Amish Shoe Store: I stumbled upon this little Amish "shoe store" while in Adams County, Indiana recently.
The store is open six days a week and serves a mainly Amish clientele. So as long as you don't mind your sneakers or boots in the color black, you're in good shape. Business has been steadily growing.
"We've had to set a closing time of 5 p.m on Saturdays," one of the owners, Ben Girod, explained. "People were just lingering well into the evening"
Girod, by the way, is a name found in the Amish church, but not a lot. The Berne are is populated heavily by Amish with last names of Schwartz, Graber, and Hilty, with Girods being less common.
The store is usually open into the evenings during the weekdays as well since most of the Amish men who shop there are at jobs during the day.
Ben Girod, who is confined to a wheelchair, doesn't let his disabilities keep him down. He also makes and sells leather wallets. The beauty pictured here is one I got from him for $15. A pretty good deal because I'm sure it will last a lifetime. He sits at a table and meticulously hand-sews each one.
Carol Mickley
I have loved you newspaper articles for many years. Then you began your blog. Find I very interesting. I grew up in Plain City, ohio and Amish children were in my public school. I thought nothing of it. Now the Amish are mostly out west. You have mentioned correctly about those who are left. I went to their Summer Bible School. My father owned a grain elevator and they were customers. For Christmas we were given all kinds of candy! We sang the same songs I knew and leárned the same Bible stories at their Bible School.
Before 1820 my ancestor came to Ohio and bought the land the Amish later owned. 1820 was the first Ohio census. That ancestor had so many children that when the parents died each child got a share. The family story is that there were a thousand acres of Ohios best farming land after the land was drained. So when those children sold out the Amish came.
My Ancesters name, Kilbury is on those roads, each in a different manner. The ancestor, john Kilbury in VT was in the Rev. War and I suspect other things seeing that he owned three sawmills and was a cooper and blacksmith. I have copies of the deeds and sales! I cannot document a lot in Madison County as they are not doing anything to help my search. I do have the copies of documents to verify the basis of the story. Relatives have done genealogies for the Plain City library. We seem to realize that all the Kilburys in the United States are related to our John Kilbury. . I believe like you about things that are not authentic Amish. Todays post are the very best. I know of a professor at OSU who agrees with us.
Marie
We go to Adams County now and then - mostly to Miller's, but also to a craft/pumpkin type fair every October on Tater Ridge Road. Would the shoe store you wrote about be in that area? That wallet is beautiful. Too bad I just got my husband one for Christmas from Kohl's. 🙁
Kevin
Marie, Oops, I meant Adams County, Indiana...But I love Adams County, always wanted to go to that festival on Tater Ridge