The Goshen Rally---Day 9

Saturday was a busy day at the rally site. Not only did we get everything set up to get the rally started the fairgrounds held their semi-annual consignment sale. This is a major event in the area with people bringing in all their "stuff" they no longer want or need to have it auctioned off to their neighbors who feel they need it. Many of the folks buying and selling come from the local Amish.

There is a large Amish community in the Goshen area. These folks work the fields but many of them work in the various RV manufacturing plants scattered throughout northern Indiana. Due to the downturn in the RV industry many of these plants have closed. Elkhart County now has one of the largest unemployment rates in the nation. Many of the Amish folks make a living from their cottage industries. For instance, next Wednesday evening instead of having our normal catered dinner here at the Fairgrounds we will divide up into two groups and travel out to the homes of two Amish families. They have set up buildings where they can feed large groups, family style, for a fee. Usually this will involve the wife in the family doing all the cooking and they husband and children doing all the serving. This is a big task when you consider they can usually serve 60 to 80 people at each place.



I always find the Amish people interesting. They shun modern conveniences, like electricity, motor vehicles and modern farm equipment. All their clothing is home made, by hand. Although you will never see electric lines running to an Amish house you will often see them going to the barn or to their food service building. This has to do with state laws. If they serve food they must have refrigeration so they'll have electricity for that purpose only. The lighting in the building will be from gas jets in the wall or ceiling. If they operate a dairy operation they cannot sell their milk on the market unless they use automatic milking machines so they will have electricity to the barn for this purpose only.



The most unique thing about Amish transportation is their closed carriages. They are very plain but utilitarian. Again, they can't get completely away from modern conveniences. State law requires them to have rear view and side mirrors, tail lights and turn signals if they are to be driven on public roadways. To accomplish this they are fitted with standard car batteries. The question has come up as to how they recharge these batteries if they have no electricity at their homes. Here are a couple of pictures I took at the fairgrounds of their transportation. To the left is of a carriage, with it's trailer, waiting for the owner to come back from the sale. The other is of a father and son loading up their purchases.


To end this busy day, Saturday evening 42 of us went over to Nappanee to Amish Acres for a dinner theater. The food, as is usual around here, was very good. The play was Nunsence II and was very funny and entertaining.