Amish Came To Crittenden County in 1997

 Article from The Crittenden Press, July 28, 1977

Amish buy 1,900 acres in county.  Horses and buggies may become  common site on county roads again when an Amish community gets settled into the Mattoon community this fall.

A group of Old Order Amish from Dover, Del., recently purchased about 1,900 acres of land near Mt. Zion church and a spokesman said half a dozen families may be moved in by the first of the year.

The community will include people who now live in Delaware, Canada and Pennsylvania.

More families may come after it is seen how well these first are able to adapt to this area, the spokesman said.

Members of the Amish sect, have stubbornly refused to adopt most of the "conveniences" of modern living.  They continue to till the land with draft animals and use horses and buggies as a primary means of transportation.

They will be engaged mainly in family farming with possibly produce for sale.

"As long as we can make an honest living and be neighbors, then we're happy," the spokesman said.

The group had been investigating land in this area for more than a year and a half before deciding to buy the tract from Charles Wesley.

The spokesman explained other Amish in the Gutherie area and in southern Indiana had help them in spotting suitable land.  He said that by getting that large an acreage, it would provide room for several families now as well as for future growth.

Last week, about 25 prospective residents were on the farm digging basements for houses, which they will return later to finish construction.

He noted the county's fiscal court had agreed to erect hitching posts of Jockey Lot for them and that some grocery merchants had indicated they would put up hitch rails.

They hope to re-open an old county road which connect the Mt. Zion road with the Fords Ferry Road and use that less traveled highway for their trips in to town.

Agreeing that their ways and appearances --men are bearded and women wear long dresses and caps -- naturally attract attention to them, the spokesmen noted he hopes the community is not expect too much from them.

We are only human, he said.  "We're not a perfect people."

Some Amish scenes on Mt. Zion Cemetery Road.