Amish

Just northwest of Chetopa is a thriving Amish community. Feel free to explore the community from the comfort of your car, but please be mindful of the following points of common courtesy:

• Please pass the Amish slowly to avoid suffocating them in a cloud of dust;
• Wave, smile, say "hello," but please do not honk -- it can startle the horses;
• Most families will welcome a visit related to their trade, but typically conduct social visits only among themselves.

Most of the Amish families operate businesses from their home. Please feel to call any of them to inquire about their trade, but keep in mind that their phones are sometimes 100' or more from their home, so you most likely will need to leave a voice mail. A map of the community as well as a legend is below. Click on the map for a larger image. The east side of the community begins on Victory Road, which is 2 miles west of Chetopa on Hwy 166.

Interesting Facts

• Our local Amish community allows each family to have a telephone, for use primarily in conducting business related to their trade. However, the telephones must be housed in a separate structure, away from the house. If you see a structure which looks like an outhouse, it's probably a telephone booth (they have restrooms in their houses).
• In this community a family is allowed to own one piece of mobile machinery. Most purchase a skid-steer loader (e.g., Bobcat), which allows them to use a wide variety of attachments, multiplying the utility of the single piece of equipment.
• Local Amish families do not use electricity, although they can use batteries and battery-powered tools. They heat their homes with wood and use propane for hot water and refrigeration.
• In addition to their published trades, all Amish families are practiced at animal husbandry, carpentry and some aspects of farming. All own horses; some raise chickens for eggs; some have dairy cows; some manage dairies; some raise cattle; all have gardens.
• They don't drive cars, although they can ride in one. Their primary means of transportation is horseback or horse and buggy.
• They have their own schools. This community now has two schools and the children get to school via horse & buggy.
• Amish are bilingual. The language spoken in the home is Pennsylvania Dutch. Amish children learn this language first, followed by English. English is spoken in the schools.