by Chrissy Meyer
Communications Intern
Iowa State University Extension to Communities
Driving south from Iowa City to Kalona along Highway 1, travelers often encounter a sight not seen regularly in todayÕs fast-paced world. Horse-drawn buggies running along the shoulder of the road do not signify that the traveler has entered a time warp, but instead indicate he or she has entered IowaÕs largest settlement of Old Order Amish.
A closer look at the passing farmsteads will reveal the absence of power and phone lines, another subtle clue that something different--something special--is happening. When the Amish began settling in Kalona in 1846, they numbered few, but today, nearly 7,000 Amish and Mennonites make the Kalona countryside home. And while in the past, clashes between Amish and the outside world over education and other issues have created tension in other areas, in Kalona, the two groups exist inter-dependently.
Dorothy Schweider, Iowa State University history professor and co-author of a book about the Old Order Amish in Iowa, said the attitude of local citizens towards the Amish depends a lot on the presence of Mennonite churches. She said in areas with few or no Mennonites, the attitude of residents was tolerance instead of acceptance. These areas were more non-welcoming in comparison to areas such as Kalona and Bloomfield where there is a large Mennonite presence. "They are very accepting and protective of their Amish," she said.
There are many areas all over the state that have been home to generations of Amish families. They live quietly; preferring old methods and equipment to the technological whirring of today's modern world. Most Amish are farmers, as that is considered to be the only honorable occupation, and many were not exempt from the agricultural disaster of the 1980s farm crisis. Some of those who suffered broke the cultural barriers and sought supplemental incomes outside the Amish township.
In Kalona several Amish businesses have sprung up over the years. Washington County ISU Extension Education Director Nancy Schmidt said current Amish businesses include a fabric store, a bulk grocery store and a bed and breakfast. In addition, she said several Amish families work with the Chamber of Commerce to cook and serve Amish meals to groups visiting the Kalona community.
These businesses add color to the retail scene in Kalona and make it difficult to imagine life without them or their Amish proprietors.
Schmidt said, however, that the most profound economic role of the Amish in the Kalona area comes not from retail stores and service businesses, but from agriculture. Though they come into town to do trading at the stores, the Amish are very self-sufficient and only need a few retail items. But businesses that sell feed and seed do well with the Amish.
Schmidt added that there are some businesses that have been set up to help the Amish with needs impossible to fill elsewhere. A blacksmith and welding business in town caters to the needs of Amish horse owners who need their horses shod or wagon wheels mended.
Another Amish settlement in southeast Iowa near Bloomfield, in existence since the mid-1960s has also added something unique to the community. Roger Musselman, Davis County Iowa State University Extension Education Director, has been in Davis County for nearly 30 years and in that time has had the opportunity to work closely with the Amish several times.
"They provide a good perspective of a slowed down lifestyle," he said, but added the Amish provide more to the community than a relaxing atmosphere. Musselman listed several businesses owned and operated by the Amish, such as buggy shops; a horse collar manufacturer which, makes 35 percent of the horse collars manufactured in the U.S.; and saw mills. In fact, Musselman credits the Amish businesses for some of the Bloomfield area's success in the tourism industry.
According to Bloomfield Tourism Corporation President Ed Hutchcroft, about 10-12,000 visitors come through the Bloomfield area each year from every state in the nation and from about 8 to 10 foreign countries. The tourism center publishes a brochure which includes a map of Amish businesses and sponsors bus tours of Amish farmsteads. Hutchcroft said the Amish are not the primary tourist attraction in Bloomfield, but said visitors are often curious about a lifestyle so peculiar to them.
Although not many can deny that the Amish add a particular quality of life to Bloomfield, they are also the target for some unwelcoming attitudes. Musselman said some residents of Davis County feel frustration with the Amish because they do not pay gasoline taxes which fund road repairs, but use the roads and contribute to their wear as much as anyone else in the county. However, Musselman said in general the Amish are well accepted.
"People have a natural fear of the unknown. As they become acquainted with the Amish, people have less concerns," he said. In fact, Musselman said some residents take part in the Amish worship services and hymn sings.
In both communities, the Amish add something special to the town that cannot be found elsewhere in Iowa. Schmidt said they bring their lifestyle to the communities. A lifestyle that focuses on the simple things in life. Visitors to both Kalona and Bloomfield will notice a slower paced lifestyle encouraged by the slow-moving wagon traffic and full hitching posts. ItÕs a quality of life from days gone by brought to life and treasured by residents like Musselman.
"During the summer, I can open my window and hear the clop-clop of horses. I think that's a quality of life not everyone can enjoy," he said.
Contacts:
Terry L. Besser, ISU
Extension Sociology, (515) 294-6508
Del Marks, ISU Extension
Communication Systems, (515) 294-9807
