Amanas Yesterday

This book shows historic photographs of the Amana Colonies in Iowa, one of the longest lasting communal societies in America.

Though time took its toll on the communal life in the Amana Colonies, the spirit of strength and sincerity continues as a legacy to the new era in these seven villages in Iowa.

Today, the Amana Colonies are Iowa’s largest tourist attraction with more than a million visitors annually. Visitors find a heritage preserved in the museums, former communal kitchens and living quarters, furniture factories, woolen mill, family-style restaurants, unique stores and shops, traditional meat processing plants and bakeries, wineries, industriously farmed land and a major industry in the nationally successful Amana Refrigeration Plant.