Augusta, Wisconsin Amish
There’s no better way to get a feel for how each Amish community is different than immersing yourself in the area.
Last week I had the joy of visiting an Amish community tucked deep in Eau Claire County, Wisconsin. About an hour southwest of Wausau is home to the town of Augusta. Known for its popular stores like Weaver’s Country Store and The Wood Shed, there’s not a shortage of winding country roads just waiting for you to explore.
We do a lot of traveling, and people often ask me how we find all the neat places we discover. Plain and simple, we are followers of buggy tracks. Some people are storm chasers, we’re buggy chasers. Not really, but when we find a community where we know the Amish live, we travel the back roads looking for buggy marks and road apples to guide our way.
This trip, the back roads played home to the “Red Barn Amish.”
Not their real names, but we like to pick out one thing that sets a community apart from the others we visit. My favorite town in Pennsylvania is the “Blue Door Amish,” in Sugarcreek, Ohio, it’s the “Bicycle Amish,” and in Hart County, Kentucky it’s the “Black Buggy Amish.” We have a pattern going, and we like coming up with names to help us identify the differences.
The rolling green hills and landscape reminded me of my home town in Northwestern, Pennsylvania. From the women’s black sneakers and pinned together dark green dresses to the men’s straw hats, suspenders and green shirts, this community makes a living by farming and milling lumber.
At every turn, the well-manicured lawns, and picturesque red barns and white clapboard houses looked like something out of a picture book.
With the windows down and taking our time to enjoy the countryside, the pungent smell of wood shavings and cow manure was thick in the air. The back roads were littered with handmade signs that advertised everything from nightcrawlers to fresh maple syrup. It was my kind of day!
Let me take you on a tour of some of the places we visited:
Our first stop was Weavers Country Store on E13855 US 12 in Falls Creek, WI.
It was your typical Amish grocery with bulk foods, handmade baskets, local Wisconsin meats and cheeses, and an array of grocery items to fill your cart. They had a beautiful selection of summer flowers, and potted plants at the entrance and I spent a good bit of time just admiring them.
The second stop was The Wood Shed, in the heart of Augusta at 105 W. Lincoln Street.
What a gem of a store! In every nook and cranny, I found fine-crafted Amish made furniture and home décor accessories to enjoy. What makes them stand out from other furniture stores is they offer Amish Tours if you like a more structured visit. Call them a few days ahead of time, and they will arrange for a personal tour through Amish country for you.
We spent so much time just driving around the back roads and taking in the views we only stopped at one more place, and it was the Sunny Acres Greenhouse.
We found them on S14338 County Road M and had a great time picking out a hanging basket to take home with us. We pulled into the driveway just in time to see a girl chase a goat out of the driveway, someone washing a buggy, a girl hanging rows of green and black laundry on the line and another running to use the outdoor plumbing. (This community does not have indoor plumbing.) It was an enjoyable sight just to watch a family hard at work in the middle of the day. They were not bothered in the least that we interrupted their work and were anxious to help us with our greenhouse shopping.
If you have the time and are in the area take a drive south on County Road G to County Road RR and back north on Highway 12/27 into Augusta and take in all the sights, sounds and smells of this beautiful little community. Take your camera, but be respectful of their privacy and wishes not to be photographed and you’ll get lots of pictures to enjoy for years to come.
That was our day in Augusta, WI visiting the Amish.
Have you visited this area? If so, I would love to hear what your favorite place is and if you have any hidden gems in this community, please share with us.
To me there is nothing like a red barn! I have always wanted to go to Wisconsin and now I have another reason!
I have not been, but your description makes me yearn for it. It sounds lovely.
I just recently moved to this area and I love the serenity. I wanted to simplify my life so I purchased a 40 acre farm in the heart of Amish country. I so enjoy seeing the little ones walk to and from school and how friendly the community is..and so helpful! It’s a dream come true for me.
How exciting! I grew up surrounded by the sounds and sights of the Amish and miss it now that I live in South Carolina. Sounds like you found your little piece of heaven.
Where in northwest Pennsylvania did you grow up? I live in northwest PA and am wondering if it was close to where I grew up/
I went to school in Waterford and then after I married moved to Meadville. How about you? Where are you from?
I never been there but I live in Green Bay Wisconsin and going to plan a trip!! Thank you for your description of the little town!
It is a quaint little town and we enjoy driving around the back roads even just to look at the scenery.
Weaver’s is actually a Mennonite store, not Amish, in Fall Creek, Wisconsin.
Thank you Mary for letting us know. Sometimes it’s hard to tell unless you talk to someone.
The Weavers are Mennonite not Amish but yes it’s a great place to shop.
I love the Bent and Dent store, out off of M. We had a camper parked out in that area for 12 years. Always fascinated with the Amish community!
We visited the Augusta are. Amazing beautiful Amish saw Mills. I wasin AWWW….. the huge houses all connected. The huge saw mills are awesome! I love Amish and their ways! K
We are planning to visit this area this spring. What are your favorite drives, stores and places to stay in that area?