I've spent a fair amount of time in Wayne County, Indiana over the past several months. More about why in a post tomorrow. But I've enjoyed exploring the wide swath of rural roads that spiderweb across the northern part of the county. The population of Old Order Amish who've arrived from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania has taken off since the first came to town some ten years ago. The area had been hit hard by the Rust Belt recession. A sprawling Wayne Bus Company plant in nearby Richmond used to be one of the nation's largest school bus manufacturers, but those jobs went belly up in the 1990s. The entrepreneurial Amish have bought many depressed properties, built schools, opened businesses, and really helped revive the flagging Wayne County economy. Here are some scenes from this bucolic countryside. By the way, I do have an entry about Wayne County in The Williams Guide to Amish Country:)
We passed a couple of Amish school-houses. This one is on Carlos Road and note the main mode of transportation for kids to and from lessons: scooters. A bunch are parked at the end of this school driveway.
Below are some scenes of an Amish school outside Economy, Indiana on Sugar Grove Road. Note the gray-topped buggies are classic Lancaster County style. Boys and girls outhouses are clearly marked outside the building.
Later on, Rachel and I passed an Amish pumpkin farm, the rotting remains of this autumn's orange castaways practically glowing in the November sun.
Tom The Backroads Traveller
I find it interesting to see all the scooters, something I have never seen in the New York State settlements I visit.
Judy DeSalvo
Saw several young girls using these scooters in Adams County, Ohio. At first, I thought they were bikes but a second look solved that misconception! xxxo