The Amish communities of Wisconsin are centered
in three general areas: in the northeastern part of the state
south and east of the city of Eau Claire; in the southeast region
stretching from Whitewater down to Beloit; and in the southwest region
known as the Driftless Area or the Bluff Country, south and east of
the city of La Crosse.
The Amish of the Bluff Country, the most famous
of the many Anabaptist (choosing adult baptism) groups in our
country, are comprised of two groups that share a great many similarities
but also some very important differences. Generally, all the Amish
of the Bluff Country are Old Order Amish: no tractors in the fields,
few telephones except at an occasional shop or along a lonely lane;
hook-and-eye closures on clothing instead of buttons; small one-room
schoolhouses.
But amongst the Old Order live the most conservative
of the subgroups of Amish: The Swartzentruber Amish. Where the Old
Order settlements permit belfries on their schoolhouses, the Swartzentruber
feel it is too ornamental. Where an Old Order home may be wreathed
in flower pots and chimes, the Swartzentruber believe it is too fancy,
not 'plain.'
The many kinds of Old Order buggies will have glass doors
to keep out the cold, and lanterns on the sides, and often orange
triangles on the backs, but the Swartzentruber buggies will show none
of these luxuries. The largest settlements of Swartzentruber Amish
in the United States live in the Upper Midwest Bluff Country.
The Amish of the Bluff Country are centered around
a handful of small towns and crossroads in three counties:
Monroe County: Cashton, Wilton, St. Mary's, and
Ontario
Vernon County: Sugar Grove,
Westby, Viroqua, La Farge, and Hillsboro
Sauk County: Reedsburg and La Valle
There are other Anabaptist groups in Wisconsin,
including "team" Mennonites--so named for driving teams of horses
but, like many Mennonites, often using electricity and own telephones--and
Old Order German Baptist Brethren. Unlike the Amish who meet
for church in their homes, the Mennonites and Old Order German Baptist
Brethren build meeting houses and these small plain unadorned buildings
can also be seen among the quiet valleys of the Bluff Country.
The Wisconsin Bluff Country is rich with tourism
resources, starting with the all the modern travel conveniences
in food and lodging at the major cities of La Crosse, Sparta and Tomah,
stretching along the northern edge of the Amish district along I-90.
Most of the major hotel and food chains are found here.
Once into the interior of the Bluff Country, it is impossible
to get anywhere quickly! You will wind along bluff tops,
down alongside rushing creeks, and through uplands dotted with farms
and country churches. The lodging and food choices here are
fewer but perfectly fine, ranging from country inns to family motels
to cabins.
And through the entire region run some of the best
rails-to-trails segments in the Upper Midwest: the Omaha State
Trail, the La Crosse River Trail, and the granddaddy of all national
bicycle trails, the Elroy-Sparta Trail, all of which meet at the
Elroy Commons. Many of the old depots in the small towns of
the Bluff Country have been converted into rest and tourist stops:
don't miss them!
Some suggestions
for visitor information:
