I've been editor of the York Daily Record/Sunday News for more than 4 years and managing editor of the newspaper for 15 years before that. So, York Town Square explores the world of journalism. But I also studied York/Adams in graduate school and have written five books about these fascinating southcentral Pennsylvania counties. So, this blog deals with regional history. Often, journalism and history meet here. They're part of a continuum anyway. My hope is that this site intrigues readers on both accounts. Contact me at 
An Amish farmer works in his Lower Chanceford Township field in June 2008. In recent years, Amish from Lancaster and elsewhere have moved to this remote part of York County. Background posts: Who was Norman Wood (of bridge fame)?, Horse, buggy, one-room school make county comeback, Amish: 'We are making a commitment to forgive'
With Amish moving to less crowded quarters west of the Susquehanna in recent decades, it raises the question about how many of these newcomers now call York County home.
York Daily Record/Sunday News religion writer Melissa Nann Burke has come as close as can be determined without actually counting heads... .
No public numbers are available, but here's how she arrived at a count.
In her religion blog, she reports that the Lancaster Amish region counts 169 local church districts.
Two are in York County.
She explains that districts are self-governing areas drawn with roads, streams and other geographic boundaries in mind. Roughly 25 to 40 households live in each district.
Speculating that each household has six residents, that would place the Amish count in York County at about 300 to 500, mostly in southeastern York County.
Districts divide as the number of members grow, Burke reports.
She writes more about the Amish, drawing from a recently issued reports at Some Amish moving to cheaper pastures.
If the number of buggies seen traveling both ways on the Norman Wood Bridge spanning the Susquehanna River in the Peach Bottom Township region are any indication, Amish families regularly visit family members in Lancaster and York counties.
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