Amana, Amish, and Another Floor

I'd like to take this opportunity to clarify a common misconception: Amana and Amish are not the same thing. The old house in the photo is north of Amana, and is being dismantled by a great couple of people who refer to themselves as Tri-Coastal Salvage. Beth and John dismantle beautiful old buildings and sell the gorgeous, sturdy materials for reuse in new projects like ours. This is a circa 1920 farm house, from which we are utilizing the subfloor for our finished floor. The wood has been milled by an Amish craftsman, who has shaped the boards into 5 and 5 1/2" tongue and groove flooring. We are told it is old vertical grain douglas fir, and we have no choice but to believe it! It is beautiful, and we are extremely fortunate and grateful to those who have lovingly rescued it and crafted it into the Yum Yum Farm house floor.

Now, just to be clear (and please comment if I get this wrong): The people who settled the Amana Colonies were known as Inspirationists, from Ebenezer, New York. The Amana Colonies consist of 7 distinct, but related villages, that are probably best known outside of Iowa for having produced the Amana Radarange microwave ovens, and other household appliances. This is quite different from the Amish, who live in northern Washington County, primarily in Kalona, but also toward and around Riverside, Wellman, Frytown, and Joetown. Outside of our area, Amish are known for devout lifestyles that shun many modern conveniences, such as Amana Radaranges and other household appliances. Get the picture? Please note that these are ridiculous simplifications of very rich cultures, which we hope to expand upon in future posts.