It's obvious from one look at the shop-lined streets of Amana, the largest of the seven Amana Colonies, that modern commerce is in full flower there. Even so, the first question asked about the villages is: Are the Amana people Amish? And no wonder — the people of the Amanas spoke German, lived simply and adhered faithfully to Scripture. Many still do. But no, they never were Amish.
Go to story ...For the Amish, that's a lifestyle, not a movement.
Go to story ...Even in a region rich in ethnicity, the Dutch stand out. In a town square in Iowa, lacy white hats shaped like pyramids, horns and half-moons bob high atop women's heads. Men wear black caps, breeches or baggy trousers and narrow bands cross at their throats. Their wooden shoes click and clack as they dance. "These are the weirdest people I've ever seen!'' shrieked a little boy watching from the sidelines.
Go to story ...Poor Herbert Hoover. Orphaned at age 9, he spent his childhood picking potato bugs, weeding onions and cleaning barns. His first job after graduation from Stanford was shoveling ore.
Go to story ...Before 1932, the pious, hard-working people of the Amana Colonies were the only people in Iowa who got to eat out every night. Butchers, brewers and winemakers turned out goods for everyone, and meals were served in 50 communal kitchens.
Go to story ...In 1997, a small-town damsel who married a prince — well, an heir waved a silver wand over her hometown of Perry, Iowa, and unusual things began to happen.
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