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    Home » Everything Amish » Plain Culture

    Grabill, Indiana Amish

    Published: Apr 1, 2016 · Updated: Apr 1, 2016 by Kevin Williams | 8 Comments

    Grabill Amish

    A buggy parked outside Grabill Hardware and old-time hardware store.

    By Kevin Williams

    Well, my modest goal of hitting two new Amish settlements (new to me) has been accomplished this year and its only April, so I have hopes for more.  I visited Degraff, Ohio in February and on Thursday I spent time in Grabill, Indiana.  And, wow, I've been missing out!  As someone who studies Amish culture, Grabill is a fascinating stew of various Plain groups.  There are Mennonites, charity churches and a huge contingent of Amish.

    OVERVIEW
    Size: 22 church districts

    Buggies:  Black and generally open

    Language: Mixture of Swiss and Low and High German

    Common Last Names: Lengacher, Steury and Schwartz

    The Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia put this settlement's population at 2735 in 2011 but I think it is safe to say that they'd be well over 3300 by now.....

    Visitors:  You know,unless I am missed something, there's not a ton in Grabill to do for visitors.  That doesn't mean it's not worth going to Grabill.  After all, the Amish don't exist to be tourist attractions, they are a real people living in a real community and this is a very vibrant unique settlement.   But I think many Amish men work in construction, contracting or carpentry in this area instead of running home-based businesses or farming.  That's not to say there aren't any Amish businesses for visitors to sample, I'll talk more about those in the coming days.  But there just aren't a ton considering the large population.  For example, in tiny Hardin County, Ohio's Amish settlement there are dozens and dozens of home-based businesses from toy shops to bakeries and you just don't see that in Allen County.  There are plenty of homes offering fresh eggs (I came away with way too many).

    Probably the "don't miss" place in Grabill is Grabill Country Sales, a huge bulk food store and buffet.  The business is Amish-owned and the buffet and deli is amazing.  The business is owned by Elmer Lengacher.  He is an entrepreneurial Amishman in the area who even owns the local Save-A-Lot grocery store!  Grabill Country Sales even has a website.   The Grabill settlement is the only one where you'll run into the surname Lengacher in such large numbers.

    The Amish here are definitely more permissive when it comes to allowing technology into their business lives.

    I experienced a lot in Grabill during my short time there. Next week we'll explore Grabill more in depth!

    « Bob Andy Pie
    Easy 4-Ingredient Homemade Noodles »

    About Kevin Williams

    Hi, my name is Kevin Williams and I am owner of Oasis Newsfeatures and editor of The Amish Cook newspaper column.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Barbara Green

      April 01, 2016 at 5:43 pm

      Love reading Amish 365. I have been several times to Lancaster,Pa. In June my sister's and I are going to the Berlin, Charm area in Ohio and then to Shipshewanna, In. Have you been to these areas? If so do you have suggestions of things to see and do. Love reading Amish books and learning about the Amish.

      Reply
      • Kevin

        April 01, 2016 at 6:14 pm

        Barbara, I could write a book about your question (actually, I have...it is called "The Williams Guide to Amish Country"!)...I'll try to get back to you in the next few days, though, with my recommendations. Thanks for stopping by!

        Reply
      • Erica Hobbs

        April 02, 2016 at 10:05 am

        Shipshewana is a wonderful place. So many things to see and taste. For quilters there are Lolly's fabrics and Yoder's. On Tuesday and Wednesday there is a gigantic flea market during the summer. Menno-hof is a place where you can see how the first Amish and Mennonites came to the USA. Well worth a visit. We go to Shipshe frequently as our doctor has his clinic there. We really like going to E&S Sales, a bulk food store and has lots of Amish products. The Davis building has lots of small stores and a neat Merry-go-round on the third floor. There is a thick tree trunk in the middle of the building.

        Reply
        • Kevin

          April 02, 2016 at 10:51 pm

          Thank you, Erica, superb advice! Menno-Hof is great, but, yes your recommendation of E & S is spot-on....one of the best, if not the best, Amish bulk food stores out there...just a super place!

    2. Connie

      April 01, 2016 at 7:10 pm

      I love reading your travel stories about the Amish. Tell you the truth, I had no idea they settled all over the United States.
      The one mentioned in today's column,about Grabill Country Stores, I was unable to reach the website.
      Could you please direct to the correct web site they have?

      Thank you,
      Connie

      Reply
      • Kevin

        April 01, 2016 at 10:54 pm

        Connie, I tried the link and it did work for me...but try just cutting and pasting this in your browser: http://www.grabillcountrysales.com/

        Thanks for your kind words about the website!

        Reply
    3. Barb Vath

      April 01, 2016 at 8:55 pm

      Kevin, in Grabill you mention not a lot to do for the visitor, is the huge antique store still open? It was gigantic with some very nice antiques!
      Sorry, I haven't been on much lately. Some personal things occurred and it's been difficult to get back to normal.

      Reply
      • Kevin

        April 01, 2016 at 10:55 pm

        Barb, your ears must have been burning because I was actually just wondering about you yesterday, hadn't heard from you awhile so I checked to see if you were still on the email list. Glad you are around still, thoughts and prayers to you as you work through this difficult time! - Kevin

        Reply

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    Kevin Williams - The Amish Editor Amish Cook Column

    Hi There, I'm Kevin!

    Welcome to Amish365, where I share my knowledge of Amish cooking and culture! I’ve spent almost three decades exploring Amish settlements and kitchens from Maine to Montana and almost everywhere in between. I’ll occasionally throw in stories of my travels, journalism adventures (I’m a Pulitzer prize-nominated journalist), fascination with grocery stores and Kmarts, and much more!

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