The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1936-09-24
HISTORY OF THE AMISH
PEOPLE IN AMERICA AS
SEEN BY A WRITER IN
A NATIONAL PAPER

acquainted with the AmlSh commune
ties of the United States, who fur
nish many sturdy, law-abiding farm
ers for the nation, whose dress sets
them somewhat apart from the aver
age citizen of the country.
In Garrett county there are sew
eral communities made up largely by
these peace-loving, God-fearing men
and women whose only ambition in
life seems to be quietude away from
the hurly-burly activities of people
who live in towns, hence they are al
most entirely engaged in agricultural
pursuits.
Zelma Large Houser writes interest
ingly in the current issue of the Ma
tional Republic of these people follow
ing visit to the Amish community
at Arthur, Illinois, and she thinks
that some of the guiding principles of
our Amish citizens could be studied
and followed with profit by Ameri-
cans who are not Of the same faith.
Of the history of the Amish move
ment, she says in part:
"The Amish are survival of those
early communities that had the fixed
idea of subordinating the well-being
of the individual to the public good.
Religion was the incentive, and, too,
economic exigencies. They wanted to
worship as their consciences dictated,
and they wanted to band together to
keep from starving.
Memo Simon of Friesland, was the
organizer of the Mennonites, of which
the Amish were a subdivision. Simon
lived during the Sixteenth Century,
about the time of Luther, when relig-
ious change was in the air. He was
sincere, although visionary, and he
encouraged his followers to worship
in the open fields, to hold Christ as
their ideal and the Bible as their
guide.
"When Philip II began to prosecute
these people they wandered forlornly
to Germany, and later to Switzerland.
After 1890, Jacob Ammon led a COM
pany of them and they called them
selves Upland Mennonites or Hookers
(wearers of hooks and eyes). Later
they took the name of Amish Men
nonites. Ammon was quite straigh-
laced, teaching his disciples to do
without luxuries of all kinds. All of the
Mennonites objected to oath, to mill
tary duty, to infant baptism, to shaw
ing, to hair-brading, and to jewelry
and snowy colors.
"The Amish came to America at
about the time when the Quakers ar
rived, and both sects influenced the
lives of the early settlers. They min
istered to the poor and humble, set
ting examples of the deepest piety
and morality.
"The Amish had the true pioneer
spirit. When they began to realize
the limitations of the eastern section
of the continent, they emigrated from
Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, max
ing their toilsome journey to Iowa,
Illinois and Indiana. Some of them
went to Chicago and others to Keokuk.
When one little crowd of these Amish
settled at Muscatine, Iowa, the ma
tives objected violently, although
they could say nothing against the
emigrants except that they did not
like the broad hats and the austere
dress of the newcomers.
CLOSELY allied to the Amish are the
members of the Amana Society, al
though the latter are communistic,
while the Amish are a closely-knit
community. The Amana settlement is
rs miles west of Davenport-still hold
ing to the old-fashioned ideas. There
are seven towns of this organization,
and there is much wealth among the
members. The name, Amana, came
from the Songs of Solomon, fourth
chapter, Come with me from Lebanon,
my spouse. Look from the top of
Amana'
"The Amish Mennonites started
coming to the section of Illinois around
Arthur about 1852. Wessle Blaase was
the forerunner of the estimable col
ony which still thrives there. Ten years
later 25 families followed, all from
Pennsylvania. They were extremely
poor, but not paupers, and they were
always independent and industrious.
They spoke Pennsylvania Dutch, and
still use that language when talking
with their own people"