Holmes Old Order Amish affiliation facts for kids
The Holmes Old Order Amish are a special group of Amish people. They mostly live in the Holmes and Wayne counties in Ohio. This area is home to a very large Amish community.
In 2009, this group had 140 church districts in the area. This makes them the main Amish group there. Even though there were 61 other church districts from 10 different Amish groups, the Holmes Old Order Amish were the biggest. They are also the third largest Amish group overall in terms of members.
A Look at Their History
The Amish settlement in Holmes County started way back in 1808. The Holmes Old Order Amish group was the original and main Amish community there. Over time, some other Amish groups formed and separated from them. For example, the Swartzentruber Amish group started in 1913. The Andy Weaver Amish group separated in 1952. In the early 1960s, one of the two main New Order Amish groups also began in this Holmes County settlement.
Their Way of Life
The Holmes Old Order Amish are not the most strict when it comes to using modern technology. However, they are more traditional than the Lancaster Amish affiliation and some parts of the Elkhart-LaGrange Amish groups. You can see how they compare to other groups in the table below.
| Affiliation | Tractor for fieldwork | Roto- tiller | Power lawn mower | Propane gas | Bulk milk tank | Mechanical milker | Mechanical refrigerator | Pickup balers | Inside flush toilet | Running water bath tub | Tractor for belt power | Pneumatic tools | Chain saw | Pressurized lamps | Motorized washing machines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of use by all Amish |
6 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 35 | 35 | 40 | 50 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 75 | 90 | 97 |
| Swartzentruber | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Some | No | No | Yes |
| Swiss (Adams) | No | No | Some | No | No | No | No | No | Some | No | No | Some | Some | Some | Some |
| Buchanan/Medford | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Some | No | Yes | Yes |
| Danner | No | No | No | Some | No | No | Some | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
| Geauga I | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Some | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Holmes Old Order | No | Some | Some | No* | No | No | Some | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Elkhart-LaGrange | No | Some | Some | Some | Some | Some | Some | Some | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lancaster | No | No | Some | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Nappanee, Indiana | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Kalona | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
* Natural gas allowed
Something unique about the Holmes Old Order Amish is that many of their children go to local public schools. This is different from most other Amish communities. The public schools in the area have often changed to fit the Amish way of life, making it easier for Amish children to attend.
Where They Live
In 2011, the Holmes Old Order Amish lived only in Ohio. They were found in just two main settlements. However, they had 147 church districts. This group makes up about 7 percent of all Old Order Amish people. That means about 20,000 people out of a total of 300,000 Old Order Amish in 2015. This group is the most concentrated, meaning they live very close together in one area, compared to other Amish groups.
