How many Amish have crossed the Norman Wood Bridge from Lancaster to York County?
An Amish farmer works in his Lower Chanceford Township field in June 2008. In recent years, Amish from Lancaster and elsewhere have moved to this remote part of York County. Background posts: Who was Norman Wood (of bridge fame)?, Horse, buggy, one-room school make county comeback, Amish: ‘We are making a commitment to forgive’
With Amish moving to less crowded quarters west of the Susquehanna in recent decades, it raises the question about how many of these newcomers now call York County home.
York Daily Record/Sunday News religion writer Melissa Nann Burke has come as close as can be determined without actually counting heads… .
No public numbers are available, but here’s how she arrived at a count.
In her religion blog, she reports that the Lancaster Amish region counts 169 local church districts.
Two are in York County.
She explains that districts are self-governing areas drawn with roads, streams and other geographic boundaries in mind. Roughly 25 to 40 households live in each district.
Speculating that each household has six residents, that would place the Amish count in York County at about 300 to 500, mostly in southeastern York County.
Districts divide as the number of members grow, Burke reports.
She writes more about the Amish, drawing from a recently issued reports at Some Amish moving to cheaper pastures.
If the number of buggies seen traveling both ways on the Norman Wood Bridge spanning the Susquehanna River in the Peach Bottom Township region are any indication, Amish families regularly visit family members in Lancaster and York counties.
Other posts about the Amish and Pennsylvania Dutch in York County:
– Widely circulated Amish newspaper: ‘Awhile ago Steve was up at Sam Peachey’s for some lumber.’
– Of Pennsylvania’s conscientious objectors: The ‘other side’ of the Civil War.
– Classes offer rare op to learn Pennsylvania Dutch.
– Mother Codorus has long served as leading light in obscure Dunkard Valley .
– York County group preserving Pennsylvania Dutch language, heritage.
– Der Belsnickel of the Pennsylvania Dutch: ‘He looked scary and carried a sack of presents’.
– Norman Wood Bridge painters stalled: ‘Everybody’s looking for the eagles … nobody has seen any’.
– Gift to Dutchman and York countian Millard Gladfelter: ‘Gladdie, who wears wonderful good after 25 years’.
– York County fraktur expert inventories local art: ‘I make house calls’.
– Fasnachts are a York County Pennsylvania Dutch delicacy. But how are Fasnachts different from donuts?
