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    Home » The Plain Columns » The Amish Editor

    Buggies Gone Wild: Golf Cart Buggies, Bachelor Buggies and Van Buggy?

    Published: Mar 18, 2014 · Updated: Mar 18, 2014 by Kevin Williams | 3 Comments

    In my travels throughout Plain America I've seen plenty of traditional buggies.  These generally charcoal-black symbols of another era are almost always captivating and charming.   But horse-power comes in many shapes and sizes and there are times when necessity truly is the mother of invention.

    golfcartThis gets the award for the most innovative "buggy" I've ever seen.  This is a golf cart that has been gutted of its electrical innards, painted black and modified to be hitched to a horse.  This was "golf cart" buggy was seen in Flat Rock, Illinois's Amish settlement. It is owned by an elderly couple in the community. They explained to me that they were having difficultly with the sometimes bone-cracking climb onto a traditional buggy.  They were otherwise healthy and active so if only they had something a bit lower to the ground.  Enter the golf cart.  Since this hit the streets around Flat Rock, other Amish have expressed interest in these for the same reason.  I think 3 or 4 others have been made last I heard.

    vanbuggyOther times you just need to improvise.  I stopped my car when I saw this buggy in Manton, Michigan.  This family had a covered buggy but they wanted something to enjoy the wonderfully temperate northern Michigan summers.  Who wants to be cooped up in a buggy then?    The Amish woman living at the residence explained the funny-looking "buggy" like this:

    “My husband bought these old van seats and fastened them to the cart. It makes for a really smooth ride,” she said.

    Then there are "bachelor buggies", ones that are big enough for one.  I spotted this one in Hardin County, Ohio.   The Amish man driving in explained the benefits of such a tiny vehicle:bachelor

    The Amish man who was riding it laughingly told me that the small buggy was his version of a motorcycle.   In other words, sort of a “man cave” on wheels. In some Amish communities these small one-person carts go by the name “gig” and in other settlements people just call them carts. You probably could squeeze two people into this cart, but this is definitely meant for one.  Notice the back of the cart just has grey reflectors.  The wheels are larger than the cart! And there is just enough storage space in the front to carry a bucket of paint or maybe some tools. It’d definitely be a lower to the ground ride and seem like a fast journey than a higher-up heavier full-sized buggy.

    « Amish Cook: Apple Pie Pudding Cake
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    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. Kentucky Lady 717

      March 18, 2014 at 1:19 pm

      Hey Kevin, couldn't you show us the entire buggie of each of these , or were you not allowed to ?
      Very interesting.....and they do have some great ideas.....who would have thought a golf cart could
      be made into a buggy 🙂

      Reply
      • Tom The Backroads Traveller

        March 18, 2014 at 6:53 pm

        Hey Kentucky Lady, click on the photo and you will see a large photo with all the detail.

        Tom

        Reply
    2. Debbie

      March 18, 2014 at 3:45 pm

      The golf cart buggy is especially interesting. I imagine the rubber tires make the ride smoother as well.

      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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