Pictures and Observations About Grabill

CAPTION:  An Amish home in the Grabill, Indiana area looks like a suburb home in anywhere USA (minus wires going into it)

Grabill, Indiana is an interesting Amish settlement and I do have an entry about it in The Williams Guide.  The settlement shares many similarities with the Berne-Geneva communities about 45 minutes to the south, but also some differences.  These photos are from the Dave Shaner collection.

Similarities:   The Amish in both settlements speak a dialect of Swiss and generally use open top buggies. Schwartz is a common last name in both settlements.  Yodeling is also heard in both places.

Differences:  The Grabill community is generally more prosperous.  Located just outside the Fort Wayne Interstate 269 outer belt property values are higher because of the proximity to the city. Some of the Amish homes in the area resemble more of what you'd find in the most affluent suburban enclaves outside of cities.   While I think  I have seen solar panels in the Adams County settlement, they are far more ubiquitous in the Grabill community.  Look at these solar panels on roofs and even whole rows of them in fields.  Grabill has a "charming town" feel to it whereas Berne straddles busy US 27.   Berne's downtown is just off US 27, but it can be bustling and crowded.

CAPTIONS:  Note the solar panels seen on Amish homes near Grabill and notice the open buggies moving around town. The solar panels are more common in Grabill, the open buggies are seen in both places.