Why You Should Visit Shipshewana, Indiana

A Look at Northern Indiana's Mennonite and Amish Country

A picturesque drive to northern Indiana will bring you to Shipshewana, well known for its Amish and Mennonite community. Shipshewana is named for a Potawatomi Chief, and for a visitor, Shipshewana is a town rich in agriculture, character, and tourism. Over 500,000 people visit Shipshewana every year, taking in the Amish atmosphere or visiting the enormous flea market and auction. There are lots of festivals year round in Shipshewana and Christmas is an amazing time with beautiful Christmas decorations.

Shipshewana is a land rich in history. When the first white settlers came to the area in the 1830’s, they found the Potawatomi Indians encampment near a picturesque lake. Their chief’s name was Shipshewana, who had chosen the area for its resources: lush lands for gardens, swamps, woodlands, and the lake. In a horrific act of cruelty, the United States Government forced the Potawatomi, during the autumn of 1838 to leave their fertile home for the Osage River in Kansas. This event was called the Trail of Death. In 1839, Chief Shipshewana, in an act of defiance, returned to his homeland. He died two years later.

Without Native Americans to protest, the settlers came in to the town. At first, whites settled south of Shipshewana in Shore. Then, the railroad came, and the town of Shipshewana gained population. The Mennonites and Amish came to Shipshewana because of the same things that attracted the Potawatomi, fertile soil and lush woods. In 1841, the first Mennonite church was organized. By 1842, many families had chosen Shipshewana for their home. Amish settlers followed very soon after, agreeing that the area was a good place to live.