Myth Buster #10: Amish Buggies

What is with every Amish area having a different style and color buggy?

This first picture of a buggy is one I took in Shipshewana, the setting of Falling to Pieces. Note the white outline around the back and the placement of the triangle. Note that the back is solid construction though there is a small window.

Now look at this second picture, which is of a buggy in Wisconsin, where my Harvest House series is set. (Book one is titled A Promise for Miriam.) What do you see that is different?

So there are some consistencies and some differences. Here’s what I found on the Amish FAQ site for an answer, and it jives with the other things I’ve read.

Throughout the United States and in Canada not all buggies are black. The similarity of Amish carriages in any given area allows little for status, but speaks of all being equal. Therefore, members of a particular group can be identified by the buggies they drive. In Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, for example, there are five distinct groups of Old Order Amish living in the Kishacoquillas Valley. The two most conservative groups drive white-topped buggies, another has yellow tops, and two others use black buggies. In Lancaster County, PA, the Old Order Amish drive gray buggies and the Old Order Mennonites drive black buggies.

I hope you have a chance to ride in an Amish buggy. It’s a fun and peaceful experience. So … myth busted?

DISCLAIMER: We’re BUSTING MYTHS to celebrate the launch of my series set in Shipshewana, Indiana. Remember though, my experience may be different from yours or from other books you have read.

V~

p.s. See CONTEST #3 posted on Tuesday. If you have not signed up yet, you have until 6 pm Sunday to comment under that post below. : ) This is a special give-away … it includes books by myself, Amy Clipston, and Shelley Shepherd Gray. Check it out!