of this QSL card. Perhaps it was sold at tourist attractions in Lancaster County when CB radio was popular in the 1970s, or maybe it was printed for a meeting of radio enthusiasts that took place in the county.

"Visit Dutch Wonderland, Lancaster, Pa. New . . . ride the fantastic overhead monorail. For youngsters of all ages from one to ninety-one. 34 acres of enchanted adventure for every member of the family." Cover of a brochure advertising Dutch Wonderland , an amusement park located along the Lincoln Highway (U.S. Route 30) in the "Amish Country" tourist area of eastern Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Dutch Wonderland (the name refers to " Pennsylvania Dutch " rather than Holland Dutch) opened in 1963 and observed its fiftieth year of operation in 2013. See also Amish Folks at Dutch Wonderland, Lancaster. Pa.

The cover of this small die-cut cookbook, Old Pennsylvania Recipes , by Mrs. T. Roberts Appel and Mrs. Calvin N. Wenrich, published in 1933, shows an Amish girl standing in front of a gate.

A ticket for the Pennsilfaanisch Deitsch Fersommling (Pennsylvania Dutch gathering) held at Haag's Hotel in Shartlesville, Berks County, Pa., on May 4, 1990, by the Grundsow Lodsch Nummer 12 on da Dulpehocka Pawd (Groundhog Lodge No. 12 on the Tulpehocken Path). As Wikipedia indicates, "A Fersommling (plural, Fersommlinge) (also spelled Versammling or Fersammling) is a Pennsylvania Dutch social event in which food is served, speeches are made, and one or more g'spiel (plays or skits) are performed for entertainment." Check out the wonderfully amusing photo of King Groundhog arriving at the Fersommling held on February 2, 1968, by Grundsow Lodge Nummer Ains on da Lechaw (Groundhog Lodge Number One on the Lehigh). Folklorist Don Yoder points out in his book Groundhog Day (Mechanicsburg, Pa.: Stackpole Books, 2003), p. xii, that the groundhog is "a vital if tongue-in-cheek symbol of the Pennsylvania Dutch. This identity is celebrated in the all-dialect Grundsow Lodges (Groundhog Lodges) of Southeastern Pennsylvania, where every February hundreds of Dutchmen meet to spend the evening feasting and frolicking, with pledges of allegiance, the sacred Groundhog Oath, and lots of harmless revelry--all in Pennsylvania Dutch." Although some Groundhog Lodges do hold Fersommlinge on Groundhog Day or later in February, other gatherings--like this one on May 4, 1990--are scheduled at different times. -------- (Not yet translated from the Pennsylvania Dutch.) Grundsow Lodge No. 12 on da Dulpehocka Pawd Des baweiss'd das da ________ fon ________ 'n fol shtandich lead iss fon da Grundsow Lodsch No. 12 on da Dulpehockae Pawd, und fershprocha hut die yarlich 1990 Fersommling ei tzunemma om 7:13 ovets, da 4't Moi onn, Haaga Watshaus, Shartlesville, Pa. Harvey A. Hill, Jr., Hauptmann William H. Keener, Shreiver Sei so gute und halt ken sitzplatz zurick. Please do not reserve any seats. Seating is available as members arrive. No. 0255 -------- Dierra Tzettle Des beweiss'd das da ________ fon ________. Mir Zwelf Daller Batzawled hut fer ein Glead tzu, werra bleiva fon da Grundsow Lodsch No. 12 on da Dulpehocka Pawd. Fohr g'shloga fom Glead Tox $12.00 RAWD No. 0255

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of photos with the subject's name written on it . "Rodney Miller. Die Wunnernaas. 'Shreib Alsemol.'" This is a snapshot signed by Rodney Miller, a young accordion player, and "Die Wunnernaas" ( Pennsylvania Dutch for "the busybody" or "the inquisitive one"), whose real name was G. Gilbert Snyder (1897-1956). Snyder was an educator in Berks County, Pennsylvania, and he also hosted a popular Pennsylvania Dutch radio show in the 1940s and 1950s. He wrote "Shreib Alsemol" on the photo, which means "write sometimes." It's possible that Die Wunnernaas and Rodney Miller signed the photo at a public appearance or performance.

A farm photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. When I first noticed this real photo postcard in a dealer's booth at an antique mall in York County, Pennsylvania, it was obvious that the photo wasn't in very good shape (and it did require a bit of touch-up to make it presentable for posting here), but I found the farm scene to be quite interesting. The sturdy stone house, windmill, large barn, and well-maintained outbuildings, along with the two dozen Holstein cows grazing in the pasture, make it evident that a prosperous farmer and his family lived here. The forebay--the overhang that extends from the front of the barn--and the corresponding banked entrance to the second level on the other side (it's not visible in the photo) identify this as a type of bank barn known as a Pennsylvania barn due to its popularity in the state during the nineteenth century. Taking a closer look at the scene, I realized that a man--the farmer, perhaps?--and two boys and a girl--his children?--were also out standing in their field (the man is standing in front of the cows just right of center, the two boys are on the left, and the white dress of the girl is visible near the building on the right). Later, when I viewed the photo under magnification, I discovered that the little white and brown dots located between the cows are actually chickens. As I debated whether to purchase the photo--its condition wasn't the best, and the price was a little more than I wanted to pay--I looked for any information on the postcard that might help identify the farm's location or maybe even the family. Unfortunately, there was nothing written on the back nor was the postcard sent through the mail, so there wasn't any postmark. But then I saw the dealer's tag, which said "Cowson Farm." That clinched it! With some research and a little luck, I might be able to determine where the Cowsons lived (probably somewhere in Pennsylvania and maybe even in York County). If I could identify the farm, then perhaps I could even take a photo of its current condition to compare with this earlier one. I took the real photo postcard to the main counter at the antique mall in order to pay for it. Since the cashier was removing the dealer's tag from the postcard, I wanted to be certain that I had noted the name of the farm correctly, and I asked to see the tag before she put it away. The cashier took a glance at the tag and then told me, "Well, the only thing it says is 'Cows on Farm.'" Doggonit! Even though I misread the tag and won't be tracking down any information on the Cowson family, I still have a decent photo of cows--and they're on a farm! 8-)

This woman posed with Amish husband-and-wife figures at Dutch Wonderland , an amusement park located in the "Amish Country" tourist area in eastern Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. For additional vintage photos of this amusement park, see the View-Master World blog, which features a Dutch Wonderland (A634) set of View-Master images (scroll down to "Scene 09, Dutch Farm House" to see this same Amish couple from a different angle). See also Visit Dutch Wonderland, Lancaster, Pa.

For information about this photo, see An Amishman and His Buggy at Zimmerman's Store, Intercourse, Pa. :

A taken unawares photo (shots of people who clearly have no idea they're being snapped) for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. A photo of the W. L. Zimmerman and Sons grocery store in Intercourse , Pennsylvania, shows an Amishman with his horse and buggy (mouse over the image above for an enlargement that makes it easier to see the man in his dark clothes). Since the Amish religion prohibits photography, it's likely that the man in this photo was either unaware that he was being photographed or else he did spot the photographer and turned his back to the camera. As scholar Donald B. Kraybill explained in a Top Ten FAQ about the Amish for the PBS Web site, "Amish churches forbid individuals to pose for face-on photos for two reasons. First, they cite the second of the Bible's Ten Commandments: 'Thou shalt not make… any graven image, or any likeness of any thing….' (Exodous 20:14). Second, in a communal society that values humility, posing for photos is a sign of pride that calls attention to oneself and rubs against Amish beliefs about the importance of deferring and yielding to others." It's ironic, then, that this grocery store appeared in the 1985 film Witness when actor Harrison Ford, who played the part of an undercover detective dressed in Amish garb, made a call from a telephone booth located on the porch of the store. That was a later phone booth, since the booth visible in this photo is the small but elaborate building situated between the buggy and the Gulf gas pumps (it has a "Zimmerman's Store" sign on one side and a very faint "Enterprise Telephone Co." sign painted above its front door). Unfortunately, Zimmerman's grocery store (the sign partially visible beyond the phone booth probably refers to "[Lanco] Service Stores," a local affiliation of independent grocers) went out of business in 2014. The store's role in Witness was described in " Lancaster County Grocery Store Featured in Harrison Ford Movie Closes Its Doors ," an article by Tim Stuhldreher that appeared on LancasterOnline, April 3, 2014. Check out Google's street view of this same scene, which dates to 2011 when the store was still open.

A cigar box label featuring an artist's conception of what Conrad Weiser might have looked like. According to Wikipedia, Conrad Weiser (1696-1760) was a Pennsylvania German "pioneer, interpreter, and effective diplomat between the Pennsylvania Colony and Native Americans. He was a farmer, soldier, monk, tanner, and judge. He contributed as an emissary in councils between Native Americans and the colonies, especially Pennsylvania, during the 18th century's tensions of the French and Indian War (Seven Years' War)."

A printed birth and baptismal certificate for John Elmer Miller (1868-1934), who's final resting place is the United Church of Christ and Lutheran Cemetery, Madisonburg, Centre County, Pa. Mouse over the image above to see enlargements of the brightly colored top portion and middle portion of the certificate. For a German-language version of this certificate, which was also printed by Theo. F. Scheffer, Harrisburg, Pa., see Geburts und Tauf-schein , which is part of the Pennsylvania German Broadsides and Fraktur collection at the Penn State University Libraries. Record of Birth & Baptism: To These Two Parents: As Benjamin F. Miller and his wife Catherine, a daughter of J. Schmeltzer, was born a child on the 27th day of July in the year of our Lord 1868. This child was born in Miles Township in Centre county, in the state of Penn'a. in North America; was baptized by the Rev'd Wm. G. Engle and on Oct. 4th 1868 and received the name of John Elmer. Witnesses: His parents. (H.E.W. 1874). Printed and for sale by Theo. F. Scheffer--Harrisburg, Penn'a.

Detail from John Elmer Miller's Birth and Baptismal Certificate, Centre County, Pa., 1874 :

Detail from John Elmer Miller's Birth and Baptismal Certificate, Centre County, Pa., 1874 :

This real photo postcard shows Amish and non-Amish men on a farm (notice the silos on the left). Although there's no identifying information on the card, it's likely that this photo was taken sometime in the 1940s or 1950s at an auction or sale in Big Valley (also known as Kishacoquillas Valley ), which is located in Mifflin County , Pennsylvania.